Novak Djokovic may have won the statistical battle to be hailed as the greatest tennis player of all-time, but he has been demoted behind two other players from his sport in the latest ESPN list ranking the top 100 sporting icons of all-time.
Serena Williams is the highest-ranked tennis player on the list, with the huge impact she has made earning her a lofty position of No 2 behind controversial No 1 choice, swimmer Michael Phelps.
Williams’ legacy stretches well beyond the tennis court, with the legacy she created inspiring the generations that have followed her lead.
Sloane Stephens and Coco Gauff are among the Grand Slam champions who credited Serena and her sister Venus Williams as their inspiration, with tennis fortunate to have a legend of her magnitude in our sport for so long.
The ranking of male tennis players in the ESPN list is certain to spark a debate, with Roger Federer well ahead of Rafael Nadal and Djokovic despite winning less Grand Slam titles than his two great rivals.
Djokovic’s 24 major wins and his record number of weeks as world No 1 puts him in a league of his own in his battle with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Yet Djokovic finds himself comfortably behind Federer in the ESPN list ranking the best 100 athletes of all time, with the Swiss great at No 6 and the Serbian hero at No 11.
The debate over who should be hailed as the greatest male player of all-time may be sparked once again by the release of this poll.
Yet the impact made by Djokovic’s two great rivals still sees some observers rank them ahead of the Serbian great and Federer has won the battle in the ESPN list.
Federer’s position at No 6 in the top 100 puts him five places ahead of Djokovic in the list, with the Swiss tennis great placed ahead of golfing icon Tiger Woods and athletics great Usain Bolt.
Polls that place Federer ahead of Djokovic tend to infuriate the passionate supporters of Serbia’s reigning US Open champion, but the argument will be that the Swiss star laid the foundations to take the sport to the next level.
“His footprint, his legacy, his mark that he left behind is going to live forever,” said Djokovic, as he played in the same team as Federer at the Laver Cup in 2022. “His legacy is going to be there for many many decades and generations to follow.
“He has not only achieved so much on the court but he has inspired so many young players to take a racquet in their hand. You have so many top players now talking about it, Roger was their idol. That’s great, that speaks of his greatness.”
They were gracious words from a player who looks set to end his career with the most major titles, even though it appears his winning days may be coming to an end after a challenging 2024 continued with his thumping defeat against Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.
Nadal is positioned one place behind Djokovic in the ESPN list, with his record of winning 14 French Open titles one of the great achievements in any sport.
Britain’s Andy Murray also makes the ESPN top 100 at No 80, with the Scot unfortunate to have emerged at a time when Federer, Nadal and Djokovic were at their brilliant best.
Venus Williams is included at No 86, with the dominance of American athletes influencing some of the selections by the US-based broadcaster.
ESPN TOP 100 ATHLETES OF ALL-TIME
1. Michael Phelps (Swimming)
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)
