The 21st century has witnessed the rise of extraordinary athletes who have redefined the limits of human potential and left an indelible mark on the world of sports.
These individuals have excelled in their respective fields, achieving remarkable feats in terms of world rankings, championships, Olympic success, and world championships.
In this article, we delve into the profiles of the top 10 greatest athletes of the 21st century, celebrating their achievements and contributions to their sports.
#1 Usain Bolt (Sprinting)
Credit: olympics.com
Usain Bolt is a retired Jamaican sprinter who is widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is an eight-time Olympic gold medalist and holds the world record in both the 100m and 200m events. Usain Bolt currently holds the world records for men’s 100m, 200m sprints and was part of the 4x100m world record-holding Jamaican quartet that included Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake.
Usain Bolt set the current 100m world record at the 2009 IAAF World Championships, clocking an astonishing 9.58 seconds for the feat. Like in the 100m, Bolt chose the 2009 World Championships in Berlin to set the 200m world record. The Jamaican won gold after clocking 19.19 seconds, bettering his previous record of 19.30 seconds at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Jamaica clocked 36.84 seconds at the 2012 Olympics final, beating the 37.04 seconds the same team registered at the 2011 World Championships. The two are the top two-timings in the history of 4x100m.
#2 Michael Phelps (Swimming)
Credit: olympics.com
Michael Phelps is a retired American swimmer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest swimmers of all time. He has won a total of 28 Olympic medals, including 23 golds, which is the most in history.
In his storied career, Phelps broke 29 individual World Records, all between 2001 and 2009, and all in long course meters. At the height of his career, he held five individual World Records: the 200 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, 200 IM, and 400 IM.
Phelps’ world records:
400 Freestyle Relay: 3:08.24 (2008, Beijing)
800 Freestyle Relay: 6:58.55 (2009, Rome)
#3 LeBron James (Basketball)
Credit: olympics.com
LeBron James is widely considered as one of the finest players to have ever played basketball. He has won four NBA championships and four MVP awards over his pro playing career.
Some of his records:
– NBA all-time leading scorer
– Most consecutive double-digit scoring games (1096 games)
– Most All-NBA First Team selections (13)
– Most 20-point games in NBA history (1,171)
– Only player in NBA history to record at least 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo (Football)
Credit: The Guardian
Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Juventus and the Portugal national team. He is often considered one of the greatest football players of all time.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo holds the record for most goals and assists in the UEFA Champions League (140 and 42 respectively), and the record for most goals in the UEFA European Championship (14), its qualification stage (36), and the FIFA Club World Cup (7), as well as most goals scored in a UEFA Champions League season (17), most international goals (123), and most appearances in a European national team (200).
He has scored a record 838 senior career goals for club and country. Moreover, he is one of the few recorded players to have made over 1,100 professional career appearances.
#5 Lionel Messi (Football)
Credit: CNN
Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Paris Saint-Germain and the Argentina national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time.
Messi holds the record for most goals in La Liga (474), the Supercopa de España (14), the UEFA Super Cup (3) and is the player with the most official recorded assists in football history (357). He is also the only player to have 300 club career assists to his name.
#6 Novak Djokovic (Tennis)
Credit: Tennis 365
Novak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, which is the most in history for a male player.
Oher records that Djokovic currently holds include: Most ATP Masters 1000 singles titles won in a career – 37. Most weeks ranked number one in singles tennis (male) – 388. Longest Grand Slam tennis final – 5 hours 53 minutes against Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open, 2012.
#7 Serena Williams (Tennis)
Credit: CNN
Serena Williams is an American professional tennis player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. She has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era.
Serena holds a combined 39 major titles: 23 in singles, 14 in women’s doubles, and two in mixed doubles. She is joint-third on the all-time list and second in the Open Era for total major titles.
#8 Tiger Woods (Golf)
Credit: Reuters
Tiger Woods is an American professional golfer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time. He has won 15 major championships, including five Masters Tournaments, four PGA Championships, three U.S. Open Championships, and three Open Championships.
Woods has the record of leading the money list in ten different seasons. He has won 15 professional major golf championships (trailing only Jack Nicklaus, who leads with 18) and 82 PGA Tour events (tied for first all time with Sam Snead). Woods leads all active golfers in career major wins and career PGA Tour wins.
#9 Sha’Carri Richardson (Sprinting)
Credit: Fox News
Sha’Carri Richardson is an American sprinter who won the world championships 100m in record time. She is the current women’s 100m world champion and has won the women’s 100 meter title at the 2023 track and field world championships Monday in Budapest, Hungary. She won with a time of 10.65 seconds.
#10 Sidney Crosby (Ice Hockey)
Credit: The New York Times
Sidney Crosby is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who currently serves as captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has won three Stanley Cup championships with the Penguins and two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada.
He became the first player in NHL history to have a 30-goal season at the age of 18 and again over the age of 35. Crosby then became the 15th NHL player to reach 1,500 points, and seventh with one team, when he had two goals and an assist in a 5-1 win against the Red Wings on April 8. On Dec.
The 21st century has gifted sports enthusiasts with a plethora of incredible athletes who have pushed the boundaries of human performance.
From sprinters to swimmers, tennis players to soccer stars, these athletes have not only achieved remarkable world rankings, championships, and Olympic success, but they have also inspired countless individuals to pursue their dreams and strive for excellence.
Their legacies will continue to shine brightly in the annals of sports history.