The 47 most dominant athletes in the world

Serbian tennis player:

Age: 34

Djokovic had the most dominant year in an era of men's tennis where dominance is the norm. He came up just shy of a perfect Grand Slam year, winning the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon, but losing in the final of the US Open. He also reached the semifinals of the Olympics, where Germany's Alexander Zverev beat him.

The near-perfect year saw him tie Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal at 20 slams, the most of all-time. But while those two look to be in decline and facing their tennis mortality, Djokovic looks like he has plenty left in him to set a new slams record. — Scott Davis

Italian soccer midfielder

Age: 29

The Italian magician is a bonafide fan favorite an integral part of Thomas Tuchel's well-organized side. A ball-playing central midfielder (or regista) who controls the tempo of games and acts as the focal point of possession, Jorginho guided Chelsea to an unlikely Champions League title. He also starred for Italy during the summer's European Championships, helping his country lift a major international trophy for the first time in 15 years.

His exploits for both club and country didn't go unnoticed, with Jorginho finishing third in the Ballon d'Or, soccer's annual award for the best player on the planet. — Barnaby Lane

Jamaican sprinter

Age: 29

Simply put: Thompson-Herah is the fastest woman on the planet. In Tokyo, she swept gold in the 100 and 200 meters for the second consecutive Olympics. She added a third gold in the 4x100-meter relay. She has also run 11 of the 43 fastest 100 meters in women's history. — Cork Gaines

American gymnast

Age: 24

Simone Biles redefined greatness during her stint at the Tokyo Olympics. Due to a public struggle with the twisties, the 4-foot-8 superstar — who had readily won gold at the US Classic, US National Championships, and Olympic trials in the lead-up to the games — wasn't able to complete her usual gravity-defying stunts without putting herself in danger. Still, she traveled home from Japan with two medals in tow — including a comeback bronze on the balance beam — and changed the relationship between athletics and mental health worldwide along the way. — Meredith Cash

NFL quarterback

Age: 44

Somehow, at 44 years old, Tom Brady is still the best player in football. Through three-quarters of the season, Brady led the NFL in basically every passing statistic that matters. Brady was already the GOAT, but his 2021 season added another impressive chapter to his unmatched legacy. — Tyler Lauletta

Nigerian MMA fighter

Age: 34

Kamaru Usman is in rarefied air, creating a legitimate conversation as to whether he can now rival UFC legend Georges St. Pierre as the GOAT of the welterweight division.

Usman's body of work is mighty impressive, defeating Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal with punches in back-to-back fights in 2021. He's now lapping the UFC's 170-pounders, beating Colby Covington a second time at the end of the year. What's particularly great about Usman, though, is that he's not just a champion in fighting, he's also a champion in life — a true ambassador for his sport. — Alan Dawson.

Argentine soccer forward

Age: 34

Lionel Messi may not have had the start at Paris Saint Germain he would have hoped for, but it's still been a remarkable year for the soccer icon. After finishing as the top scorer in La Liga with 30 goals for FC Barcelona, he captained Argentina to Copa America glory, scooping his first major international trophy.

To top it off, in November, he then won the Ballon d'Or for a record seventh time. — Barnaby Lane

NBA forward

Age: 27

The two-time MVP reached new heights in 2021 by delivering a come-from-behind championship for the Milwaukee Bucks. In the Finals alone, he produced a game-saving block, game-winning dunk, and 50-point, championship-sealing masterpiece to win Finals MVP. The "Greek Freak" is the NBA's best two-way player, and at 27, putting together a resumé few in league history can match. — Scott Davis

MLB pitcher/slugger

Age: 27

No player in MLB history has dominated the way Shohei Ohtani did in 2021. Ohtani was a front-of-rotation-level starting pitcher, finishing the year with a 3.18 ERA. He also hit 46 home runs, collected 100 RBIs, and stole 26 bases to win AL MVP unanimously. — Tyler Lauletta

Formula One driver

Age: 24

Most wins. Most pole positions. Most podiums. Joint most fastest laps. Most laps led. The stats hardly do justice to Max Verstappen's year as he achieved the seemingly impossible of knocking Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes off their perch. The Dutchman overcame bouts of horrendous luck — including being shunted off track by Hamilton and a tire blowout while he was sailing towards victory — to be named F1's 2021 world champion.

