This was published 4 years ago
Australia's most-talked about athletes for 2021
Number 1 - Ben Simmons, 4.7 million impressions
Ben Simmons was a wide margin the most-talked about Australian athlete in 2021, with more than triple the mentions of second place.
Number 1 - Ben Simmons, 4.7 million
It's not surprising when you consider that perhaps out of every sporting league in the world, the NBA is the most-engaged in terms of online fanbases - and Simmons has been a lightning rod for controversy over the past year.
Number 2 - Daniel Ricciardo, 1.5 million
Daniel Ricciardo was second on the list, recording 1.5 million mentions. The F1 driver has remained a popular figure in the sport, which has experienced a huge bump in online presence in recent years.
Number 2 - Daniel Ricciardo, 1.5 million
Ricciardo achieved his first race win with McLaren at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix in August 2021. It was Ricciardo's eighth Grand Prix victory in Formula One.
Number 3 - David Warner, 1.3 million
David Warner comes in at third on the list, the highest-mentioned cricketer above the likes of Pat Cummins and Steve Smith, which might be mildly surprising.
Number 3 - David Warner, 1.3 million
However, Warner's benching by his IPL team combined with strong showings in both the T20 World Cup and The Ashes meant that he was never been far away from the headlines.
Number 4 - Ash Barty, 1 million
The highest-ranked female on the list, Barty's mixture of on-court success and off-court humility have made her a beloved household name down under.
Number 4 - Ash Barty, 1 million
Barty's biggest triumph unquestionably came in July, when she defeated Karolina Pliskova in the final at Wimbledon, to claim her second major title.
Number 5 - Patty Mills, 488,000
The second NBA player on the list, Mills' big move to the Brooklyn Nets combined with some of the best form of his career has made him the toast of the NBA.
