Rafael Nadal has once again stirred the long-standing debate over the greatest tennis player of all time by excluding Roger Federer from his list of the top 10 athletes in history. Instead, the 22-time Grand Slam champion chose his other great rival, Novak Djokovic, to represent tennis among sporting legends.
Nadal's Top 10 Athletes List
In a video for Netflix Sports, Nadal was asked to name his ten greatest athletes of all time. His selections were: Michael Jordan, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Novak Djokovic, Muhammad Ali, Michael Schumacher, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Diego Maradona, and Pele. Notably absent was Federer, with whom Nadal shared one of the most iconic rivalries in sports history.
The Federer-Nadal Rivalry
Federer and Nadal produced what many consider the greatest tennis match ever played—the 2008 Wimbledon final, where Nadal defeated Federer in a rain-interrupted five-set thriller, ending the Swiss star's run of five consecutive titles at SW19. Despite this intense rivalry, Nadal opted to include Djokovic over Federer.
The Big Three's Dominance
Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal have collectively won 66 Grand Slam titles, earned over £350 million in prize money, and spent a combined 947 weeks as world No. 1. Federer was the pioneer, claiming his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2003 and later surpassing Pete Sampras's record of 14 major titles. He retired in 2022.
Djokovic's Continued Success
Djokovic now leads the men's Grand Slam race with 24 titles, followed by Nadal with 22 and Federer with 20. The Serbian also holds a record 40 Masters titles, an Olympic gold medal, and is the only player to complete a Triple Career Grand Slam. Unlike Federer and Nadal, who retired in 2022 and 2024 respectively, Djokovic continues to compete at the highest level, pursuing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title.
Nadal's list is likely to reignite the endless debate over who deserves the title of greatest men's tennis player of all time, with Federer's omission adding a new chapter to the storied rivalry.
