Pro Athletes With Awe-Inspiring Homes

Every little kid that's ever kicked a soccer ball around has probably thought about what it'd be like to be a pro athlete someday. And for some little kids, those dreams come true — and they make bank when it happens. It's no secret that pro athletes can command a hefty sum, but the amount of money that some sports stars make is frankly jaw-dropping: Lionel Messi, the superstar soccer player, earned approximately $130 million for 2021 – which is but a pittance compared to 33-year-old MMA fighter Conor McGregor's earnings of $180 million, per Forbes.

So let's be real for a sec. What do you do with all that money? And where would you go to escape the roar of the crowd and unwind? If you're a high-earning pro athlete, the likelihood is you'd solve both of these problems with one solution: a house unlike any other. Here at House Digest, we're taking a look at some pro athletes' homes that are truly in a league of their own.

Arguably the greatest tennis player of all time, Serena Williams has never done things by halves. This is as true for her tennis game as it is for her house, a stunning 14,500-square-foot home located just north of Miami, and a stone's (or tennis ball's) throw away from the homes of sister Venus Williams and their parents, according to Architectural Digest. The Spanish Mediterranean-style home is the picture of minimalist elegance. The entrance, with its 28-foot windows, leads into a light, airy space with wooden floors that contrast with the ultra-white walls. You'll also find a gorgeous, white-tiled bathroom with gold accents, marble walls, and a shower big enough to play a few points in.

The house caters to both adults and kids alike: Serena's daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., has a room with a custom-made castle bed, decked out with a slide — "We're thinking, Man, we shouldn't have done that, because now at bedtime, she just wants to slide," says Serena — while adults can enjoy the gallery space, showcasing the tennis player's love of modern art. The true showstopper, however, is the outdoor space, with a deck framing a beautiful pool, looking out onto the Florida water. A space fit for a star, indeed!

There are pro-athlete homes, and then there's Stephen Curry's home. In 2019, the pro basketball player dropped $31 million on a three-story mansion in the Bay Area of Atherton, California, according to Dirt. Built new by developer Joe Comartin, the palatial property sits on a 1.2-acre lot and comes complete with a guesthouse and a three-car garage; it also sits snugly at the end of a private cul-de-sac so Steph and his wife, Ayesha Curry, can enjoy the peace and quiet.

The house, built in a super-modern villa style, embraces open-plan living within, with abundant windows lighting up the already bright space, as seen on Studio Green's website. A sitting space with a trendy modern fireplace feels cozy and plush, with a dining nook overlooking the outside world. Indoor-outdoor eating space connects to the extensive outside spaces that the property has, which are lined by high trees to keep the adoring fans out. And what an outside space it is: Around from a sprawling courtyard space with loads of greenery, a pool stretches out from the house, lined by sun loungers and with a separate cabana.

Would you expect A-Rod to play it safe with his home? We didn't think so — and having spent $32.5 million on a 10 bedroom, 12 bathroom Miami mansion in 2020, per House Beautiful, it was go big or go home (or, go big and go home ... you know what we mean) for the former baseball pro. The house, purchased with now-ex Jennifer Lopez, extends over 14,700 square feet in a Mediterranean style with an ornate, classical feel within. The master suite contains its very own piano (naturally), sitting space, and a bathroom area that has a fully enclosed, two-level marble shower. Outside, the infinity pool leads onto a 100-foot dock, with incredible views of the bay from the Star Island location.

While most people would be content with just one luxury property, the former couple didn't stop there. Rodriguez and Lopez have also owned an $8 million home in Malibu, a $17.5 million condo in New York, and a comparatively teeny $1.4 home in Encino, California, according to House Beautiful. Now that the couple has called it quits, we volunteer to house-sit any properties while they figure out what to do with them.

Eugenie Bouchard's tennis career has seen some glittering heights, and so does her Miami penthouse, an incredible property located on South Beach with city skyline views, shown in the National Post. The two-bedroom property is part of a unique venture focusing on sustainable living with a luxury feel, something that Bouchard clearly resonates with. "As an athlete, it was extremely important for me to find a place that was aligned with the way I live and want to continue living my life," she said of her Florida pad. "The natural aesthetic blends seamlessly into the health-inspired atmosphere."

It certainly looks the case, with the 1,815-square-foot property favoring natural color tones and splashes of green throughout. The master bathroom, with elegant, subtle wooden beams, has a spa feel, with a huge shower at the end of the space rimmed by gentle recessed lighting. The living space, designed (as with the rest of the property) by Debora Aguiar, contrasts tiled flooring with comfortable plush furniture, and recessed lighting in the shelving creating a cozy feel. And the master bedroom comes complete with not only sitting space but also a balcony, for Bouchard to take a breather after a long day of work on the court.

