Famous Australian Sportspersons
Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.
Whether you are a true Wimbledon fan or a cricket junkie, it is impossible you don't already have an Australian sportsman in your list of favorites. That's right! The land of kangaroos and koalas has produced some incredibly gifted, cracker of sportsmen who have stamped victory in the world map. Be it hockey, snowboarding, golf, pole vaulting or cricket, Australians have proved that they are second to none when it comes to sports. There is something profoundly inspiring and competitive about the sporting folks of this country. From cricket to Grand Prix and from surfing to competitive cycling, this sports frenzy nation has bought sporting glory to the country in every which way. Needless to say, the sports mad folk of this fine country have notched up some impressive sporting feats over the years. And it is no exaggeration to hail Australia as one of the most successful nation in the history of sport. Read the biographies and check out the timelines, life stories and interesting trivia & facts related to the lives of some of the most famous Australian sportspersons.
Vote for Your Favourite Australian Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 1, 1989
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Perth, Australia
Daniel Ricciardo is an Italian-Australian racing driver. He currently competes in Formula One for McLaren. Over the years, Ricciardo has had eight Grand Prix victories, including a win at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, in Formula One. He has also received several awards like BRDC The Bruce McLaren Trophy. In 2014, he was named GQ Australia Sportsman of the Year.
2
Steve Smith(Australian Cricketer Who is Considered One of the Best Batsmen of His Generation)
Birthdate: June 2, 1989
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kogarah, Australia
Australian cricketer Steve Smith captained the Australian Test team and also tied with Garry Sobers when he made a record 6,000 Test runs in 111 innings, the second-best after Donald Bradman. The Allan Border Medal-winning batsman was banned from Australian cricket for a year for overseeing ball tampering.
3
Shane Warne(Former Australian Cricketer, Widely Regarded as the Greatest Leg Spinner in the History of Cricket)
Birthdate: September 13, 1969
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Victoria, Australia
Died: March 4, 2022
Shane Warne was a former Australian cricket player, best known for his leg-break bowling. Widely regarded as one of the greatest spin bowlers of all time, Warne was the second-highest wicket-taker in test cricket. He was also one of the most controversial cricketers. In 2013, Shane Warne was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
4
Sir Donald Bradman(Australian Cricketer Who is Considered the Greatest Batsman of All Time)
Birthdate: August 27, 1908
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Cootamundra, Australia
Died: February 25, 2001
Australian cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman, is widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. He started playing cricket as a young man and scored numerous records within a few years. In a career spanning around two decades, he retired with a career test batting average of 99.94. He retained a pre-eminent position in the game for decades following his retirement.
5
Rod Laver(Australian Former World No. 1 Tennis Player)
Birthdate: August 9, 1938
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Rockhampton, Australia
Australian former tennis player Rod Laver is widely regarded to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He was ranked world No. 1 in nine different years. He holds 200 singles titles--the most in tennis history. He excelled on a variety of court surfaces: grass, clay, hard, carpet, and wood/parquet. The Laver Cup Tournament is named after him.
6
Ben Simmons(Australian Professional Basketball Player Who Plays at the Point Guard Position)
Birthdate: July 20, 1996
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia
Ben Simmons, son of Australian basketball player Dave Simmons, initially played for LSU and was then drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers. Ben was named the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year and the NBA All-Star in 2019 and 2020. He has also played for the Australian national team.
Birthdate: October 11, 1996
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Adelaide, Australia
Rhea Ripley is an Australian wrestler best known for her association with the popular wrestling promotion, WWE. She is the current WWE Women's Tag Team Champion along with Nikki A.S.H. In 2019, she was named Breakthrough Wrestler of the Year by CBS Sports. In April 2021, Ripley became the first female Australian to win the WWE Raw Women's Championship title.
8
Ricky Ponting(Australian Former Cricketer Regarded as One of the Best Batsmen of the Modern Era)
Birthdate: December 19, 1974
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Ricky Ponting is an Australian retired cricket player best known for his abilities as a batsman, fielder, and captain. Widely regarded as one of the modern-time greats, Ponting is the leading run-scorer for Australia in Test and ODI cricket. Ponting captained the Australian Test team between 2004 and 2011 and is considered one of the most successful cricket captains of all time.
Birthdate: January 11, 1997
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Gold Coast, Australia
Apart from releasing three pop albums, Australian singer/actor Cody Simpson has also acted in the film The Smiley Face Killers and a Broadway musical. A Part of USC's Trojan Swim Elite team, he has qualified for the trials of the 100m butterfly event of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Birthdate: March 24, 1989
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: August 5, 2011
Aziz Shavershian was a Russian-born Australian personal trainer, bodybuilder, and model. He started posting videos on YouTube in 2007, establishing a cult following. Aziz was the poster boy of aesthetics, a subculture of amateur bodybuilding. Before his death, due to a heart attack, Aziz Shavershian had established a clothing line and his own protein label called Protein of the Gods.
