The 25 greatest athletes of the last 25 years

To cap our Eras project, we select and celebrate the immense achievements of the 25 most significant athletes of the last quarter century (2000-24). The list spans every major sport, including those not covered in previous editions, and is alphabetical by last name.

theScore's Top 25 series: MLB | NBA | NFL | NHL | Olympics | Soccer

Simone Biles

With 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals, Biles handily owns the title of greatest gymnast in history. She took home four golds and one bronze in her Olympic debut at the Rio Games. Her performances secured the United States' dominance in the sport and shaped the field: Biles has five elements named after her. In Tokyo, Biles withdrew from several events but overcame the twisties and personal loss to compete in the balance beam final, where she won bronze in addition to earning silver in the team event. She staged a remarkable comeback this past summer in Paris and added three golds to her collection. - Jolene Latimer

Usain Bolt

Bolt is nicknamed the Sprint King for good reason. The Jamaican has eight Olympic gold medals and holds the world and Olympic records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. He swept the 100m and 200m in Beijing, London, and Rio, making him the only sprinter to win three consecutive golds in both marquee events. Bolt solidified himself as the world's fastest man with a breathtaking dash at the 2009 World Championships. He averaged 37.6 kilometers per hour (23.4 mph) in the 100m final, hit a top speed of 44.7 kph (27.8 mph), and crossed the finish line in 9.58 seconds. - Latimer

Tom Brady

The NFL's ultimate winner mastered quarterback play while powering the dynastic New England Patriots to six championships. Brady won a seventh ring in his mid-40s without the help of coach Bill Belichick. The five-time Super Bowl MVP engineered the game's largest comeback, immortalizing the 28-3 deficit the Patriots erased, and doubled his closest rival in career playoff wins (35). Brady was the first QB to hurl 50 touchdown passes in a season. He set towering all-time records and constantly trounced divisional foes. The No. 199 overall pick in the 2000 draft was clutch and cutthroat, as well as worshipped, hated, and feared. - Nick Faris

Sidney Crosby

Crosby is a textbook example of a generational talent. After living up to "The Next One" hype, the longtime Pittsburgh Penguins captain deserves a spot on hockey's Mount Rushmore alongside Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, and Mario Lemieux. Arguably the best all-around player in history, he's been the face of the sport since breaking into the NHL following the 2005 lockout. Crosby checks all the superstar boxes (skating, passing, shooting, etc.) while approaching the game with a grinder's hunger and grit. The three-time Stanley Cup champion has captured four MVP trophies - two in the regular season, two in the playoffs - and ranks 10th in career points. - John Matisz

Stephen Curry

Few athletes have fundamentally changed how their sport is played like Curry did on the court. His limitless range, lightning-quick release, and sheer audacity made him the greatest shooter of all time. His ability to dominate a game of giants at a slight 6-foot-2 made him more relatable than other superstars and inspired a generation of kids to let it fly - no matter their size, position, or distance from the rim. The NBA's only unanimous MVP, Curry's selfless, tireless brand of basketball powered the Golden State Warriors to four championships. For the defenses he warps, the only thing scarier than seeing the ball in his hands is watching him fly around screens to go get it. - Casciaro

Novak Djokovic

With 24 Grand Slams, 40 Masters titles, seven year-end championships, and an 83.5% winning percentage, Djokovic has no quantitative peer in men's tennis history. His 428 total weeks at No. 1 are 118 more than anyone else. He's the best returner, the best defender, and the most flexible player the sport's produced (figuratively and literally). He could adapt his game to any opponent or scenario, and his mind was a weapon that pulled him across the finish line of grueling matches. Djokovic was underappreciated relative to his Big Three rivals but had a winning record against Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, including a 28-19 combined mark against them in tournament finals. - Joe Wolfond

Tim Duncan

Duncan's greatness was understated: Bank shots from the elbow aren't the stuff of playground dreams. But the Big Fundamental's soft touch, discipline, footwork, and instincts helped him carve up opposing big men without breaking a sweat. Duncan - a five-time NBA champion and 15-time All-Defensive player - defined methodical, consistent excellence. His worst San Antonio Spurs team won 50 games. The Spurs' worst plus-minus rating during his minutes (plus-5.2 points per 100 possessions in 2008-09) would've ranked in the top five last season. Chalk that up to organizational competence if you please, but Duncan embodied the Spurs Way and, for close to two decades, was inevitable. - Casciaro

