29/12/2025
As the sporting year draws to a close, here is my selection of the world's top 10 athletes in 2025:
1. Lando Norris (Britain, Formula 1)
Norris seized his first Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship with seven wins, eight runner-up and three third-place finishes in 2025, ending Max Verstappen's four-year reign. The Briton also helped McLaren retain the constructors' championship.
2. Carlos Alcaraz (Spain, tennis)
finished as the year-end world No. 1 in 2025 after winning the French Open and US Open, collecting six Grand Slam titles so far. His remarkable year featured 71 wins and only nine losses, along with eight titles.
3. Ilia Malinin (United States, figure skating)
defended his World Championships title and secured his third consecutive crown at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. Notably, he became the first figure skater in history to land seven quadruple jumps in a single program at the Grand Prix Final, setting a new world record of 238.24 points in the men's free skating.
4. Chen Yuxi (China, diving)
Chen won three gold medals in women's 10m platform, women's synchronized 10m platform and mixed team at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Her victory in the individual platform marked her fourth world title in the event and made her the first diver in history to achieve the feat. Chen also secured a fourth consecutive synchronized world title, second only to the five-title record held by compatriot Chen Ruolin. She was named the 2025 Female Diving Athlete of the Year by World Aquatics.
5. Armand Duplantis (Sweden, athletics)
continued his reign in the men's pole vault, breaking the world record four times in 2025. His latest record of 6.30 meters set at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo further solidified his status. Duplantis remained undefeated in 16 competitions this season, and was awarded the Men's World Athlete of the Year.
6. Faith Kipyegon (Kenya, athletics)
won her third consecutive world title in the women's 1,500m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The 31-year-old also broke her own 1,500m world record with 3:48.68 at Wanda Diamond League meeting in Eugene.
7. Summer McIntosh (Canada, swimming)
broke world records in the women's 400m freestyle, 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley at Canada's national trials in June. At the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, McIntosh dominated by claiming golds in the women's 400m freestyle, 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley and 200m butterfly events.
8. Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia, cycling)
captured his fourth Tour de France crown in 2025. He also successfully defended his title at the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda and triumphed in the European Championships in France.
9. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada, basketball)
Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA championship in the 2024-25 season. The 27-year-old became the fourth player in NBA history to sweep the honors of the MVP, scoring title and Finals MVP in a single season, after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal.
10. Ousmane Dembele (France, football)
had an outstanding 2024-25 season with Paris Saint-Germain, scoring 35 goals across all competitions to help claim the Ligue 1, French Cup and its first-ever Champions League title. The French striker was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year and Champions League Player of the Season. He also won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA Best Men's Player awards.