It may have taken a controversial call from the stewards, but few would argue that Verstappen did not deserve his maiden world title. — Sam Cooper

NCAA basketball player

Age: 20

Paige Bueckers made history in 2021 as the first women's college basketball player ever to win National Player of the Year as a freshman. The crafty point guard somehow exceeded the massive expectations placed on her shoulders since early high school with a sensational debut season at UConn, leading the Huskies to the Final Four while averaging a team-high 20 points and 5.7 assists per game. She's already the biggest star in the college game, and with another three years to go in Storrs, Bueckers is on her way to building one of the most impressive résumés in NCAA history. — Meredith Cash

NHL center

Age: 24

McDavid is still only 24 years old, and yet he has already won two Hart Trophies as NHL MVP, is a 4-time All-Star, and has led the league in points three times. The pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season was his best yet with 105 points in just 56 games, and he is on pace to crush those numbers this season. — Cork Gaines

British tennis player

Age: 19

Arguably the most dominant single tournament performance from any athlete in the world this year came from Emma Raducanu at the US Open. The teenager, playing in only her second Grand Slam, clinched the women's singles title without dropping a set in her three qualifiers or seven main-draw matches.

So good was her performance at Flushing Meadows, even the Queen of England was impressed. "It is a remarkable achievement at such a young age," wrote Her Majesty in a letter addressed to the British star. — Barnaby Lane

American swimmer

Age: 25

Dressel did not disappoint after assuming the mantle of "Next Great American Swimmer." At Tokyo 2020, Dressel took home five golds, the most of any American man, while setting two Olympic records and two world records in the process. He was as close to automatic as we saw in these games. — Scott Davis

Spanish golfer

Age: 27

The golf world may never see another dominant run like Tiger Woods, but Jon Rahm got about as close as anyone could hope for during one stretch in 2021. In late May, Rahm finished T8 at the PGA Championship. His next event was the Memorial, where he held a massive lead heading into Sunday but was forced to withdraw after testing positive for COVID-19. Rather than sulk, Rahm went back out on the course two weeks later to win the U.S. Open and never finished outside the top 10 in his next five events. — Tyler Lauletta

British racing driver

Age: 23

If you are talking dominance over your fellow competitors, there is no finer example than Jamie Chadwick. The W Series, an all-female racing competition designed to get more women into motorsports, may have only two completed seasons so far, but Chadwick won both.

The 23-year-old is not just one of the most hyped female drivers but one of the most hyped, full stop. Chadwick is hotly tipped to become the first female F1 driver in decades in the coming years. — Sam Cooper

NASCAR driver

Age: 29

A year ago, Larson was without a job after being caught during a live stream using the N-word and was fired. It wasn't clear if the arguably world's best all-around driver would get a chance to resurrect his promising career this soon. Hendrick Motorsports gave him a second chance, and he rewarded them by becoming just the second driver in 20 years to win 10 races in a season. The final win gave him his first NASCAR championship. — Cork Gaines

WNBA forward

Age: 35

Few people have what it takes to lead a professional sports franchise to a championship. Fewer have the talent — and the guts — to leave and do it all over again with a new team.

Candace Parker did just that, parting ways with the Los Angeles Sparks to lead her hometown Chicago Sky to their first WNBA title as a franchise — and she did it her first season after joining the team in free agency. The 6-foot-4 forward averaged 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game throughout the season and paced the Sky through two single-elimination games and two best-of-five series against higher-ranked teams to cement her legacy as a WNBA legend and hometown hero. — Meredith Cash

American MMA fighter

Age: 31

2021 was a year in which the traditionally dominant women's fighter Amanda Nunes suffered a shock defeat to Julianna Pena, scuppering one of the fight game's richest bouts — against Kayla Harrison. Professional Fighters League superstar Harrison kept her end of the bargain, fighting four times in 2021, finished each bout in thumping fashion.

