The prestigious American magazine Time has published its highly anticipated and unprecedented ranking TIME100 Sportsselecting the hundred most impactful personalities on the planet in the world of sport. And this year our colors are also present. Among the names included in the category of legendary global icons, those of Jannik Sinner and Kimi Antonelli stand out, sharing the scepter with historical giants of the caliber of Lionel Messi, LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Sinner: the triumph of the anti-star who won over fans with simplicity
There is little to say about the twenty-four-year-old from South Tyrol, current number one in the world rankings. It is the trophies he has won that speak for him. What makes the Sinner phenomenon unique, however, is not only this and the astonishing continuity demonstrated on hard courts. The public and professionals love him viscerally for his disarming humility and purity.
Jannik perfectly embodies the figure of the anti-star: a simple boy, raised among the snow-capped peaks of the Dolomites, who has kept his authenticity intact despite having won four of the last ten Grand Slam titles. This exceptional normality, combined with the philanthropic activities promoted through his foundation to support young athletes, makes him a global ethical model and a point of reference for the new generations.
In the official reasons for the recognition, American analysts underlined how the Italian tennis player is capable of completing the prestigious Sunshine Double between Indian Wells and Miami and to prevail on the grass of Wimbledon against Carlos Alcaraz in 2025 – has guaranteed men’s tennis an exciting generational rivalry.
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Antonelli: the phenomenon who wins everything but remains the boy next door
But the blue party doesn’t stop here. In fact, the prestigious list also includes the nineteen-year-old Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli from Bologna, current leader of the Formula 1 World Championship. Inserted in the “Leader” category, Antonelli is described as the “19-year-old Italian prodigy chosen to replace seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, who never stops winning and setting new records”.
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The numbers, on the other hand, speak clearly and project him directly into the myth. With school now behind him – just a year ago, after his first podium, he was divided between the paddock and the desks to pass the final exam -, this year Kimi has literally dominated the track, scoring four consecutive victories between spring and early summer: first in China and Japan in March, then in Miami and Canada in May.
Antonelli is today the youngest driver in history to lead the Formula 1 world championship standings. Not only that: he managed to join two absolute gods of the sport, Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna, as the only drivers capable of winning their first three pole positions consecutively. But there is a detail that even puts him a step above: unlike Schumacher and Senna, Antonelli then transformed all three of those poles into as many historic victories.
What makes Andrea Kimi Antonelli a truly unique character, and what bewitched the jurors of the TIME as well as fans around the world, however, it is not his ability on the track. It is his extraordinary human dimension. Those who follow him closely constantly underline the goodness, sweetness and disarming maturity of a boy who is living a real dream at three hundred miles an hour without ever losing his bearings.
Despite finding himself under the most blinding spotlight in world motorsport and having to deal with Hamilton’s heavy legacy, Antonelli hasn’t let it go to his head in the slightest. He remained the genuine boy he always was, capable of getting excited about simple things, the same one who until a few months ago celebrated a podium in Formula 1 by reviewing his school books. A champion from times gone by in terms of education, but very modern in terms of talent, who demonstrates how one can dominate the world with a smile and purity of soul.
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The 100 most influential athletes of 2026 according to Time
Below are the names of the 100 most influential athletes of 2026 according to Time:
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