With so many transcendent athletes over the past 25 years, we thought it was time to consult our experts to find the best of the best. When considering the best athletes of the 21st century, we expanded our options beyond North America. ESPN editions from around the world contributed to the Top 100 nominations and voting process, as well as rankings of individual sports lists.
Voters were asked to consider only one athlete's performance since 2000. In the end, we received more than 70,000 votes from ESPN contributors. Find all published lists here:
The 100 best athletes of the 2000s
25 future elite athletes of the 21st century
The 25 best MLB players
Top 10 Male MMA Fighters | Top 10 Female MMA Fighters
Top 25 Male Soccer Players | Top 25 Female Soccer Players
Top 10 Female Tennis Players | Top 10 Male Tennis Players
Top 25 Australian Athletes
ESPN Ranking of the 25 Greatest Brazilian Athletes of the 21st Century
Coming this week:
July 24th:NFL, Olympics
July 25th:NBA, WNBA, Men's and Women's Boxing
July 26:NHL, Golf