Roger Federer

Though he won "only" 20 Grand Slams and was surpassed by contemporaries in the record books, Federer remains the sentimental GOAT for tennis aesthetes who were fortunate to see his peak. The feathery footwork, the pillowy touch, the geometric creativity, the superhuman ability to time the ball on the rise, the precision and variety of his serve, the liquid snap of his forehand, the graceful arc of his one-handed backhand ... no one has ever made tennis look more like art. As for the results, his run from 2004-07 is the sport's most dominant multi-year stretch. He won 11 of 12 Slams that weren't played on clay, went 99-5 at majors and 315-24 overall, and ranked No. 1 in the world for a record streak of 237 weeks. - Wolfond

LeBron James

He was the most-hyped prospect in sports history and somehow shattered expectations. No player was as complete or dominant for as long as LeBron at his absolute best. The four-time NBA champion is the only player to win Finals MVP for three franchises. He averaged more than 20 points for 22 years, set his career high in rebounds at age 33, led the league in assists at 35, and conquered Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's untouchable scoring record at 38. Built like a linebacker, James runs like a sprinter, possesses an elite point guard's handle and vision, and bullies opponents like the smashmouth forwards of the '90s. At his peak, he was also a 40% 3-point shooter and Defensive Player of the Year candidate. - Casciaro

Katie Ledecky

Ledecky is the queen of freestyle swimming. She has nine Olympic gold medals in the discipline to go along with 21 from the World Championships. She first won Olympic gold at London in the 800m as a 15-year-old and followed that up in Rio with record swims in the 400m and 800m. Ledecky's tally of four gold medals and one silver in 2016 made her the most decorated female athlete at those Games. Thanks to strong showings in Tokyo and Paris, she owns the most career Olympic medals (14) among female swimmers and American women. - Latimer

Patrick Mahomes

An exceptional achiever, Mahomes authored the hottest start to an NFL quarterbacking career. The three-time champion and Super Bowl MVP has never failed to reach the conference title game at the helm of the Kansas City Chiefs. No other passer compiled multiple 5,000-yard seasons or earned 15 playoff wins in his 20s. Mahomes' blend of arm strength, precision, and improvisational skill ruptures defenses and creates awesome sights - like the 13-second drive that dazed the Buffalo Bills. His inevitability rivals Brady's: Mahomes has stopped several fantastic rivals, from Josh Allen to Joe Burrow to Lamar Jackson, from stealing any of his glory. - Faris

Peyton Manning

Manning was a transformative field general who called his own plays and patented the pre-snap audible over 17 stellar seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos. He won his fifth NFL MVP award and set enduring passing marks (5,477 yards, 55 touchdowns) for the 2013 Broncos juggernaut that scored a record 606 points. He reached the Super Bowl with four head coaches and beat Brady head-to-head en route to two titles - one with each franchise - proving he could rise to the occasion when it mattered most. Manning's intelligence kept defenses guessing and stressing. He was consistent and resilient, refusing to let serious neck surgeries force him to retire prematurely. - Faris

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Mayweather, the retired pound-for-pound king, was the marquee boxer of the quarter century. His greatness spanned weight classes - he was the world champion of five divisions - and generated infinite hype. His bouts with Manny Pacquiao in 2015 and Conor McGregor in 2017 were pay-per-view bonanzas. His unblemished pro record swelled to 50-0 (28 wins this century) when he knocked out McGregor on the Las Vegas Strip. Mayweather also defeated Canelo Alvarez, Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya, Arturo Gatti, and Juan Manuel Marquez. He was a nimble defensive tactician and pinpoint counterpuncher who exacted significantly more damage than he took. - Faris

Rafael Nadal

One of the greatest competitors we'll see, Nadal's tennis had a uniquely visceral quality: You didn't watch him play so much as you felt him play. He ground opponents into dust with his relentless physicality, stamina, and blinding speed, plus the punishing weight of his trademark topspin-laden forehands. He was an astute game-planner and problem-solver, turning defense to offense fast enough to erase the distinction. En route to 22 Grand Slams and 36 Masters titles, Nadal superseded his early label as a one-surface specialist, but he'll be remembered as a clay-court hegemon: His 14 French Open crowns, 112-4 record at Roland Garros, and 63 singles titles on clay are as unbreakable as records get. - Wolfond

