The Business of Tennis

Coco Gauff laps Novak Djokovic as most marketable tennis player in the world

Eight tennis players are featured on SportsPro’s list of 50 Most Marketable Athletes, with Gauff and Djokovic once again occupying the top spots.

ByStephanie Livaudais

Published Oct 25, 2024

For the second year in a row, Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic have been named the two most marketable tennis players in the world, according to SportsPro’s 50 Most Marketable Athletes of 2024.

There are eight players featured on the 15th edition of the prestigious annual list, with 2023 US Open winner Gauff and 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic leading tennis at No. 13 and No. 18, respectively. It’s a reversal of their positions on last year’s SportsPro list, which placed Djokovic at No. 11 and Gauff at No. 12.

Apart from 37-year-old Djokovic and 38-year-old Rafael Nadal (No. 34), who is set to retire at the end of the season, the tally is dominated by the sport’s “now gen”. It showcases a mix of established stars like Naomi Osaka (No. 48) and Aryna Sabalenka (No. 38), alongside multi-surface and multi-platform phenoms like Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz (No. 29).

Between Gauff and Sabalenka’s highly engaged presence on social media like TikTok and Alcaraz’s upcoming documentary on Netflix, these young tennis stars are expanding their digital dominance by promoting their brands where their fans consume the most content.

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Gauff and Djokovic were among the eight tennis players featured on SportsPro’s list of 50 Most Marketable Athletes.

Meanwhile, the WTA’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek and the ATP’s No. 1 Jannik Sinner have landed inside the Top 50 on SportsPro’s list for the first time. Hovering at No. 50 and No. 47, respectively, it’s a contrast between on-court dominance and marketability potential.

Perhaps a more worrying trend: There are no tennis players inside the Top 10 for the second year in a row, and for just the third time since SportsPro launched its comprehensive assessment of athlete marketability back in 2010.

Described as “a who’s who of ones to watch, both on and off the field of play” the annual ranking includes household names and standout rising stars with partnerships potential.

American gymnast Simone Biles was named the most marketable athlete of the year, having also topped the list back in 2021. Brazilian soccer star Vinicius Junior and basketball veteran LeBron James rounded out the Top 3, while Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton (No. 11) was featured inside the Top 50 for the 14th time—more than any other athlete.

Click here for the full SportsPro 50 Most Marketable list, and check out below to see which tennis players made the cut:

No. 13: Coco Gauff (USA)
No. 18: Novak Djokovic (SRB)
No. 29: Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)
No. 34: Rafael Nadal (ESP)
No. 38: Aryna Sabalenka (BLR)
No. 47: Jannik Sinner (ITA)
No. 48: Naomi Osaka (JPN)
No. 50: Iga Swiatek (POL)

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