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The last decade saw sports stars emerge and some re-establish themselves on the world scene.
Here are the 10 biggest sports stars of the last decade.
10. Floyd Mayweather
The American legend, who is often referred to as the best defensive boxer in history, broke
boxing records in the last decade.
Mayweather has a record of 26 consecutive wins in world title fights and 23 wins in lineal title fights. He retired undefeated in 2017 with an unblemished record of 50-0.
He also recorded 24 victories against former or current world titlists including Manny Pacquiao and Canelo Alvarez in 2015 and 2013 respectively.
In one of the biggest sporting events of the decade Mayweather took on UFC legend Conoro Macgregor in a boxing match which he won by TKO.
"He (Conor McGregor) went 10 rounds with the greatest fighter in the last hundred years of boxing. He went 10 rounds, scoring punches," Mike Tyson on McGregor and Mayweather on Sport Bible.
"Did he accomplish something? Look what he had to fight against, and look at what he did when he fought against him."
9. Simone Biles
The American artistic gymnast established herself as a global superstar in the last decade as she dominated the gymnastics world.
With a combined total of 30 Olympic and World Championship medals, Biles is the most decorated American gymnast and the world's third most decorated gymnast.
She is also a five-time World all-around champion (2013–2015, 2018–19) and a five-time World floor exercise champion (2013–2015, 2018–19). She also won four gold medals at the 2016 Olympic Games.
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8. Michael Phelps
The last decade saw the American former competitive swimmer become the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals.
Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals (23), Olympic gold medals in individual events (13), and Olympic medals in individual events (16).
He won four gold and two silver medals at the 2012 Olympic Games and at the 2016 competition he won five gold medals and one silver which made him the most successful athlete of the Games for the fourth Olympics in a row.
7. Tiger Woods
The American icon reminded the world why he is widely regarded as one of the best golfers in history in the last decade.
The year 2013 proved to be a successful one for Woods as he won the Farmers Insurance Open, WGC-Cadillac Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players Championship and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
Woods won the 2019 Masters Tournament which was his 15th
golf major which left him three behind Jack Nicklaus' all-time record.
He is often regarded as the greatest golfer of all-time.
6. Serena Williams
The American superstar edged closer to becoming the most successful female
tennis player in history as she dominates the women's game.
Williams, who holds several tennis records, has won the Australian Open (in 2010, 2015, 2017), the French Open (in 2013, 2015), Wimbledon (in 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016) and the US Open (in 2012, 2013, 2014).
As a result, she has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era, and the second-most of all-time behind Margaret Court (24).
5. Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese forward is the world's most famous athlete and he is now considered one of the best footballers of all time.
After winning a third consecutive UEFA Champions League title in 2018, Ronaldo became the first player to win the modern trophy five times and holds the records for the most goals scored in the competition (128).
He became the highest European international goalscorer of all-time in 2018 and is also the most followed user on both Instagram and Facebook.
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4. Lebron James
The American superstar has been involved in discussions ranking him as the best
basketball player of all time.
James won three National Basketball Association (NBA) titles in the last decade and was named NBA Most Valuable Player three times (2010, 2012, 2013) and the NBA Finals MVP three times (2012, 2013, 2016).
The accomplished small forward also holds the all-time record for playoffs points, is third in all-time points and eighth in all-time assists.
3. Usain Bolt
The Jamaican icon is arguably the best sprinter in the history of athletics due to his achievements and dominance in the sprint competition.
Bolt is a world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 4×100 metres relay. He is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100m and 200m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012 and 2016).
Furthermore, he is the most successful athlete of the World Championships and is the first athlete to win four World Championship titles in the 200m.
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2. Lionel Messi
The Argentine superstar is regarded by many as the best footballer of all time having won a record six Ballon d'Or awards, and a record six European Golden Shoes.
Messi also holds the records for most goals in La Liga (438), a La Liga and European league season (50), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (8), and most assists in La Liga (181) and the Copa América (12).
Nicknamed Leo, Messi was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2019 and was awarded the 2019 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award which he shared with Lewis Hamilton.
1. Lewis Hamilton
The British star dominated
Formula One in the last decade winning five world titles and has been tipped to become the best racing driver in history.
Since moving to Mercedes from McLaren in 2013, Hamilton has won five titles and holds the records for the all-time most career points (3431), and the most grand slams in a season (3).
The six-time Formula One world champion completed a hat-trick of consecutive titles in 2019, bringing his tally to six overall, second only to seven-time World Drivers' champion Michael Schumacher.
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