“Why is Federer ahead of Novak?” – Netizens surprised as Roger Federer pips Novak Djokovic in ESPN’s list of best athletes this century

Additionally, only four other tennis players have made it the now infamous list.

“Why is Federer ahead of Novak?” – Netizens surprised as Roger Federer pips Novak Djokovic in ESPN’s list of best athletes this century

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic (Via Imago)

ESPN’s latest list of the 100 best athletes since the 2000s was quick to spark controversy, as fans did not agree with many of the rankings. The US-based sports broadcasting company rubbed tennis fans the wrong way with these rankings.

Serena Williams was ranked above all other tennis players and Roger Federer was the highest-ranked Big Three member. Federer has fewer Grand Slam titles than both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic and also has the lowest win percentage among the three. Naturally, this has upset some who have now taken to social media to express their dissatisfaction.

Djokovic supporters seem upset that their idol did not get the recognition he deserves despite his historic achievements. They slammed the list and emphasized that Djokovic is the better player while providing data that indicated why they think so. 

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Others stood by ESPN for their decision to put Federer ahead of Djokovic and Nadal, saying he had more to offer to the sport both on and off the court. However, there were fewer of these positive comments compared to the wave of negative ones that hit ESPN.

Additionally, only six tennis players made the list: Serena Williams at 2, Roger Federer at 6, Novak Djokovic at 11, Rafael Nadal at 12, Andy Murray at 80, and Venus Williams at 86.

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Roger Federer ranked above Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in ESPN’s list of Top 100 Athletes despite winning fewer Grand Slams
Rafael Nadal(L) Roger Feder(M), Novak Djokovic(R)

Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic: A comparison of careers 

As the heated debate about ESPN’s list continues, one can dig deep into the archives and see what separates the two great champions. They have both had glorious careers, with Federer’s starting and ending before his Serbian competitor’s. 

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic (via Imago)

Federer amassed a staggering 103 tour-level titles and is second only to Jimmy Connors in this regard. Of these, 20 are Grand Slam titles – 8 Wimbledons, 6 Australian Open, 5 US Open and 1 French Open titles. He also has 6 ATP Tour Finals and 28 ATP Masters titles under his belt. 

Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, overtook Federer to become the player with the most weeks spent as world no.1. He leads all male players in Grand Slam and ATP Masters titles, having won 24 and 40 of those, respectively.

Nole is the only player to have won all nine Masters 1000 events and has conquered each of them at least twice. He trails Federer in the total number of titles won with 98 trophies in his cabinet. However, this may change as he is still in contention for the biggest titles while Federer has been retired for almost two years now.

Djokovic leads Federer 27-23 in their overall head-to-head matchup despite having lost his first 14 matches against the Maestro. In terms of earnings, Djokovic leads every player in history for prize money, but Federer is worth more on the back of his great investments and also his popularity. Neither of them has a gold in Olympics singles, an area where Rafael Nadal outshines them both.

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