Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff the most marketable tennis players with Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu also on list
US Open champions Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff lead the way for tennis in the latest most marketable athletes list with Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu not too far behind.
Djokovic is the first tennis player to appear on SportsPro’s 50 Most Marketable Athletes of 2023 list as he comes in at No 11 with a marketability rating of 87.96 as he scored 27.26 out of 35 for Brand Strength, 41.97 out of 45 for Total Addressable Market and 18.73 out of 20 for Economics.
The 24-time Grand Slam’s position as the most marketable tennis player this year is no surprise as he won three Grand Slams this year with titles at the Australian Open, French Open and US Open while he also set a new record for most weeks at No 1 after surpassing Steffi Graf’s mark of 377.
Teenager Gauff is not too far behind Djokovic though as she is just one position behind in 12th place and her score is a remarkable 87.95. She outscored Djokovic on Brand Strength (31.97) and Total Addressable Market (43.92), but was well down on Economics (12.06).
The 19-year-old enjoyed a big few months on home soil as she won her maiden WTA 500 title in Washington at the beginning of August and followed it up with her first-ever WTA 1000 trophy in Cincinnati. However, she left the best for last as she became a Grand Slam winner at the US Open in September.
There are four tennis players in the top 20 with four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka coming in at No 14 with a score of 84.98 (34.50, 34.62, 15.87).
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What makes Osaka’s appearance so incredible is the fact that she didn’t play tennis during the 2023 campaign as she announced her pregnancy in January. The former world No 1 gave birth in July and she is expected to return to the WTA Tour in early 2024.
Aryna Sabalenka comes in at No 18 (81.60 – 26.08, 44.57, 10.95) and inclusion comes on the back of her rise to No 1 in the WTA Rankings and her Grand Slam success at the Australian Open. Sabalenka has been one of the most consistent players this year as she also finished runner-up at the US Open.
Emma Raducanu sits just outside the top 20 at No 21 and her position is also quite remarkable given she has struggled with form and injury this year. The 2021 US Open winner played only 10 matches in 2023, winning five of those, before she underwent surgery on her ankle and both her wrists.
The 20-year-old Brit scored 79.58 (24.74, 42.62, 12.22).
But those four are not the only tennis players in the top 50 as Rafael Nadal comes in at No 41, Petra Kvitova sits at No 43 and Ons Jabeur rounds out the top 50.
As for the overall No 1, Argentina World Cup winner and Inter Milan forward Lionel Messi headlines the list with a score of 94.81 (30.46, 44.35, 20.00) and he is followed by NBA legend LeBron James, United States and San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan, Greek NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo and retired American footballer Megan Rapinoe.