11
David Warner(Australian International Cricketer Who is a Left-Handed Opening Batsman)
Birthdate: October 27, 1986
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paddington, Sydney, Australia
David Warner is an Australian professional cricket player. An opening batsman, Warner is one of the most important members of the Australia men's national cricket team in all three formats of the game. Warner was caught up in an ugly controversy in 2018 after being involved in a ball-tampering scandal in the midst of a Test series against South Africa.
Birthdate: January 30, 1990
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Baulkham Hills, Sydney, Australia
Mitchell Starc is an Australian international cricketer. He plays for the Australian national team in international cricket and New South Wales in domestic cricket. Primarily a left-arm fast bowler, he is also a capable lower-order left-handed batsman. He was part of the Australian squad that won the 2015 Cricket World Cup. He is married to fellow cricketer Alyssa Healy.
13
Mark Webber(Australian Retired Professional Racing Driver)
Birthdate: August 27, 1976
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Queanbeyan, Australia
Mark Webber is an Australian former racing driver. From 2002 to 2013, Webber competed in Formula One, winning the 2010 British Grand Prix. From 2014 to 2016, he competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship, winning the 2015 season for Porsche alongside Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley. In 2019, Mark Webber was inducted into the FIA Hall of Fame.
14
Cathy Freeman(Australian Former Sprinter Who Specialised in the 400 metres Event)
Birthdate: February 16, 1973
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Mackay, Queensland, Australia
Cathy Freeman is a former sprinter known for her achievements in the 400 meters events. Her personal best of 48.63, set at the 1996 Olympics, makes her the eighth-fastest woman of all time. She gave Australia an Olympic gold at the 2000 Olympics. Also a humanitarian, Freeman is credited with founding the Cathy Freeman Foundation.
15
Timothy F. Cahill(Australian Former Professional Footballer Who Played as an Attacking Midfielder)
Birthdate: December 6, 1979
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Australian former professional footballer Timothy F. Cahill was known for "his aggressive and powerful approach and his ability to head the ball in the penalty area" during his playing years. Having scored 50 goals in 108 caps, he is the all-time leading goalscorer for the Australia national team. Currently, he works as a pundit for BBC Sport and Sky Sports.
Birthdate: July 31, 1951
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Griffith, New South Wales, Australia
Legendary Australian tennis player Evonne Goolagong Cawley was once world number 1 and the world’s first mother to earn a Wimbledon win in 66 years. A Wiradjuri Aborigine, she is now part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and also became the Australian of the Year in 1971.
Birthdate: April 2, 1981
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Liverpool
18
Kostya Tszyu(Russian-Australian Former Professional Boxer Who Holds Multiple World Light-Welterweight Titles)
Birthdate: September 19, 1969
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Serov, Russia
Kostya Tszyu is a former boxer who held multiple light-welterweight championships. Renowned for his punching power, Tszyu is considered one of the hardest-punching boxers in the history of light-welterweight boxing. He represented the Soviet Union at the 1991 World Championships, where he won a gold medal. In 2010, Tszyu was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
19
Patty Mills(Australian Basketball Player Who Plays as a Point Guard)
Birthdate: August 11, 1988
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Canberra
Birthdate: November 30, 1988
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Macksville, Australia
Died: November 27, 2014
Birthdate: November 14, 1971
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Bellingen
Birthdate: November 10, 1992
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Birthdate: April 27, 1995
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Canberra, Australia
Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, who has had a career-best singles ranking of 13, has also been part of a few controversies. During a 2019 Wimbledon match, he apparently deliberately hit Rafael Nadal with a ball, straight in the chest, and later defended his actions, saying it was completely fair.
24
Nathan Jones(Australian Actor and Former Professional Wrestler)
Birthdate: August 21, 1969
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Gold Coast, Australia
25
Harry Kewell(Australian Association Football Manager, Coach, and Former Player)
Birthdate: September 22, 1978
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Smithfield, Australia
Birthdate: November 28, 1984
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
27
Ellyse Perry(Australian Sportswoman Who Has Represented Her Country in Cricket and Association Football)
Birthdate: November 3, 1990
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Wahroonga, Australia
Ellyse Perry has represented Australia in both cricket and soccer. She became the youngest Australian sportsperson to play international cricket and the first to appear in both the FIFA and ICC World Cups. She later drifted to cricket and set records for the highest Test score by an Australian female.
28
Pat Rafter(Australian Former World No. 1 Tennis Player)
Birthdate: December 28, 1972
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Mount Isa, Australia
Pat Rafter became the first Australian male in the Open Era to win consecutive US Open titles. The former ATP singles number 1 is also the only person with an undefeated record against tennis legend Roger Federer and is remembered for his politeness and his habit of saying “Sorry, mate.”
29
Matthew Dellavedova(Australian Basketball Player Who Plays as a Point Guard and Shooting Guard)
Birthdate: September 8, 1990
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Maryborough, Australia
Birthdate: June 23, 1989
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Billie Kay is an Australian professional wrestler best known for her time in WWE. She was part of the tag team The IIconics alongside Peyton Royce. She was interested in wrestling from a young age and was trained by Madison Eagles. She was once associated with the Pro Wrestling Women's Alliance promotion. She now competes on the independent circuit.
