It doesn't seem like it would be that hard for professional athletes to find romantic companions. Sure, they spend a fair amount of time on the road, but they are also recognizable public figures whose fame and wealth make them rather eligible. The pairing of a high profile athlete with a stunning model or actress has become almost cliche in its regularity.

But what might make all the hopelessly love-seeking singles out there feel a little better is that even athletes can't always hit a home run when it comes to finding Mr. or Mrs. Right. You hear the stories of Tom Brady's A-list marriage to Gisele Bunchden or Derek Jeter's glamorous playboy lifestyle, but what you don't hear are the tales of sports stars who have struggled to find love while sticking to their beliefs and values or athletes getting the heave ho from partners who can't keep up with their career-driven globe-trotting lifestyle.

Of course, there are also those who have stayed single through their own doing. Just because we haven't heard about one particular girlfriend or boyfriend attached to a particular sportster doesn't mean that that athlete hasn't simply enjoyed playing the field and not settling down. For all we know, they might well have a significant other that they've managed to keep out of the public eye. Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, here are the stories behind the top 10 athletes who seem like they've been single forever.

10 10. Joey Votto

Any ladies in the market for a strapping baseball slugger considered one of the classier gentlemen in the sport who will make just under $200 million over the next eight years? Apparently his professional life has brought more success than his personal life, as the Cincinnati Reds first baseman continues on as an eligible bachelor and remains seldom recognized outside of Cincinnati. He was once linked to a dental hygienist named Jeanne Paulus, but flame appears to have flickered out and despite bearing a contract through 2024, the strong, silent Votto remains a free agent on the dating scene.

9 9. Tyler Seguin

Hockey star Tyler Seguin has reveled in the celebrity lifestyle that comes with being the No. 2 overall pick and a budding superstar with the Dallas Stars, hobnobbing with A-list athletes like Derek Jeter, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. In fact, his hard-partying lifestyle is reportedly a big part of what got him shipped out of Boston in 2013. That lifestyle has reportedly included trysts with numerous female companions, most notably Playboy Playmate Ciara Price. Despite the romantic flings, Seguin has continued to hold firm to his bachelor status.

8 8. Robinson Cano

Don't pity Seattle Mariners star second baseman Robinson Cano for his place on this list. Cano doesn't seem to be short on female companionship, being featured in a number of photos that show him arm in arm with a slew of lovely ladies. But you'd be hard-pressed to find any actual information on any of these women, including whether they've forged any meaningful link to the Dominican-born baseball talent. The closest that he's gotten to addressing the matter, it seems, was a 2013 Tweet in which Cano replied to one of his follower's queries about whether he had a girlfriend with a terse, "No I don't".

7 7. Jeremy Lin

Rare is the NBA player who has rejected a Kim Kardashian advance, but even casual basketball fans have come to understand that Jeremy Lin isn't exactly the conventional baller. The Harvard-educated, devoutly Christian Lin, who famously lived on his friend's couch to begin his NBA career, admits that he has remained single for much of his life as a pro. Unlike many other players, Lin isn't looking for an easy, convenient hook-up but rather more of a soul mate-type, making his pursuit of love a little more complicated. As for Kardashian, her reps deny any interest but 2012 reports circulated that Kim K was hot for some Linsanity.

6 6. Usain Bolt

It's somewhat ironic that the fastest man in the world has had trouble chasing down a loving partnership. Back in 2012, Usain Bolt was reportedly so smitten with British office worker Megan Edwards, whom he met during the London Games, that he flew her to Jamaica to meet his family. However, Edwards opted to call it quits with the Olympic champion soon thereafter, feeling that their distance and his globe-trotting lifestyle would place too great a strain on their relationship. Bolt hasn't given his heart to anyone since, although the Olympic Games are in Rio de Janeiro this year...

5 5. Rob Gronkowski

Reports have circulated that New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has, indeed, settled down with former Patriot cheerleader Camille Kostek. But it remains dubious given the still-regular proliferation of shirtless pics alongside an array of buxom bombshells from the hard-partying bachelor. Sure, Kostek is one of the beauties that Gronk has been captured alongside in Twitter and Instagram pics, but she is far from the only one. When it comes to Gronk settling down as a one-woman man, I'll believe it when I see it.

4 4. Lolo Jones

While some people lean on relationship columnists or advisers for their dating advice, US sprinter Lolo Jones calls upon a higher power for help in the world of romance. A devout Christian, Jones has dedicated herself to celibacy before marriage and even enlists the help of God to guide her in her romantic pursuits. In a 2015 post on her Instagram account, she recalled a conversation with her lord about a failed relationship with a man, with God informing her that "he wasn't a gentleman". Because of Jones' beliefs, she remains one of the most famous virgins.

3 3. Jesse Palmer

The star of the fifth season of "The Bachelor", the dating game didn't work out much better for former NFL quarterback Jesse Palmer than his brief pro football career did. The career backup spent four years behind starter Kerry Collins on the New York Giants' depth chart before getting released, at which time he joined the ABC reality show. While one would think that a charming, good looking athlete would do well on the show, Palmer didn't do himself any favors by forgetting the name of one female contestant during a rose ceremony before ending things with eventual winner Jessica Bowlin just months after the show ended.

2 2. Ronda Rousey 

It takes a certain kind of man to keep up with the ass-kicking, dynamic, pop culture darling lifestyle of MMA superstar Ronda Rousey. But for as much as the recent Saturday Night Live host has not shied from the spotlight, Rousey has largely kept her private life just that. That is, until fellow MMA fighter Travis Browne spilled the beans that the two were an item. This partnership comes with its own problems, however, in light of allegations of domestic abuse against Browne by his estranged wife. If Browne has snapped Rousey's single streak like Holly Holm ended her unbeaten streak in November, he could pay dearly for trying to lay a finger on his new beau.

1 1. Tim Tebow

It can't be easy being a widely recognized professional athlete looking for love while remaining committed to a vow of abstinence. This has already proven challenging for Tim Tebow after he was publicly kicked to the curb by former Miss USA Olivia Culpo, reportedly after she grew tired of his unwillingness to shack up in the bedroom. Culpo has supposedly moved onto Nick Jonas, while poor Tebow continues his lonely pursuit of pious love.