On Thursday, ESPN released the list of the top 100 athletes of the 21st Century which received mixed reactions from the audience. While the American swimmer and most decorated Olympian of all time Michael Phelps topped the list, American tennis legend Serena Williams occupied the second spot. Williams’ position invited scrutiny from fans as they didn’t seem to agree with the ranking allotted to her.
While Williams is considered one of the greatest names in the tennis world, her being ranked above the Big 3 didn’t sit well with the fans. Roger Federer took the 6th spot, and Djokovic and Nadal were ranked 11th and 12th respectively.
Fans believe Williams shouldn’t be placed ahead of the Big 3 and that Djokovic deserves a much better ranking than 11th. While Williams is considered to be the most successful player in the history of women’s tennis, placing her higher than tennis greats like Roger Federer and even Djokovic and Nadal did not sit well with the fans.
ESPN’s list of the top 100 athletes of the 21st Century.
These are the six tennis players that made the list:
2. Serena Williams
6. Roger Federer
11. Novak Djokovic
12. Rafa Nadal
80. Andy Murray
86. Venus Williams
Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/qDyd899lt2
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 18, 2024
Reacting to the list, fans expressed their disappointment over the list. While one wrote, “Serena is certainly not better than any of the big 3,” another one said, “I’m confused at how Serena made it above Roger, Nadal and Novak?”
A fan even questioned the criteria for allotting these rankings as he wrote, “Please define criteria ‘top’?”
Venus Williams Placed at 86, Below Andy Murray
Another shock in the list was the placement of Venus Williams at 86, below Andy Murray, who was placed at 80. According to many fans, Venus should have been placed much higher, at least in the top 50.
Venus has 7 grand slam titles in the women’s singles category, 14 titles in the women’s doubles category, and 2 titles in the mixed doubles category. She also has an Olympic gold medal to her name in singles and 3 Olympic gold medals in women’s doubles. On the contrary, Andy has 3 grand slam titles and 2 Olympic gold medals in the men’s singles category.
This ranking raised several questions about the credibility of ESPN. 8 athletes in the top 10 belong to the USA, indicating that they could be biased and more American in their choices. This can invite criticism from viewers and readers, as readers visit the site from across the globe and hence, the bias towards the USA can harm their trust in the rankings and the organization.