Alex Ovechkin

Ovechkin is the most prolific sniper in NHL history. The Washington Capitals legend is less than 30 goals away from breaking Gretzky's career record. A freak of nature, he's rarely been sidelined by injury over a 20-year career despite playing a bulldozing style for much of it. He's continued to fire pucks past goalies despite consistently telegraphing his intentions on the power play: left circle, one-timer, goal. He's been wildly productive and charismatic despite coming of age in an era of low scoring rates and bland personalities. Ovechkin, who hoisted the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy in 2018, is a 12-time All-Star and three-time regular-season MVP. - Matisz

Michael Phelps

Phelps' defining trait is dominance. Swimming teems with medal opportunities, and he seized all of them. The Olympic megastar has a record 28 medals, including 23 golds. Phelps established himself at the 2004 Athens Games, where he won six gold medals and two bronze. He conquered Beijing by winning all eight events he entered and setting a slew of freestyle, butterfly, and medley world records. In London, he added four gold medals and two silvers to his tally before retiring but made a stunning comeback at Rio with five more victories and one silver. - Latimer

Albert Pujols

Nicknamed the Machine, Pujols was an unstoppable offensive force. He won three MVPs and two championships for the St. Louis Cardinals, stuffed the back of his baseball card with rare numbers, and didn't play under the cloud of PED-use suspicion. He was the first player to have 700 home runs and 100 WAR within the confines of the 21st century. He led all players during his 22-year career in hits, doubles, RBI, and runs. His career 145 OPS+ means he was 45% better than the average hitter, and over a 12-year peak, he averaged a .325/.414/.608 slash line, 1.022 OPS, 42 homers, and 120 RBIs. Not bad for a 13th-round pick who was one of the century's great scouting finds. - Travis Sawchik

Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo's forte - sticking the ball in the net - made him one of soccer's most influential and magnetic stars. The Portuguese supernova is the consummate attacker: He buries headers, penalties, free kicks, and screamers from all over the pitch. A global legion of fans imitates his unmistakable wide stance and emphatic "Siuuu!" celebration. Ronaldo's bravado, pace, and power highlight a contrast with Messi, the foil he one-upped in career goals (more than 900) and Champions League conquests (four with Real Madrid, one with Manchester United). He scored at five World Cups, won Euro 2016, and set a trend with his 2023 transfer to the Saudi Pro League. - Faris

Mike Trout

If not for injury, Trout would be the era's No. 1 ballplayer and an inner-circle Hall of Famer. At the height of his powers, he was a five-tool superstar reminiscent of Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. From ages 20 through 27, Trout averaged 35 home runs, 110 runs, 24 steals, 99 walks, and a .308/.422/.587 slash line. He averaged 178 OPS+ for a decade, sustaining a level of performance that earned him nine Silver Sluggers and three MVP awards. He was an elite baserunner and produced one of the century's iconic catches, leaping over the center field wall at Camden Yards to rob J.J. Hardy's blast. That he's only appeared in one postseason series doesn't diminish his greatness. - Sawchik

Serena Williams

Williams' blend of athleticism, blunt-force power, ruthlessly efficient tactics, and smoldering competitive will carried her to an Open-era record 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with sister Venus, and 319 weeks at No. 1. Her serve is the greatest weapon women's tennis has seen. It sometimes felt like she could win matches by dint of her domineering court presence alone. Serena endured injuries and familial tragedy but returned each time to reclaim her place at the top of the game. She made four finals and compiled a 52-14 record at majors after giving birth in 2017. Her career came to be defined by that resilience: She was a fighter to the end. - Wolfond

Tiger Woods

The era's greatest golfer loved to don two iconic garments: red Nike shirts and green jackets. Tiger wore red on Sundays to pull away from overmatched fields, and he hogged the jackets as a five-time Masters champion. His 15 major victories (13 since 2000) only trail Jack Nicklaus' 18. Woods tied a record set in 1965 when he equaled Sam Snead's 82 PGA TOUR wins. He was a child prodigy whose ball striking and ability to gain and hold a lead became phenomenal attributes. Following a cinematic rise to fame and fall from glory, Woods capped his redemption arc with a stirring comeback at Augusta in 2019, more than a decade after he won his last U.S. Open on an ailing knee. - Faris

theScore's Top 25 series: MLB | NBA | NFL | NHL | Olympics | Soccer