Sports stars are celebrated by millions of fans across the world from all walks of life. But who do the stars themselves adore?
The obvious answer is family and friends. And there are some others as well – their pets.
Many athletes have pets who are mini-celebrities in their own right, with a sizeable following on social media.
Below are pictures of athletes with pets they own or have owned over the years.
Let's start with Lewis Hamilton's considerably famous dogs Roscoe and Coco
Here's Virat Kohli with Bruno
Lionel Messi's pet Hulk is simply adorable
NFL megastar Tom Brady's big family includes many dogs, including Lua
Serena Williams with the super cute Chip
KL Rahul's Simba is arguably the most famous celebrity pet in India
Alexis Sanchez has two dogs - Atom and Humber
Here is tennis player Bianca Andreescu with the lovely Coco.
NBA star Steph Curry's amazing pets are named Reza and Rookie
Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja is an accomplished rider
Neymar and his beautiful retrievers
Swimming great Michael Phelps and his two beauties
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya and his cute dogs
