Jamie Squire/Getty Images

6 Athletes Made TIME's 100 Most Influential People List

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Apr 16, 2025 3:40 PM ET

TIME recently released its list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2025 and while the list included a who's-who of politicians, entertainers, activists and businesspeople, a handful of athletes made the list too.

Six athletes were named to the list, though fans of sports such as soccer, golf, men's basketball, baseball, hockey, and motorsports will not find any of their favorites there.

The six athletes who made the list were as follows (alphabetical order by last name):

Simone Biles, gymnastics, United States of America
Napheesa Collier, women's basketball, Minnesota Lynx and Unrivaled
Jalen Hurts, NFL football, Philadelphia Eagles
Leon Marchand, swimming, France
Breanna Stewart, women's basketball, New York Liberty and Unrivaled
Serena Williams, tennis, United States of America

For Hurts, it was the legendary baseball star Derek Jeter who highlighted him as part of the "Icons" category.

“I admire how great athletes deal with success and failure. What Jalen Hurts went through in being benched during the 2018 National Championship game would break many people down. But not Jalen; he focused on what he could control and found a new path to success," the five-time World Series champion wrote.

For Biles, USA gymnastics legend Aly Raisman credited her with overcoming years of adversity to add to her medals record and approach the all-time gold medals record for women's gymnastics.

“Simone has faced—and withstood—mounting expectations, pressures, and adversity, which seem to intensify yearly. Through it all, she has embraced her vulnerability while refusing to let it define or limit her. She is deeply human and undeniably superhuman—a combination that makes her impact profound. She inspires us to believe that we, too, can persevere. That we, too, can shatter limits," Raisman said.

PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 01: (EDITOR'S NOTE: Alternate crop) Gold medalist Simone Biles of Team United States poses with the Olympic Rings and a goat charm on her necklace during the Artistic Gymnastics Women's All-Around Final medal ceremony on day six of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 01, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)Jamie Squire/Getty Images

For Collier and Stewart, Alex Morgan credited them with starting the new Unrivaled basketball league on top of their individual success in the 2024 WNBA season.

“Unrivaled makes female athletes think about everything differently. It’s not always about taking the salary, signing on the dotted line, and being happy. Sometimes you can do it yourself better. That’s what Phee and Stewie did here. The launch of Unrivaled will go down in history as a pivotal moment for continuing the tidal wave of momentum in women’s sports," Morgan wrote.

BROOKLYN, NY - OCTOBER 20: Jonquel Jones #35, Courtney Vandersloot #22, Breanna Stewart #30, and Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty pose for a portrait with the 2024 WNBA Championship trophy after winning the 2024 WNBA Championship on October 20, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)David Dow/Getty Images

Marchand won four gold medals in the Olympics last summer while setting records in all four swimming events.

And for Serena, she was credited with her investments into WNBA expansion, the TGL and becoming a Netflix series executive producer.

Do you like the list?

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: