Losing Grand Slam Finals, throwing rackets, frustrated expressions- those are the common themes for Aryna Sabalenka on court in 2026, which has seen the Belarusian let go of her No. 1 ranking after she had it for 99 consecutive weeks. Off the court, however, endorsements have been flowing in for the current World No. 2, and her visibility on social media platforms has played a big role in making her an ideal candidate for brand collaborations, putting her in a league of her own.
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In the recent list published by the SportsPro group, Sabalenka has been named as the most marketable athlete in the world for 2026. The Belarusian is the third tennis player to reach the top of the list after the likes of Naomi Osaka and Eugenie Bouchard held that position in previous editions of the list. This has put her ahead of the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, with the Spaniard ranked 5th and the Italian ranked 35th on the list, respectively.
The SportsPro list is a prestigious one, ranking the players based on their commercial compatibility to be endorsed by some of the biggest brands in the world. The list is compiled using a data-driven approach with three key metrics: the amount of equity the athlete has created for the brand, the momentum behind that equity, and the athlete’s potential to enhance the brand’s value through endorsements further.
Sabalenka topped the list with an overall score of 80.95 out of 100, based on these metrics, while the likes of Alcaraz and Sinner scored 73.17 and 63.78, respectively. The score on the momentum metric was the decider for Sabalenka, as her score of 29.88 out of a possible 40 outpaced Sinner and Alcaraz, with the Italian scoring 17.46 and Alcaraz scoring 23.80. Not to mention, Sabalenka has also scored a high score of 37.78 out of 45 on the brand equity scale.
The increase in Sabalenka’s brand equity has been driven by her decision to switch management firms, with the Belarusian moving from IMG to Evolve last year. The decision worked wonders for brand deals, as the likes of Gucci, Moroccan Oil, Dobel Tequila, Stella Artois, Whoop, and Emirates have joined the World No. 2’s impressive portfolio, which already included giant sports brands like Nike and Wilson.
As of her momentum score, one can only assume that Sabalenka’s digital visibility has been a major contributor. The Belarusian has 5.7 million followers on Instagram and has always been an open book with her fans, whether it’s showing glimpses of her private life or announcing brand endorsements. If someone were to look at her account now, her last few posts would be the hallmark of her social media activity. While her recent Instagram post is about how she is unwinding on a beach in Dubai while getting her practice reps in, she also shared the news of entering into a brand deal with Saxo Bank a few days ago.
Topping the SportsPro list would come as a huge vindication for Sabalenka about how she goes about things in her off-court life, something that has been under the scanner for a large portion of the 2026 season.
Aryna Sabalenka Has Been Under Fire for Her Off-Court Activities This Year
Sabalenka’s off-court brand collaborations and her high visibility on social media platforms have drawn scrutiny in the tennis world, especially as her form has dipped this season. All of it came to a head when the former World No. 1 expressed her frustration at a reporter during one of the US Open press conferences when asked about her off-court activity.
Even Sabalenka’s habit of being active on social media has drawn criticism from former greats like Boris Becker, who offered a harsh assessment of her form ahead of the US Open, questioning her commitment to the sport in light of her brand deals and TikTok reels.
Sabalenka, however, has forged on, and while her season has not been as impressive as the previous ones, the Belarusian still has a 47-11 win-loss record this year, which includes three titles and two runner-up finishes at Grand Slams. The fact that such a performance has invited increased criticism only goes to show the standards the Belarusian has maintained over her last two years as the World No. 1.