ESPN have made some bold claims as they enter the debate over who is the best tennis player in recent history.
Tennis fans have constantly weighed with their opinions on who the greatest tennis player of all time is, with the ‘big three’ of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, generally assuming their positions in the top three.
The trio hold 66 major singles titles between them with Djokovic leading the line on 24.
Furious fans criticised ESPN’s top 100 athletes list, with outrage circulating around after Venus Williams was placed six places behind Andy Murray despite the American having amassed a larger trophy haul during her career.
Despite this backlash, ESPN have tried their luck again, this time ranking the top 10 male tennis players of the 21st century, with 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz already placed ahead of some true tennis icons.
ESPN have their say on the tennis GOAT debate
Along with the ‘big three’, ESPN’s list features American stars Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, and Andy Roddick, who are placed fifth, seventh, and eighth respectively.
Federer has secured first place, with the Swiss maestro narrowly edging out Djokovic who is resigned to second.
Spain’s Alcaraz has leapt to further stardom this summer after securing his first French Open title and retaining his Wimbledon crown from 2023.
In a call that might ruffle a few feathers, Alcaraz sits in sixth ahead of Sampras, despite the American having 10 more major singles titles to his name.
With the only plausible explanation here being the fact that Sampras only won two out of his 14 singles titles in the 21st century compared to Alcaraz’s four, the outraged cries at ESPN’s lists won’t go away in a hurry.
What has Carlos Alcaraz achieved so far in his career?
Following his first major win at the 2022 US Open, the then 19-year-old Alcaraz became the youngest man and the first male teenager in the Open Era to top the singles rankings.
His consecutive Wimbledon titles have both come against Djokovic with the Serb frustrated not to expand his grand slam trophy collection and break Margaret Court’s record 24 major singles titles.
Still just 21-years-old, Alcaraz boasts one of the finest, most varied array of shots on the tour, with an unforgiving forehand, as well as some of the most delicate hands going.
Despite there being a handful of ‘dark horses’ eyeing up Olympic gold, the four-time major winner is certainly heading in the red-hot favourite, while fans can also prepare to watch the past and future of Spanish tennis unite, as he partners Nadal in the doubles.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