Wait, Floyd Mayweather bought a sweet house? Who'd have thought? In August 2021, the boxing superstar added to his already impressive property portfolio by purchasing an $18 million mansion in Palm Island, Miami, with almost 11,000 square feet of space and coming with its own private dock, as the Los Angeles Times reports. With nine bedrooms and 10.5 bathrooms, there's more than enough space for the sports icon to spread out, with a game room and movie theater to unwind and, naturally, a gym.

Inside the property, a grand hall with a winding staircase gives way to an all-white kitchen, with a double fridge and impressive central island. The master bedroom is the size of most luxury condos, with a full-length balcony flanking it, and an adjoining bathroom with a freestanding tub and dressing area. There is, as is the fashion for pro athlete homes, an enormous pool with ample seating and outdoor dining space nearby to enjoy the Miami weather. And for when Mayweather needs a little fresh air, he's able to step out onto the 5,000-square-foot rooftop deck.

As one of the highest-earning soccer players ever, Lionel Messi needed something to do with his cash. And he certainly found something, by spending $7 million on a mansion just south of Barcelona — the athlete's long-time home — in the coastal town of Castelldefels, according to Architectural Digest Italy. The home marries Mediterranean decor with a view of the Med itself, with wooden tones running throughout in a casual, chic style. To complete the luxury, there's a swimming pool and spa, a home theater, and a gym.

Messi has more tricks up his sleeve when it comes to property, though — and one of his other homes will take your breath away. The world-class footballer is the owner is a specially-designed "One-Zero Eco-House," an eco-conscious home created exclusively for Messi that the architect Luis de Garrido says "is self-sufficient in energy, water and food," according to an interview with Design Trends. The home, which cost almost €3.5 million to create and spans well over 1000 square meters, is designed with the mindset that theoretically it could exist in a self-sufficient state forever. This is luxury living we can get behind.

No one does it like Simone Biles, and the same is as true for her gymnastics as it is for her property. When the all-time great isn't slaying the competition, she's relaxing in a 3,900 square foot property in Houston, Texas, which she bought during 2020, according to the Houston Chronicle. The home has everything Biles needs to enjoy her downtime. "I have a media room, and I'm adding a pool," she said shortly after purchase. "I just got the specs back for that, and I think they might start next week. It also has a dog wash station for my puppies."

What Biles' house has in addition to all that is style in spades. The home is all clean lines and modern architecture, with the exterior favoring a natural color palette of greys and slates, and the poolside seating embracing modern industrial themes, as seen in an Instagram post of Biles and her dogs. Elsewhere, Biles gave us a glimpse of her enormous pool, which is framed by greenery and has the customary stylish sun loungers adjacent to it, which you can see in a cute Instagram snap with her partner Jonathan Owens.

A big star like Tom Brady needs a big house to boot. And luckily for him, he's found it by dropping some of his $350 million NFL earnings on a $17 million home in Indian Creek, Miami, Florida, according to Forbes. The neighborhood, nicknamed "Billionaire's Bunker" for its other noteworthy residents, houses just a few other dozen people, giving Brady and partner, Gisele Bünchen, the privacy that only a world-class athlete and a world-famous supermodel know the true value of.

The couple plans to tear down the property and rebuild from scratch, and a view into their formerly rented home gives us an idea of their potential ideas for the new place. The 22,000 square foot property that Brady and Bünchen previously rented from Derek Jeter had seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms, a club room with a full bar and pool table, an 80-foot pool, and a home theater, as seen in Sarasota Magazine. The castle-like property paired white furnishings with dark walls and floors, and has ceilings that even Brady would struggle to hit with a football throw. The Tampa home also boasted astonishing views of the bay.

When NFL mainstay Aaron Donald selected his home, he went all-out. His $4.7 million Calabasas mansion is the stuff property dreams are made of, nestled in the hills and stretching over a decidedly modest 7,036 square feet of space, says Dirt. Despite the comparatively snug size of the home (well, snug for a pro athlete, anyway), the interiors are impeccably styled, with modernity meeting a sense of timelessness, pairing antique-looking furniture with modern touches like smart home features that can be operated from Donald's cell phone.

The home is also packed with unique style touches: The huge master suite contains a chaise lounge, as well as a fireplace situated right in the center of the room, splitting the space up. Downstairs, a great room incorporates the family room, games room, and kitchen, containing two islands that double as eating areas. The star feature of the home, though (apart from the view out into untarnished greenery, and the basketball court, and literally everything else) is the patio space adjoining the pool, where Donald and his young family are sure to spend the long L.A. summer days.

