Novak Djokovic may have won the statistical fight to be crowned the best tennis player of all time, but he has been relegated to third place on the current ESPN list of the top 100 sports idols of all time.
Serena Williams is the highest-ranked tennis player on the list, with her significant effect earning her a lofty second place behind contentious No. 1 choice, swimmer Michael Phelps.
Williams’ influence extends far beyond the tennis court, motivating subsequent generations to follow in her footsteps.
Sloane Stephens and Coco Gauff are among the Grand Slam champions who have cited Serena and her sister Venus Williams as inspirations, and tennis has been blessed to have a legend of her stature in our sport for so many years.
The ESPN rating of male tennis players is sure to generate discussion, with Roger Federer far ahead of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic despite earning fewer Grand Slam championships than his two main opponents.
Djokovic’s 24 major victories and record amount of weeks as world number one put him in a league of his own against Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.However, Djokovic remains comfortably behind Federer on ESPN’s list of the finest 100 sportsmen of all time, with the Swiss great at No. 6 and the Serbian hero at No. 11.
The release of this poll may reignite the argument about who should be considered the best male player of all time.
However, because to the effect of Djokovic’s two great opponents, some analysts rate them ahead of the Serbian great, and Federer has won the battle in the ESPN rankings.
Federer’s No. 6 ranking in the top 100 puts him five places ahead of Djokovic, as well as ahead of golfing legend Tiger Woods and sprinting great Usain Bolt.
Polls that show Federer ahead of Djokovic irritate fanatical fans of Serbia’s reigning US Open winner, but the argument will be that the Swiss great created the groundwork for the sport to progress.
“His impact, legacy, and mark that he left behind will remain forever,” added Djokovic, who will compete in the Laver Cup alongside Federer in 2022. “His legacy will endure for many decades and generations to come.
“He has not only accomplished so much on the court, but he has encouraged countless young players to pick up a racquet. So many elite players are now talking about Roger, who was their idol. That’s amazing; it demonstrates his excellence.”
They were nice sentiments from a player who appears to be on track to finish his career with the most major championships, despite the fact that his winning days seemed to be approaching to an end following a tough 2024 that included a crushing defeat against Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.
Nadal is ranked one spot below Djokovic on the ESPN list, and his record of 14 French Open victories is one of the greatest achievements in any sport Andy Murray of Britain enters the ESPN top 100 at No. 80, despite the fact that he emerged at a period when Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic were at their peak.
Venus Williams is ranked No. 86, with the dominance of American athletes impacting some of the choices made by the US broadcaster.
Among ESPN’s top 100 athletes, Michael Phelps (swimming) ranks first.
2. Serena Williams (tennis).
3. Lionel Messi (football).
4. Lebron James (basketball).
5. Tom Brady (American football).
6. Roger Federer (tennis).
7. Simone Biles – Gymnastics
8. Tiger Woods (golf)
9. Usain Bolt (Athletics).
10. Kobe Bryant (basketball
11. Novak Djokovic (tennis).
12. Rafael Nadal (tennis).
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