ESPN’s top 100 professional athletes of the 21st century: Unveiling 1-25

The greatest athlete of the 21st century? That’s easy. It has to be Tom Brady, the quarterback of the greatest dynasty America’s favorite sport has ever seen, a seven-time Super Bowl champ and five-time Super Bowl MVP. Yep. Tom Brady.

Except. Except it has to be Lionel Messi, the best player in the world’s favorite sport, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner as the footballer of the year. Yep, definitely Messi.

Except … no … LeBron James, right? Four-time NBA champ, four-time Finals MVP, four-time regular-season MVP, 20-time All-NBA, most points scored in NBA history. No athlete has dominated the public conversation like LeBron has. He has to be No. 1.

Except, what about Serena Williams? Winner of 23 Grand Slam titles, the Serena Slam (holding all four major titles at the same time) and four Olympic gold medals. And she won her final Grand Slam while pregnant, interrupting her career while at her most dominant.

Except, if you are going to pick a tennis player, what about Roger Federer? He transformed an entire sport with his artistry, his chess game on the court, his blazing forehand. He won 20 Grand Slam titles and became the most beloved tennis player of all time. Gotta be Fed.

Yeah, except Rafael Nadal won 22 Grand Slam titles and Novak Djokovic has won 24. You have to pick one of them over Federer.

Hmm. Maybe this isn’t so easy. We didn’t even mention the Olympians: Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles. Or Kobe. Gotta throw Kobe Bryant into the discussion. Or Lewis Hamilton. Or Peyton Manning. Or Floyd Mayweather. Or Tiger. Geez, almost forgot about Tiger Woods.

Yes, ranking the top 100 most accomplished athletes since 2000 wasn’t quite so easy after all — but it sure was fun. Twenty-five years ago, the ESPN SportsCentury project ranked the top 100 North American athletes of the 20th century. Michael Jordan came in first, followed by Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown and Wayne Gretzky. (Ruth should have been No. 1, but hey, I’m a baseball writer). We also ranked a horse: Secretariat came in at No. 35.

With so many transcendent athletes over the past 25 years, we thought it was time to do another ranking. I promise you there are no horses this time (sorry, American Pharoah). In considering the best athletes of the 21st century, however, we have expanded our choices beyond North America. ESPN editions from around the globe contributed to the nominations and voting process, as well as the individual sport list rankings that will follow.

Voters were instructed to consider only an athlete’s performance since 2000. So, for Barry Bonds: He won seven MVP awards, but only four of those came after 2000, as did only 317 of his 762 home runs. Or Ken Griffey Jr.: He played until 2010, but all of his best seasons came in the 1990s. Tiger won 13 of his 15 majors from 2000 on, so he’s in good shape. Other athletes, such as Patrick Mahomes or Nikola Jokic or Shohei Ohtani, obviously have more greatness ahead of them, so we’ll see how high their accomplishments so far get them on the list.

In the end, we received more than 70,000 votes from ESPN contributors to create our top 100. We will reveal 25 athletes every day this week until we reach our No. 1 athlete of the 21st century.

Let the arguments begin. — David Schoenfield, ESPN senior writer

76. Georges St-Pierre, MMA

Key accomplishments: UFC Hall of Famer, UFC welterweight and middleweight champion, nine UFC welterweight title defenses.

Arguably no fighter in UFC history bridged the gap better from the sport’s “older days” to its modern form. Particularly from 2006 to 2013, St-Pierre represented everything mixed martial arts was looking for. He was essentially perfect in those years, winning 14 of 15 bouts, including 12 title fights. At one point, he won 33 consecutive rounds. He was solely responsible for an explosion of fan interest in Canada, and was one of the promotion’s biggest stars globally. His style was ahead of its time, known for blending a variety of skills seamlessly together. He is also remembered as one of the most outspoken critics of performance-enhancing drugs during his era. — Brett Okamoto

77. Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, track

Key accomplishments: Eight-time Olympic medalist, three-time Olympic gold medalist, record five 100-meter world titles, oldest sprinter (35 in 2022) to win world title.