Birthdate: June 9, 1975
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Birmingham, England
Died: May 14, 2022
Birthdate: September 22, 1986
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New South Wales, Australia
Known as the Blonde Bomber to her fans, Australian boxer and female super-bantamweight champion Ebanie Bridges had begun training in karate at age 5 and had then moved on to kickboxing, Muay Thai, and eventually competitive bodybuilding. She is a qualified math teacher and speaks 5 languages, too.
Birthdate: October 14, 1988
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Kew, Victoria
Glenn Maxwell is an Australian professional cricket player who represents the national cricket team in one day internationals and twenty20 internationals. Often referred to as the Big Show, Maxwell is renowned for his improvisation and dramatic, high-risk shot making. Over the years, he has also had a major impact on twenty20 franchise cricket, such as the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Birthdate: December 18, 1986
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Islamabad, Pakistan
Usman Khawaja is an Australian professional cricket player who has represented the Australian men's cricket team in Test, One Day International, and Twenty20 cricket. In 2011, he became the first Pakistani-born player and the first Muslim to play for the Australian Test team. He went on to represent Australia at the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
Birthdate: June 15, 1942
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Melbourne
Died: October 3, 2006
Peter Norman was an Australian athlete who won a silver medal in the 200 meters event at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He is remembered for supporting fellow athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos by wearing the Olympic Project for Human Rights badge during their medal ceremony; he is the third athlete seen in the popular Olympics Black Power salute photograph.
Birthdate: September 26, 1988
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Melbourne Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
37
Ken Rosewall(Australian Former World Top-Ranking Amateur and Professional Tennis Player)
Birthdate: November 2, 1934
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Throughout his 25-year illustrious career, Australian tennis legend Ken Rosewall has won 18 Grand Slams, including 8 singles titles. Known for his 5’7” lean frame, he was nicknamed Muscles by his teammates, apparently, for the lack of them. The son of a grocer, he had begun playing tennis at age 3.
Birthdate: July 18, 1949
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Perth
Birthdate: March 1, 1989
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Boronia, Victoria, Australia
Birthdate: April 2, 1926
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hurstville, New South Wales, Australia
Died: May 19, 2014
Jack Brabham was an Australian professional racing driver best remembered for winning the Formula One World Championship thrice during his illustrious career that lasted 15 years. He is credited with founding the eponymous Formula One racing team and racing car manufacturer. Early in his career, Brabham contributed immensely to the design of racing cars introduced by the Cooper Car Company.
Birthdate: July 16, 1942
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Perth
Margaret Court is an Australian retired tennis player. She is a former world No. 1 with 24 Grand Slam women's singles titles to her name. She also holds 19 Grand Slam doubles titles and 21 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. She is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Following her retirement, she became a Christian minister.
Birthdate: October 29, 1971
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia
Birthdate: April 10, 1996
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Adelaide, Australia
Born to Greek immigrant parents in Adelaide, Thanasi Kokkinakis was inspired by Russian tennis star Marat Safin in childhood. He now has a career-high ranking of 69 in singles. In 2021, he revealed how he had battled depression and had contemplated quitting tennis after a series of injuries threatened his career.
44
Allan Border(Former Australian Cricket Team Captain and Outstanding Left-Hand Batsman)
Birthdate: July 27, 1955
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Cremorne, Australia
Legendary Australian cricketer Allan Border, also popularly known as AB, remains to be regarded as one of the best batsmen the game has ever had. Under his captaincy, Australia didn’t just win a World Cup but also brought back the Ashes in 1989. He is also one of Australia’s 100 National Living Treasures.
Birthdate: September 29, 1988
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
Alexander Volkanovski is an Australian mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Volkanovski is the current featherweight champion in UFC and is currently ranked fourth in the UFC men's pound-for-pound list. Alexander Volkanovski has had one successful title defense and one Fight of the Night honor in his UFC career so far.
Birthdate: August 7, 1948
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Unley
47
Mark Schwarzer(Former Australian Soccer Player Who Played as a Goalkeeper)
Birthdate: October 6, 1972
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
48
Roy Emerson(Australian Former Tennis Player Who Won a Record 12 Grand Slam Singles Titles)
Birthdate: November 3, 1936
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Blackbutt, Australia
Roy Emerson is a former tennis player from Australia. A former world No. 1, Emerson won 16 Grand Slam doubles titles and 12 Grand Slam singles titles, which includes a career Grand Slam in both singles and doubles. Emerson went on to achieve another career Grand Slam, becoming the first man to complete a double career Grand Slam in singles.
Birthdate: November 17, 1986
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Colac, Australia
Australian cricketer Aaron Finch became the first cricketer with 900 rating points in the ICC T20I rankings, in 2018. He holds the record for two highest individual scores in T20I cricket. He has also played for various IPL teams.
Birthdate: November 12, 1987
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia
Jason Day is an Australian golfer who won the 2015 PGA Championship. A former world number one, Day was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2015. In the same year, Jason Day was also honored with the Greg Norman Medal. In 2016, he received the Mark H. McCormack Award.