As a two-time PFL champion and a multi-millionaire, Harrison enters free agency and must decide whether to pursue a Nunes bout in the UFC or take on Cris Cyborg in Bellator MMA. Either way, Harrison is in control of her career and is about to make decisions that will shape the landscape of women's MMA for years to come. — Alan Dawson.

Rugby union lock

Age: 27

In rugby union, a "dominant tackle" occurs when a defender not only stops an attacker but also pushes them back in the opposite direction. During this year's Guinness Six Nations, Maro Itoje made 22 of them – more than any other player. His heavy-hitting performances earned him a call up for the British and Irish Lions' tour of South Africa in the summer, where he was named Player of the Series.

For his efforts for England and the Lions, Itoje was named runner up in rugby's World Player of the Year award. — Barnaby Lane

Australian swimmer

Age: 27

McKeon won 7 medals, including 4 gold, at the Tokyo Olympics. The haul made her the most decorated Australian Olympian ever, with 11 medals. Her 5 career gold medals are tied with Ian Thorpe for the most ever by an Aussie. She also took home 14 medals (10 gold) at the 2021 World Cup. — Cork Gaines

WWE wrestler

Age: 36

Yes, the results may be scripted (sorry, kids), but that doesn't negate just how impressive WWE superstar Roman Reigns has been this year. The 36-year-old has now held the Universal Championship for over 450 days and counting, longer than anybody in the sport's history.

During that period, he's wrestled in 25 singles matches and lost just once. — Barnaby Lane

NBA forward

Age: 33

If not for injuries to his talented supporting cast, we may be discussing Kevin Durant's heroic run to a championship. Though he came up short to Antetokounmpo's Bucks in the playoffs, Durant established himself as the game's best player. He is an unguardable, 7-foot offensive weapon who has rounded out the other parts of his game to become a complete player. Even Durant's peers can't believe how good he is. — Scott Davis

Georgian weightlifter

Age: 28

The Georgian weightlifter won his second consecutive Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. He is a 23-time world record holder, including the current records in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total, all set at the Tokyo Olympics. — Cork Gaines

Japanese softball player

Age: 39

One of the greatest pitchers in the history of her sport, Yukiko Ueno dominated the Tokyo Olympics to bring home a second-consecutive gold medal for Japan. She recorded two wins in the tournament, allowing just three earned runs and 13 hits over 22.1 innings pitched. She recorded 26 strikeouts in the same span, including five in the gold-medal game against the United States. — Meredith Cash

NHL goalie

Age: 27

Vasilevskiy led the league in save percentage in the playoffs and posted five shutouts while helping the Tampa Bay Lightning win a second straight Stanley Cup and taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy. Known for his freakish saves and imposing presence in goal, Vasilevskiy has ranked first in wins four consecutive years and is producing an impressive resumé that many believe will one day place him among the greatest goalies of all time. — Scott Davis

WNBA forward

Age: 27

A 6-foot-6 sharpshooter who draws comparisons to NBA superstar Kevin Durant, Jonquel Jones was the most lethal weapon in the WNBA this year. The near-unanimous MVP averaged 19.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game to lead the Connecticut Sun as the class of the league and the top seed in the 2021 WNBA Playoffs.

She's continued that dominance with Russian powerhouse UMMC Ekaterinburg this fall, averaging a cool 16.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game on a stacked team featuring several WNBA superstars. — Meredith Cash

Formula One driver

Age: 36

It may have been the first time since 2016 that Lewis Hamilton was not named the drivers' world champion, but it was a record-breaking 2021 nonetheless for the Brit. He achieved his 100th win in the sport, more than any other, and recorded his 100th pole position.