One day after Usain Bolt’s win in the 100 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Fraser-Pryce became the first woman from the Caribbean to win Olympic gold in the event. Four years later, she defended her title in the 100 (as did Bolt), further cementing Jamaica’s reputation as a sprinting powerhouse. Only 5 feet tall and typically sporting rainbow locks, the “Pocket Rocket” has medaled in track and field’s fastest race in the past four Games. In Paris, her fifth and final Olympics, Fraser-Pryce will line up once more with the goal of reclaiming her title as the fastest woman alive. — Alyssa Roenigk

78. Bernard Hopkins, boxing

Key accomplishments: 55-8-2 record (32 KOs) from 1988-2016, oldest ever boxing world champion at age 49, 20 middleweight title defenses, two-division world champion

Hopkins’ otherworldly longevity saw him fittingly call himself “The Alien” late in a 28-year professional career. He made a record 20 world middleweight title defenses (1996-2005) and stopped Oscar De La Hoya with a body shot to become undisputed champion in 2004. The Philadelphia native’s ring IQ and exceptional conditioning allowed him to win world titles well into his 40s. In 2011, Hopkins outpointed Jean Pascal for the light heavyweight title to become the oldest boxing world champion at 46 years old. Two years later, Hopkins won back a light heavyweight title, and in 2014, at age 49, he defeated light heavyweight champion Beibut Shumenov. — Andreas Hale

Key accomplishments: Two-time MVP (2015 and 2021), 2012 NL Rookie of the Year, seven-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger, 2022 NLCS MVP, 2018 HR Derby champion at Nationals Park

He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 16 with the headline “Baseball’s Chosen One” and has somehow managed to live up to the hype, including some of the best postseason numbers of all time. He even helped make baseball fun again — from his all-out style of play to his green Phillie Phanatic cleats. Rarely has there been a more perfect match between ballplayer and city than Harper and Philadelphia. “He brings you into his game with his talent and grit. That resonates with the fan base,” said former Phillies great Chase Utley. — David Schoenfield

80. Andy Murray, tennis

Key accomplishments: Three-time Grand Slam singles champion, finished in top 10 for nine consecutive years from 2008-2016, two-time Olympic gold medalist in singles.

Once a part of the sport’s Big Four, Murray was essentially removed from the conversation as Federer, Nadal and Djokovic emerged in a league of their own. But even while his three major championships pale in comparison to the tally of his top peers, there was perhaps no victory more memorable than Murray’s first title at Wimbledon in 2013. A year after coming devastatingly close to winning his home Slam, a determined Murray held off Djokovic in three convincing sets to win his maiden major title. Never one to be able to hide his emotions, Murray openly sobbed on the court after the victory, proving just how much it meant to him. The BBC called the achievement “the Holy Grail” for British sport. — D’Arcy Maine

81. Sheryl Swoopes, basketball

Key accomplishments: Four-time WNBA champion, three-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time WNBA MVP, three-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, five-time All-WNBA First Team, Basketball Hall of Famer.

Swoopes, a key part of the Houston Comets’ dynasty, won the last of her four WNBA titles in 2000 and was the league’s MVP in 2000, 2002 and 2005. Known for three-level scoring, she was also one of the best disruptors of passing lanes in women’s hoops history, which helped lead to being honored as the WNBA’s best defensive player in 2000, 2002 and 2003. Two of her three Olympic golds came in 2000 and 2004, and she played in the WNBA until age 40. — Michael Voepel

82. Kohei Uchimura, gymnastics

Key accomplishments: Seven-time Olympic medalist, three-time Olympic gold medalist, six-time individual all-around world champion.

Over an eight-year period from 2009 to 2016, Uchimura dominated men’s gymnastics, going undefeated in all-around competition, winning back-to-back Olympic titles and leading the Japanese team to gold at the Rio Games. He retired from the sport in 2022 with a reputation for pairing extreme difficulty with unmatched consistency and flawless execution and is widely considered to be the GOAT of men’s gymnastics.

In one of his most memorable all-around performances, Uchimura averaged higher than a 9.0 execution score on every apparatus to take the all-around title at the 2011 world championships in Tokyo, which were held seven months after an earthquake and tsunami devastated northeast Japan. — Alyssa Roenigk

Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-Defense, 2013 All-Star Game MVP, 2005-06 Rookie of the Year, six-time steals leader, five-time assists leader.

Paul has run thousands of pick-and-rolls to perfection and dished out nearly 12,000 assists, but his greatest accomplishment might have been transforming the LA Clippers from annual punching bag to perennial playoff contenders while orchestrating the unforgettable Lob City teams. Prior to Paul’s arrival in Los Angeles, the franchise had made the postseason just seven times in its history.

Paul’s Clippers made the playoffs six consecutive times, as he delivered some of the most scintillating alley-oops in NBA history to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Clippers fans won’t forget Paul’s Game 7-winning running bank shot that capped off a 27-point performance against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round in 2015. — Ohm Youngmisuk

84. Lauren Jackson, basketball

Key accomplishments: Two-time WNBA champion, 2010 Finals MVP, three-time Olympic silver and one-time bronze medalist, three-time WNBA MVP, 2007 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, seven-time All-WNBA first team, two-time WNBA All-Defensive first team, Basketball Hall of Famer.

