Aryna Sabalenka has been named the world's most marketable athlete for 2026, according to SportsPro. The honour comes despite a season in which she did not lift a Major title for the first time since 2022 and relinquished her world No. 1 ranking to Elena Rybakina.
The Belarusian has not reached a final since completing the 'Sunshine Double' in March, winning back-to-back titles at Indian Wells and Miami. The four-time Grand Slam champion beat Erling Haaland, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev to top SportsPro's annual list, powered by NorthStar Solutions Group.
Marketability score and brand strength
Sabalenka scored 80.95 out of a 100-point NorthStar 'marketability score', which is divided into three pillars: brand equity, momentum, and commercial trajectory. Brand equity reflects how 'strong, trusted and far-reaching' an athlete's brand is today, and Sabalenka scored 37.78 out of a possible 45.
The current world No. 2 scored 29.88 out of 40 for momentum, measuring how quickly her value is growing, and 13.29 out of 15 for trajectory, indicating room for commercial growth. She joins Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lewis Hamilton, and WTA stars Naomi Osaka and Genie Bouchard as previous winners since the list began in 2010.
Sponsorships and media appearances
Sabalenka joined the Evolve management agency ahead of the 2025 season. The organisation was co-founded by Naomi Osaka and her former longtime agent Stuart Duguid in 2022, but Osaka left the agency this year and returned to IMG. Sabalenka, a Nike and Wilson athlete, also has partnerships with Gucci, Whoop, Stella Artois, Dobel Tequila, Emirates, Audemars Piguet, Shark, IM8, and Moroccan Oil.
This year, she appeared in Vogue, Esquire and TIME Magazine. Celebrating the title, Sabalenka and Evolve shared a joint Instagram post. The caption read: "The game knows her name. So does the world. @arynasabalenka is SportsPro's 2026 Most Marketable Athlete in the World."
Top five and other rankings
In a release, SportsPro said: "Sabalenka, 28, is a four-time Grand Slam champion who finished 2025 as the WTA Tour's top-ranked player for the second consecutive season. She was estimated to have earned around US$30 million in 2025, split between tournament winnings and off-court income, including endorsement deals with global brands such as Nike, Wilson, Gucci, Emirates, Audemars Piguet, Whoop and Stella Artois."
"Sabalenka becomes the fourth woman and third tennis player to top SportsPro's ranking since its debut back in 2010. Rounding out the top five in this year's list are Olympic freestyle skiing champion Eileen Gu, basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo, soccer star Erling Haaland, and tennis ace Carlos Alcaraz."
Elsewhere in the top 50, soon-to-be world No. 1 Zverev ranked eighth, Iga Swiatek came in at No. 17, and Osaka at No. 21. Coco Gauff was named the 32nd most marketable athlete, and Jannik Sinner was just a few spots below at 35th. Novak Djokovic ranked 46th.
Sabalenka has a chance to finish the season on a high note. The world No. 2 will compete at the WTA Finals, a season-ending event for the eight players with the most ranking points in a single year. She has already lifted three titles and banked £6,107,412 ($8,135,243) on the tennis court in 2026, and is now eyeing another title, a further prize cheque, and a shot at regaining her No. 1 spot.
