Serena Williams ranked only second to Micheal Phillips in ESPN’s list of Top 100 Athletes since 2000

There are only six athletes representing tennis on ESPN's list.

Serena Williams ranked only second to Micheal Phillips in ESPN’s list of Top 100 Athletes since 2000

Serena Williams (via Imago)

ESPN, one of the world’s leading sports media platforms from the USA, has released its list of the top 100 athletes over the last 24 years. The names of prominent sports persons from numerous sports have graced this list. In what is an unquestionable decision, they have named the 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps as the best athlete of the millennium. 

However, in a more controversial position is Serena Williams, who is ranked second despite having fewer Grand Slam titles than Novak Djokovic and fewer titles than any member of the Big Three. She is much ahead of the next tennis player on the list, Roger Federer, who too is controversially placed ahead of Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, who are at the 11th and 12th positions, respectively. 

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It can be argued that Serena has had a bigger impact on the tennis world, especially for women and people of color, as has been highlighted often. She has also contributed outside the sporting fields, funding businesses owned by Black women. Her impactful acts may have swayed the prominent media company to rank her above all other tennis players.

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This decision is sure to spark some interesting debates as the Big Three have contributed to the game society in their own ways as well. The list mostly contains American athletes who play sports that are predominantly popular in the USA, which hints that their decisions may have been biased as well.

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Upon taking a closer look, the American broadcasting company’s list of top athletes seems to represent more Americans and American sports than they would like to admit. Even when athletes who play more globally prominent sports are listed, Americans seem to be given preference as Serena Williams trumps all other tennis giants.

Andy Murray, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer
L-R: Andy Murray, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer (Image Credit: FirstSportz)

There are only six athletes representing tennis on that 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. 

Several young athletes like Kylian Mbappe made it to the list, begging the question of why Carlos Alcaraz isn’t on it despite his unbelievable feats at just 21. As ESPN caters to millions in the US alone, the list may have been modified to cater to the interests of their largest audience.

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