MLB Rewind: The Captain, Derek Jeter, rose to No. 1 on the top 10 favorite male athletes list in 2011; the same year Serena Williams earned the honor for the 4th time 

Derek Jeter topped the Harris Poll of favorite male athletes in 2011. He surpassed Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant, who had tied for first the previous year.

Jeter first made the top 10 in 2004 and rose as high as second place in 2007. However, after reaching 3,000 hits in 2011, Jeter rocketed to the top position, ahead of NFL legend Peyton Manning. On the women's side, Serena Williams continued her dominant run for the fourth time after previous wins in 2010, 2009 and 2007.

Derek Jeter only finished first in the East. Baby boomers (ages 47 to 65) voted for him in droves. Overall, he secured enough votes to rank ahead of Manning. Since 2004, Jeter has ranked in the Top 10 every year for the nationwide public opinion sports survey.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams recently called it quits after a glittering career that spanned 24 years, including 23 Grand Slam titles. She was one shy of the all-time record held by fellow American Margaret Court. The 41-year-old also held the World No.1 ranking for 319 weeks during her career. She was followed by sister Venus Williams and Danica Patrick in the women’s list for the third year in a row.

Derek Jeter sends heartfelt message to Williams following her “retirement”

2022 US Open - Day 5

In early August, Williams announced that she would be "evolving away" from tennis after the US Open. The American overcame World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit in the second round, but was halted by Ajla Tomljanović soon after.

Jeter was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in September 2021

Derek Jeter was one of the many to pay tribute to her glorious career, with a sweet message for the six-time US Open winner. In a tweet, he said:

"It’s been a joy watching greatness! Congrats Serena!"

The MLB legend was recently invited to Yankee Stadium to honor his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Jeter also threw a ceremonial first pitch before the Yankees' game against the Tampa Bay Rays in an AL East fixture.

He is the Yankees' all-time career leader in hits (3,465), doubles (544), games played (2,747) and was a five-time World Series champion with the franchise. The 14-time All Star made his debut in 1995. He went on to become one of the greatest players in the league's history.