Tennis fans have voiced their frustration with where Venus Williams was placed on a list compiled by ESPN compared to Andy Murray.
ESPN released their top 100 list of athletes in the 21st century. There have been plenty of athletes who have achieved period of success during this time.
This is across a wide range of sports and in the positions from 100 to 51, Murray and the elder Williams sister are the only two tennis players that made the list.
But their positions have fuelled some strong reactions from beloved tennis fans who made their feelings known on social media platform X.
What have fans said about Andy Murray and Venus Williams’ ESPN rankings?
After ESPN released the first half of their rankings, there was plenty of scrutiny on where the athletes were placed.
Williams was placed at 86, while Murray landed at position 80, which left some bemused that the 2012 and 2016 Olympic champion was placed above the seven-time Grand Slam winner.
X user @mlungisi_prince wrote: “Venus Williams should not be at 86, certainly not below Andy Murray, while @kyahibataubro posted: “Andy Murray was ranked higher than Venus Williams lmao.”
@iforgotohwait added: “How’s Andy Murray more impactful than Venus Williams? This list is gonna just make everyone mad,” and @Elisexnl tweeted: “Venus Williams has 7 slams, Andy Murray 3, but Andy is higher on the list.”
What are Andy Murray and Venus Williams biggest career achievements?
Murray and Williams are certainly two of tennis’ greatest players who have impacted the sport in different ways. Williams is a five-time Wimbledon champion and is also a two-time US Open winner.
She is level with Kathleen McKane Godfree for the most Olympic medals won by a tennis player in history and is the first player in the Open Era to win an Olympic medal in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
Her longevity is unparalleled, as she holds the record for the most appearances in Grand Slam singles draws with 93. She was incredibly influential alongside sister Serena Williams with whom she won multiple Grand Slam doubles titles.
She also played a pivotal role in inspiring the next generation of athletes from ethnic minority backgrounds and was not afraid to express herself not only with her game but also her outfits on court.
Murray on the other hand, started to form a great legacy for British tennis when he became the first British man to win Wimbledon for 77 years.
He was part of a wonderful era of tennis with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in which he claimed three Grand Slams, an Olympic gold medal and claimed the World number one ranking.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