Alpine skiing sensation Lindsey Vonn's home eschews the glitz and glamor of many pro-athlete properties with an idyllic suburban feel, while still located in the razzle-dazzle of Beverly Hills, per the New York Post. The private-feeling house, which cost a not-insignificant $3.4 million, was bought in early 2021 by Vonn, and features three bedrooms and four bathrooms over 3,420 square feet. What's notable about the property, though, is how utterly gorgeous the interiors are: The open-plan aesthetic and broad hallways open up into a kitchen that almost makes us cry it's so beautiful, with white marble countertops, white cupboards with gold pulls, and statement pendant lighting in gold effect.

Elsewhere, the class continues, with the sitting room feeling cozy and designed to live in, while still containing statement features like a huge white marble fireplace. Dotted through the home is unique artwork, highlighting Vonn's love for creativity. Outside, Vonn has filled the patio area surrounding the pool with white-and-pink furniture, including a day bed on the lawn that's perfect for lounging in. The inside and outside spaces are connected by fashionable black-framed doors, allowing plenty of air and light to come into the property.

As one of the most stylish players on the tennis court, it's little surprise that Maria Sharapova's house would be similarly chic. Her three-story home, located in Los Angeles, is deeply inspired by Japanese design principles and aesthetics, according to Architectural Digest. A house tour given by Sharapova for Architectural Digest's YouTube shows how much she has truly embraced minimal living. "For me, uncluttered means healthy. If you don't use something, you don't need it," she says of the classy space's feel, which combines open spaces with industrial design to create a timeless effect.

Downstairs, there's a gorgeous great room, combining a dining area and a sitting room that leads out to the patio, for true indoor-outdoor living. The space, designed in muted tones and different colored woods, has a window seat where Sharapova can sit and enjoy the views over Malibu. 

Despite the elegant aesthetic, "there's nothing formal about this house," Sharapova states. This is embodied not just by the comfortable furnishings and warm feel, but the unique features: Just wait until Sharapova shows you the bowling alley, adjoined by a frankly enormous sofa, where she can entertain her guests.

Baller Jordan Clarkson's Sherman Oaks home is pretty special. The former Lakers star bought the home situated in a gated estate in 2020, spending $5.8 million for the six bedroom, eight bathroom house with 8,000 square feet of space, says Dirt. The modern farmhouse aesthetic gives the exterior of the home a welcoming feel, with the buildings on the half-acre of land (the main house and the poolhouse) collected around the large swimming pool. Patio space and furniture give guests a place to relax, and the floor-to-ceiling windows on both the lower and upper levels allow the inside to remain bright.

Inside the home, the two-level sitting area is overlooked by a corridor with a balcony leading through the upstairs spaces, and contains a stunning glass-enclosed wine rack next to the comfy sofa. A wooden "floating" staircase, lit with strip recess lighting, leads upstairs, to the large master suite complete with balcony and sitting area. In the master bathroom, white and black effects contrast with the white textured marble in the shower, making a clean yet fashionable space that's completed by a freestanding tub. And — of course! — there's a basketball court.

One look at Gus Kenworthy's West Hollywood home will tell you how stylish the freestyle skier is. The condo, purchased in May 2018 for $1.6 million, per Architectural Digest, tucks an impressive three bedrooms and two levels into its 1,600 square feet of space — and feels frankly much bigger than its floor size thanks to the super-high ceilings. The immediate impact of the living space, with its white furniture and adjoining kitchen in white and gold, is made all the more impressive by the multiple artworks on display; that includes a portrait of Kenworthy's adorable dog Beemo, who died in 2018 after being rescued by Kenworthy during the Winter Olympics in South Korea.

In the rest of the home, Kenworthy makes further individual style choices. His bedroom, in line with the sleek aesthetic, has black walls offset by a deep green sofa, and a huge square mirror. The most incredible feature, though, has to be the roof deck, an almost 1,500-square-foot space over two stories with a fire pit and a fully equipped kitchen, which according to Architectural Digest is Kenworthy's favorite space in the home. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for any house hunters), Kenworthy's not sticking around: He listed the property in March 2021 for $2.25 million.

Basketball star Candace Parker knows a thing or two about putting on a show, and her Tarzana home does exactly the same. The $4 million modern farmhouse property is set on a half-acre of land and offers 6,300 square feet of space, with five bedrooms and a generous seven bathrooms, according to Dirt. Inside, the home is visually stunning. The great room, incorporating a dining area, a bar, and living space, is a feast for the eyes with wooden floors, white walls, black cabinets, and gold beams over the dining table, and opens directly out onto the pool area and backyard.

Upstairs, there's an attic-style master bedroom, the slanted beams creating a welcoming feel, with a fireplace, seating area, and mini aquarium. In the master bath, white marble and black details are lit by a totally unique overhead ring light, a lighting feature that recurs through the house, including in Parker's enormous walk-in closet. It's the outdoors which takes the breath away, though: In addition to the basketball court where Parker can practice, the pool comes with a separate pool house, with a spa within and a bar and barbecue space outside.