Jackson is the best women’s basketball player from Australia, and one of the best from anywhere. Drafted No. 1 by the Seattle Storm at age 19 in 2001, she is one of three players to be a three-time WNBA MVP. She led the Storm to the 2004 and 2010 league titles, and her 2007 and 2006 seasons are the top two in Player Efficiency Rating in WNBA history. Known for her powerful inside presence offensively and defensively, Jackson’s WNBA career ended after the 2012 season because of injury issues. However, she later resumed her career in Australia and has made her fifth Olympic team this year at age 43. — Michael Voepel

Key accomplishments: Two-time Finals MVP, two-time NBA champion, six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

Not even an LA Clippers tenure marred by injuries can diminish a legacy that only a handful of players in history can match or top. Leonard is one of 12 players to ever win two NBA Finals MVP trophies. None of them, however, led a Canadian team to the country’s first NBA championship. In leading Toronto to the title in 2019, Leonard cemented himself as one of the game’s most clutch players when healthy in the playoffs. He delivered one of the most legendary buzzer-beaters in playoff history when his twisting corner jumper softly bounced on the rim four times and in to eliminate Philadelphia in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals that season.

Even during his five-year Clippers tenure, Leonard has shown signs of dominance when healthy. He just has to finish a postseason healthy again, something he hasn’t done since the 2020 bubble. — Ohm Youngmisuk

Key accomplishments: Seven-time major singles champ, five-time Wimbledon champ, 270 major match wins (fifth most by a woman in the Open era), record 89 career major appearances in singles.

The elder Williams sister burst onto the tennis scene as an enthusiastic and joyful teenager, and likely would have won many more titles if not for the arrival of Serena. While Williams’ results have been remarkable, and she has the most major titles among active women on tour, she has been equally influential off the court as a champion for gender equality in tennis and beyond.

While advocating for equal pay at Wimbledon, Williams asked tournament officials at a meeting a simple question: “Would you want your daughter or your sister or your mother or your wife or a loved one to be a woman paid less?'” Wimbledon offered equal prize money for men and women in 2007. She called the achievement “the best moment of my career” in 2023. — D’Arcy Maine

87. Ronaldo Nazario, soccer

Key accomplishments: Two-time FIFA World Cup winner, two-time Ballon d’Or winner, two-time Copa América winner, three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, Golden Ball winner 1998 men’s World Cup, Golden Boot winner 2002 men’s World Cup.

The original Ronaldo was probably the fastest, most powerful striker running with the ball in the history of the game, capable of variations at pace and able to slow down, keep his head still and shoot at goal with cool precision. All of these virtues were best seen in the 20th century — but the 21st came up with the best storyline. Twice his knee collapsed beneath him and he was left howling in gruesome pain. Many thought that the second was the end of his career.

In the buildup to the 2002 World Cup, Inter Milan, his Italian club, could not get him fit. Brazil took charge and he took the tournament by storm, carrying a side that nearly failed to qualify all the way to a memorable triumph. It is one of the great comeback stories in the history of sport. — Tim Vickery

88. Roy Halladay, baseball

Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: Hall of Famer, two-time Cy Young winner (one of seven players to win Cy Young in both American and National leagues), eight-time All-Star, two no-hitters.

Halladay was the product of a bygone era in which a pitcher endeavored to finish what he started. Never gifted with overwhelming velocity, Halladay killed with paper cuts. He walked hitters at an almost identical rate to Greg Maddux and logged 220-plus-inning seasons like they were nothing. His right arm got the glory, but it was Halladay’s brain — his innate sense of how to pitch to every hitter — that won him 203 games. When he died in a plane crash in 2017, a profound sadness spread through the sport. The great pitching artisan was gone, never to be replicated. — Jeff Passan

89. Annika Sorenstam, golf

Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: Eight major wins (most during span); earned 54 of her 72 career LPGA Tour victories, competed in PGA Tour event in 2003.

It’s not only that the Swedish-born golfer won 97 times around the world, captured 10 major championships and is the only woman to card a 59 in a professional tournament. Or that Sorenstam won 11 times in 2002 — the most on the LPGA Tour in nearly 40 years — and became the first woman to play in a PGA event in more than a half-century when she competed in the Bank of America Colonial Tournament in 2003. It’s that when Sorenstam retired from full-time competitive play at age 38 in 2008, she still had some of her best golf in front of her. During her Hall of Fame career, Sorenstam set scoring records for both 72- and 54-hole tournaments. — Mark Schlabach

Key accomplishments: Two-time WNBA champion, 2023 Finals MVP, 2020 Olympic gold medalist, two-time WNBA MVP, two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, 2018 WNBA Rookie of the Year, three-time All-WNBA first team, two-time WNBA All-Defensive first team, 2017 NCAA champion and Final Four Most Outstanding Player, 2018 Wade Trophy winner.

