Sam Kerr comes fourth on the list of Australia’s most famous athletes – here’s who beat the Matildas World Cup superstar in the popularity stakes
- Matildas striker arguably the best athlete in the country
- Has won Golden Boot in three different competitions
- Not enough to place her alongside three other big names
You can make a compelling argument that no Australian sports star has achieved more than Sam Kerr – but that wasn’t enough to put the Matildas striker at the top of a new list of the country’s most famous athletes.
The 29-year-old is the only women’s footballer to have won the prestigious Golden Boot in three different competitions and has been instrumental in winning four WSL titles with English giants Chelsea, alongside her incredible record with the national side.
However, she failed to take the top spot on Australian betting agency BettingTop10’s list of down under athletes with the most exposure and influence, which was determined based on their influence on social media and Google search data.
That went to Formula 1 star Daniel Ricciardo, who has just revived his career by scoring a drive with the AlphaTauri team after serving as Red Bull’s reserve behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in the opening 11 races of the season.
Three Golden Boot honours, recognition by many experts as the best player in the world and an outstanding record for club and country were not enough to put Kerr in first place
Formula 1 star Daniel Ricciardo was named number 1 on the list as he revives his career with a new job as a driver for the AlphaTauri team (pictured)
The Perth-born driver is recovering after two horror years at McLaren, where he was replaced by compatriot Oscar Piastri – and key to his No. 1 ranking is his 13 million social media followers.
Second place went to controversial tennis star Nick Kyrgios, who rode high at this year’s Australian Open after contesting the 2022 Wimbledon men’s singles final against Novak Djokovic.
The Canberran has struggled ever since, forced to pull out of his home grand slam with a knee injury that has plagued him ever since and forced him out of this year’s All England Club tournament.
Next comes NBA star Ben Simmons, who has struggled with injury — and constant, heavy criticism from fans — beginning with his turbulent departure from the Philadelphia 76ers and continuing through his unimpressive stint for the Brooklyn Nets.
Kerr beat Aussie Test cricket captain Pat Cummins, who has an incredibly high profile in what ex-Prime Minister John Howard once called Australia’s premier job.
UFC star Robert Whittaker (left) was a surprising inclusion considering he’s not Australia’s most successful MMA star – that honor goes to Alex Volkanovski
Kerr defeated fifth seed Pat Cummins, who holds what former Prime Minister John Howard once called the most important job in Australia
Tennis star Alex de Minaur (pictured playing mixed doubles at Wimbledon this year with girlfriend Katie Boulter) was ninth, ahead of cricketer Nathan Lyon
Sixth went to women’s cricket icon Ellyse Perry, who just played in a record fifth Ashes tour, with UFC star Robert Whittaker in seventh – which came as quite a surprise as fellow Aussie octagon star Alex Volkanovski is considered by many to be the pound-for-pound king of the sport.
Then it’s up to Ash Barty, who takes eighth place despite having retired from the sport she once dominated for over a year, and Alex de Minaur, who was Australia’s best hope in this year’s Wimbledon men’s draw and is making waves on social media with his glamorous girlfriend, British star Katie Boulter.
Rounding out the top 10 is spin bowler Nathan Lyon, a regular in the Aussie Test team since 2011 and dealt a huge blow to the side when he was forced to return home injured from the current Ashes series in England.