<p>This editorial introduces a special issue on athletes’ human rights, which takes a broad view of athletes as multifarious rightsholders under European and international human rights law. It discusses the potential human rights implications of three overlapping dimensions of athletes’ status: as workers, as politicised citizens and as private individuals. The editorial also sets out a research agenda calling for combining doctrinal engagement with human rights law in the context of sports governance with a commitment to socio-legal approaches that pay attention to athletes’ experiences and mobilisation strategies. By situating the contributions to this special issue within this broader agenda, we argue that a lasting shift of attention towards the impact and relevance of human rights in transnational sports law and governance is necessary and already under way, putting athletes and their rights at the forefront of this transformation.</p>