Wilson helped lead her hometown South Carolina Gamecocks to their first Final Four in 2015 and first NCAA title in 2017. The No. 1 pick in 2018, she was drafted by the newly relocated Las Vegas Aces and has been a perfect fit there. She recently became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and will participate in her second Olympics. She is favored to win a third WNBA MVP award and is on track to have the best Player Efficiency Rating in league history. She turns 28 in August, but already has a statue outside her college arena. — Michael Voepel

Key accomplishments: Four-time NFL MVP, 10-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro, HOF All-2010s team, Super Bowl XLV MVP, 475 pass TDs (Packers’ all-time leader).

Of all the superlatives and milestones that can be used to explain Rodgers’ greatness, here’s one that often gets overlooked. He’s the NFL’s all-time leader in touchdown-to-interception ratio (475 TDs, 105 INTS). In that way, he was the anti-Brett Favre, yet he carried on Favre’s remarkable run of success in Green Bay before getting traded to the Jets. Packers coach Matt LaFleur perhaps described Rodgers’ impact best when he said near the end of Rodgers’ run with the Packers: “A lot of people have been rewarded, quite frankly, because of his ability to go out there and play.” — Rob Demovsky

Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: Hall of Famer, 2000 Cy Young Winner, four-time All-Star, three-time ERA title, 2004 World Series winner, 2000 and 2002 strikeout leader.

Before Martinez and his 2004 Boston teammates ended the franchise’s epic World Series title drought, every Red Sox star had to field endless questions about the “Curse of the Bambino.” One of Martinez’s answers summed up how a short, skinny righty could become one of the most dominant hurlers ever: “I don’t believe in damn curses. Wake up the damn Bambino and have me face him. Maybe I’ll drill him in the a–.” From 1997 to 2003, the height of one of baseball’s most explosive offensive eras, Martinez was as good as any pitcher has ever been, going 118-36 with a 2.20 ERA, 213 ERA+, over 250 strikeouts per season and winning three Cy Young Awards. — Bradford Doolittle

Key accomplishments: 122 weeks spent as world No. 1 golfer, 26 PGA Tour victories (including four major wins), a Masters victory shy of completing career Grand Slam.

After McIlroy won his first two major championships, the 2011 U.S. Open and 2012 PGA Championship, by eight strokes and then added two more majors in a three-week span in 2014, The Guardian of London declared that it was “the dawning of a new era.” There’s no question McIlroy has been one of the most consistent and popular golfers of his generation. He has won 40 times, including 26 times on the PGA Tour. He is a three-time PGA Tour Player of the Year and a five-time winner of the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai. However, McIlroy’s nearly 10-year drought in the four majors since capturing the 2014 PGA Championship leaves him a step below legends such as Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and others. Unless, of course, McIlroy still has a few more victories coming. — Mark Schlabach

94. Ronaldinho, soccer

Key accomplishments: FIFA World Cup winner, Ballon d’Or winner, Copa América winner, two-time FIFA World Player of the Year, two-time LaLiga winner.

If longevity were not a factor in defining the greatest of all time, then Ronaldinho would certainly be a candidate for his feats in his first three years with Barcelona. Between 2003 and 2006, there was no better show in soccer. There have been few, if any, more talented players in the history of the global game, and all too briefly Ronaldinho captivated with his childlike glee at his own achievements, reminding so many of why they fell in love with the sport in the first place. A disappointing 2006 World Cup was a turning point, and he appeared to grow weary of the sacrifices needed to stay at the top level. But those three years were unforgettable. — Tim Vickery

95. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, soccer

Key accomplishments: 511 career goals, scored at least one Champions League goal with six different teams, 12 league titles with five European clubs, named to UEFA’s team of the year four times, Sweden’s all-time leading scorer, represented Sweden at six major tournaments.

“I can’t help but laugh at how perfect I am.” There has never existed an athlete that was as good as Zlatan Ibrahimovic said he was, but the 6-foot-5 striker did as well as anyone could — and for as long as anyone could — at approaching that level. He was the purest scorer this side of Cristiano Ronaldo; he put the ball in the net at least once in four different decades, and he kept improving into his 30s. He scored at least 30 goals in all competitions six times between 2011 and 2019, peaking with an incredible 50-goal campaign with PSG in 2015-16. He was the personification of artistry and brute force at the same time. — Bill Connelly

96. Darrelle Revis, football

Key accomplishments: Hall of Famer (2023), seven-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro, HOF All-2010s team.