Dominant driving in the season's final races took Hamilton from the brink of losing the championship to one lap from a record-breaking eighth world title. While Verstappen ultimately triumphed in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton will likely come back even stronger in 2022. — Sam Cooper

Chinese diver

Age: 14

China's youngest athlete competing at this summer's Tokyo Olympics, Quan Hongchan made her mark in a massive way at the games. Not only did the teenage diver take home gold in the individual 10-meter platform event, but she did so while smashing the Olympic record with an overall score of 466.20 points and earning three perfect dives out of five total. — Meredith Cash

Russian tennis player

Age: 25

Of the next generation of male tennis players, Daniil Medvedev is the leading light. The 25-year-old, ranked second in the world, won 83% of all of his matches in 2021, reaching seven tournament finals and winning four. His crowning achievement was claiming his maiden Grand Slam in September as he cruised to a straight-sets victory over Novak Djokovic in the final of the US Open. — Barnaby Lane

American shot-putter

Age: 28

Crouser can hurl a metal ball further than any human on the planet. He proved this in the run-up to the Olympics by setting a world record in the U.S. Olympic trials. He won gold in Tokyo by setting a new Olympic record with a 23.3-meter throw to take home the gold. — Scott Davis

American golfers and tennis player

Ages: Nelly (23), Jessica (28), Sebastian (21)

The Korda family had one heck of a year. Children of former Czech professional tennis player Petr Korda, sisters Nelly and Jessica Korda are two of the top players in women's golf, ranked No. 1 and 21 in the world, respectively, heading into 2022. Nelly won her first major at the Women's PGA Championship this June and a gold medal at the Olympics. Jessica also recorded a 2021 win back in January. Meanwhile, brother Sebastian Korda is the 41st ranked men's tennis player in the world. For the Kordas, dominance is a family affair. — Tyler Lauletta

Norweigan soccer forward

Age: 21

Erling Braut Haaland is a goal-scoring phenom. Since moving to Borussia Dortmund from RB Salzburg in the summer of 2020, the Norway international has not stopped finding the net.

In 70 games for the German club, he's scored an astonishing 71 goals, 14 of which have come in just 11 games this season. Hotly tipped to be a world-beater for the next decade, Haaland is arguably the most exciting talent in soccer right now — Barnaby Lane

American Alpine skier

Age: 26

The face of Alpine skiing is in a position to become the best of all time. This year, Shiffrin tied Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark with 46 World Cup victories in a single discipline (slalom). With 71 World Cup victories to her name, third of all-time, Shiffrin has two first-place finishes and two second-place World Cup finishes this year. She heads to the Olympics once again as a star to watch. — Scott Davis

Russian MMA coach

Age: 33

Khabib Nurmagomedov has featured on these lists before as an athlete, and if you thought those appearances would cease following his retirement from fighting in 2020, you were mistaken.

The UFC's former lightweight champion continues to enhance his legacy as an MMA maestro helping to train and corner his friends and teammates — including Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov, and Usman Nurmagomedov — in seven matches in 2021, overseeing wins in every match.

A dominant fighter in his time, Nurmagomedov is now a dominant coach. — Alan Dawson.

Polish soccer forward

Age: 33

Whenever Bayern Munich plays, Robert Lewandowski is generally among the goals. The Pole failed to score in just six of 41 matches he featured in for the German side in 2021. His 48 goals in all competitions last term helped fire Bayern to a ninth consecutive Bundesliga title, while his 28 and counting this term have set the club on track to make it 10 on the bounce. — Barnaby Lane

English Cricketer

Age: 30

For a man whose job it is to score runs, Joe Root could hardly have wished for a better year in 2021. The England Test cricket captain spent the year in the form of his life, breaking the record for most runs scored (1,708) by an English batter in a calendar year. Root's nearest challenger in the global run-scoring charts in 2021 was India's Rohit Sharma (906), who was more than 800 behind. – Sam Cooper

WNBA forward

Age: 27

Just two years ago, Breanna Stewart was grappling with one of the most devastating injuries in athletics after rupturing her Achilles tendon. But since returning to the floor in 2020, the 6-foot-4 do-it-all forward has been nothing less than dominant. She won five championships and five MVP awards in an impressive 10-month span, taking home titles and MVPs at the WNBA Commissioner's Cup, Tokyo Olympics, EuroLeague Championship, and Russian Premier League Finals in 2021. — Meredith Cash