Revis took man-to-man coverage to a new level in 2009, when the Jets’ coaching staff made the unconventional decision to put him on the opponents’ top receiver with no safety help. He was on his own island, so to speak, spawning the “Revis Island” moniker. The result was one of the best cornerback seasons in history. Revis held Andre Johnson, Randy Moss (twice) and Terrell Owens (twice) — all Hall of Famers — under 35 receiving yards. He did the same to Torry Holt, Steve Smith Sr., Reggie Wayne and Chad Ochocinco. He finished with six interceptions and a staggering 31 passes defensed, earning the first of four first-team All-Pro selections. — Rich Cimini

97. Virat Kohli, cricket

Key accomplishments: ODI World Cup champion, T20 World Cup champion, two-time T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament, 2023 ODI World Cup Player of the Tournament, two-time ICC Cricketer of the Year, most centuries in ODI history (50), second-highest scorer in T20Is, third-highest scorer in ODIs, India’s most successful Test captain.

Kohli won the World Cup early in his career, but he was at risk of fading away into mediocrity in the early 2010s. A fierce fitness-driven approach — the kind which was uncommon in cricket then — coupled with unrelenting drive catapulted him from ‘talent’ to titan. The fire within translates onto the field. The Indian batter is the ultimate competitor and has won games on willpower alone. The intensity of his passion sparks fear in the opposition and bedlam in the stands. Kohli wasn’t born to be the best, he just willed himself to be. — Shubi Arun

Key accomplishments: Five-time Art Ross Trophy winner, three-time Hart Trophy winner, seven 100-point seasons in first nine NHL seasons, 2024 Conn Smythe winner.

It could be daunting to be touted as The Next One behind Edmonton Oilers legend Wayne Gretzky. McDavid isn’t like the rest, though. Edmonton’s captain has embraced that spotlight as Gretzky’s heir apparent. It was fitting when McDavid broke a record Gretzky set in 1987-88 with his 32nd assist of the 2024 postseason during Edmonton’s run to a Stanley Cup Final. McDavid had long been an exceptional playmaker in his own right, but the way he carried the Oilers back from a 3-0 series deficit in the Final to force a decisive Game 7 was spectacular. And it rightly earned McDavid a Conn Smythe Trophy in the losing effort. — Kristen Shilton

99. Ed Reed, football

Key accomplishments: Hall of Famer (2019), nine-time Pro Bowler, five-time first-team All-Pro, HOF All-2000s team, 2004 Defensive Player of the Year.

Reed was the ultimate defensive game changer of his generation. In 2004, he set an NFL record by returning an interception 106 yards for a touchdown against the Browns. Four years later, he broke his own record with a 107-yarder against the Eagles. Reed is the only player in NFL history to score touchdowns off a punt return, blocked punt, interception and fumble recovery.

“You see the safety’s out in the middle of the field and have a wide-open throw on the right. The next thing you know he’s intercepting it,” former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “Where did he come from? It’s impossible. That’s what made it such a challenge. He made the impossible possible.” — Jamison Hensley

100. Charles Woodson, football

Key accomplishments: Hall of Famer (2021), nine-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team All-Pro, HOF All-2000s team, 2009 Defensive Player of the Year.

Woodson’s career was a three-act play. In Oakland, as a Heisman Trophy-winning No. 4 pick, he was a hard-partying, hard-playing Hall of Fame talent. In Green Bay, he became a Hall of Famer. And with his return to the Raiders, he became a legend, making the switch from wild youngster at cornerback to sage vet at free safety. And if he lost a step, it was one precious few others ever had. “It was a beautiful transition,” Woodson said, “if you will.” And his first NFL coach, Jon Gruden, most certainly would. The slower-paced lifestyle of Green Bay helped Woodson, well, slow down and center himself. “And he met and married the right woman and had kids,” Gruden said. — Paul Gutierrez

Methodology

Experts in individual sports were asked to vote to rank the top athletes in their sport since Jan. 1, 2000 (no accomplishments prior to this date were to be considered). Those votes pared down pools in each sport to lists of 10 to 25 athletes each, which comprised the overall voting pool for the top athletes of the 21st century so far. Each voter was presented two randomly selected names and asked to pick which one has had the better career in the 21st century. Across repeated, randomized head-to-head matchups, more than 70,000 votes were cast at this stage, and using an Elo rating system, the list was pared down from 262 to 100. That list was then evaluated by a panel of experts for any inconsistencies or oversights, resulting in the top 100 ranking seen here.