Australian swimmer

Age: 21

Topping Katie Ledecky in one of the most anticipated races of Tokyo 2020 might be enough to land on our list, but Titmus didn't stop there. On top of a convincing gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle, the 21-year-old also took home a gold in the 200-meter freestyle, a silver in the 800-meter freestyle, and a bronze in the 4x200m relay. She's officially one of the must-watch swimmers going into Paris 2024. — Scott Davis

American golfer

Age: 24

Collin Morikawa is only 24 years old, but he's already putting together a resume that could put him amongst golf's greatest players. At the majors in 2021, Morikawa finished T18, T8, T4 before winning the Claret Jug at the Open Championship. He's won more majors (2) than he's missed the cut at (1) to start his career. — Tyler Lauletta

Spanish soccer player

Age: 27

Spain and Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas has had a year rivaled by few in soccer. The 27-year-old Barca captain led her club to the elusive treble, winning the UEFA Women's Champions League, Liga Femenina, and Copa de la Reina in a single year for the first time in the history of the women's team. The master facilitator earned a slew of individual honors for her efforts across club and country, including the 2021 Ballon d'Or, 2020-2021 UEFA Women's Player of the Year, 2021 IFFHS Women's Player of the Year, 2021 Spain women's national team Player of the Year, and 2021 GOAL50 Women's Player of the Year. — Meredith Cash

NBA guard

Age: 33

After an injury-riddled, pandemic-shortened season, Curry returned with a vengeance in 2020-21. He led the NBA in scoring while producing near-identical numbers to his unanimous MVP season in 2015-16. No one else in the league plays like Curry, who is in shooting range the moment he enters the gym and can create points for his teammates without ever touching the ball. — Scott Davis

NFL running back

Age: 27

Derrick Henry's 2021 season was cut short due to injury, but when he was on the field, no player in the NFL encompassed the idea of "dominance" more than him. Henry averaged nearly 120 yards per game and had three games with three touchdowns. With Henry in your backfield, anything is possible. — Tyler Lauletta

Canadian soccer player

Age: 38

The foremost star and longtime captain of Canada's women's soccer team, Christine Sinclair reached the pinnacle of her esteemed career at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. The 38-year-old all-time international goals leader for men and women led Canada to its first Olympic gold medal in women's soccer after upsetting the top-seeded USWNT in the semifinals. And a few weeks later, she and the Portland Thorns bested the Houston Dash and French powerhouse Lyon to win the 2021 Women's International Champions Cup. — Meredith Cash

American swimmer

Age: 24

Katie Ledecky is, without question, the most dominant force in swimming since Michael Phelps. The 24-year-old freestyler took home four medals — two golds and two silvers — from the third Olympic Games of her esteemed career. But perhaps even more impressive than her vast sum of victories is the margin by which she bests the competition. While swimming is often decided by fractions of a second, Ledecky has been known to finish several laps ahead of her foes during her strongest events. — Meredith Cash

South Korean golfer

Age: 26

This year, Jin Young Ko won an astounding five events on the LPGA, including tearing off four wins in three months from September to November. Ko hit more than 60 consecutive greens in regulation in one scorching stretch of golf. According to golf analyst Justin Ray, a PGA player hasn't had such a streak clear 50 since 1995. — Tyler Lauletta

Mexican boxer

Age: 31

In an 11-month run that finished in November 2021, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez defeated four super middleweight opponents in succession, winning and then unifying all of the major championships in the division.

If out-pointing Callum Smith was not impressive enough at the end of 2020, he broke Billy Joe Saunders' face in a thumping knockout in May 2021. He finished Caleb Plant in November, stopping the last remaining 168-pound champion. "Canelo" is not only the face of boxing; he's also the shoulders. He's carrying the sport right now. — Alan Dawson.