Is Nadal the greatest athlete in history?

clayqueen

clayqueen

Talk Tennis Guru
Is Nadal the greatest athlete in history?
His latest triumph puts him in a conversation with the greatest of all time



Rafael Nadal's 22nd Grand Slam victory means the Spaniard is no longer in discussion as just tennis' greatest star, but also as one the greatest athletes of all time.

It's impossible to name one person as the greatest given the long list of impressive names in the conversation, but let's take a look at some of the athletes that have set themselves apart from the rest and entered rarified sporting air.



Michael Jordan

Perhaps the most popular athlete of all-time, Jordan's impact with the Chicago Bulls made him a mega star across the world. Despite retiring over 20 years ago, he continues to leave his mark on the world of basketball.

Michael Phelps

The most decorated athlete of all time, his genius in the water saw him win an astonishing number of medals. Nadal's 14 Roland Garros titles may never be equalled, but the same can be said for Phelps' 23 Olympic golds.

Tiger Woods

Woods changed the world of golf, with his explosion onto the scene resulting in him becoming the highest paid athlete in the world. Having done things that nobody had seen before, injuries are all that prevented him from moving past Jack Nicklaus in terms of majors, though he still has time...

Usain Bolt

The fastest man in history with the charisma of a star. Few things were better than watching him set records in the 100 and 200 meters. Will anyone be able to beat them?

Tom Brady

From the 199th pick in the draft to the greatest quarterback of all time, Brady's career has been something out of a movie. With seven Super Bowl rings to his name, along with the most passing yards all time, it's hard to think someone will ever top him.


Mohamed Ali

An athlete who transcended sports, his anti-war sentiments and fight for civil rights was a jolt to American society. Owner of the heavyweight title for close to two decades, his fights remain the stuff of legends.

The fight over who is the greatest extends to other sports as well, with football fans unable to reach a consensus. Maradona or Pele? Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? It's a debate that will continue to rage on.

The same can be said when discussing other sports like cycling, Formula 1 or MotoGP. Eddy Merckx or Miguel Indurain? Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton? Valentino Rosso or Marc Marquez?

www.marca.com

Is Nadal the greatest athlete in history?

Rafael Nadal's 22nd Grand Slam victory means the Spaniard is no longer in discussion as just tennis' greatest star, but also as one the greatest athletes of all time. It's impossi
www.marca.com www.marca.com
 
Last edited:
clayqueen said:
Is Nadal the greatest athlete in history?
His latest triumph puts him in a conversation with the greatest of all time



Rafael Nadal's 22nd Grand Slam victory means the Spaniard is no longer in discussion as just tennis' greatest star, but also as one the greatest athletes of all time.

It's impossible to name one person as the greatest given the long list of impressive names in the conversation, but let's take a look at some of the athletes that have set themselves apart from the rest and entered rarified sporting air.



Michael Jordan

Perhaps the most popular athlete of all-time, Jordan's impact with the Chicago Bulls made him a mega star across the world. Despite retiring over 20 years ago, he continues to leave his mark on the world of basketball.

Michael Phelps

The most decorated athlete of all time, his genius in the water saw him win an astonishing number of medals. Nadal's 14 Roland Garros titles may never be equalled, but the same can be said for Phelps' 23 Olympic golds.

Tiger Woods

Woods changed the world of golf, with his explosion onto the scene resulting in him becoming the highest paid athlete in the world. Having done things that nobody had seen before, injuries are all that prevented him from moving past Jack Nicklaus in terms of majors, though he still has time...

Usain Bolt

The fastest man in history with the charisma of a star. Few things were better than watching him set records in the 100 and 200 meters. Will anyone be able to beat them?

Tom Brady

From the 199th pick in the draft to the greatest quarterback of all time, Brady's career has been something out of a movie. With seven Super Bowl rings to his name, along with the most passing yards all time, it's hard to think someone will ever top him.


Mohamed Ali

An athlete who transcended sports, his anti-war sentiments and fight for civil rights was a jolt to American society. Owner of the heavyweight title for close to two decades, his fights remain the stuff of legends.

The fight over who is the greatest extends to other sports as well, with football fans unable to reach a consensus. Maradona or Pele? Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? It's a debate that will continue to rage on.

The same can be said when discussing other sports like cycling, Formula 1 or MotoGP. Eddy Merckx or Miguel Indurain? Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton? Valentino Rosso or Marc Marquez?

www.marca.com

Is Nadal the greatest athlete in history?

Rafael Nadal's 22nd Grand Slam victory means the Spaniard is no longer in discussion as just tennis' greatest star, but also as one the greatest athletes of all time. It's impossi
www.marca.com www.marca.com
Click to expand...
Yes I was thinking this exact thing right after the FO final and I told most of my friends and all but one said yes they think he is in that tier! I am a firm believer he is!
 
Vicky_Nolefam said:
Usain Bolt is the Fastest Man alive @clayqueen, so he too has pushed the human limits of the body to the extreme limits.

IMO Bolt and Phelps are greater than Nadal, otherwise Nadal is as good as athlete form any sports I feel.

Maybe Ali, Tyson and some others too are special in some ways.

I would like to hear @Hitman 's views on this topic, comparing different extreme athletes across different sports.
Click to expand...
Lesnar takes them all to suplex city
 
Vicky_Nolefam said:
Usain Bolt is the Fastest Man alive @clayqueen, so he too has pushed the human limits of the body to the extreme limits.

IMO Bolt and Phelps are greater than Nadal, otherwise Nadal is as good as athlete form any sports I feel.

Maybe Ali, Tyson and some others too are special in some ways.

I would like to hear @Hitman 's views on this topic, comparing different extreme athletes across different sports.
Click to expand...

I can't see the thread, what am I looking at here?

And lets not compare athletes that compete in full contact sport to those that don't.
 
Vicky_Nolefam said:
Yes contact sports is very different.

Tyson vs Nadal can never be an accurate comparison.
Click to expand...
I’ll usually take people who go into a ring to kill each other over those who play with a ball. lol

Lesnar could’ve been the most dominant heavyweight champion of all time if he went straight into MMA instead of pro wrestling. Even Rogan agrees.
 
Vicky_Nolefam said:
Yes contact sports is very different.

Tyson vs Nadal can never be an accurate comparison.
Click to expand...

Its a strange comparison. Lets see Nadal hit a forehand after taking a Tyson left hook to the chin, he will be in the hospital or buried deep in the red dirt....full contact athletes are performing after taking actual physical hits to the ribs, to the face etc. Comparing them is pointless.
 
clayqueen said:
Is Nadal the greatest athlete in history?
His latest triumph puts him in a conversation with the greatest of all time



Rafael Nadal's 22nd Grand Slam victory means the Spaniard is no longer in discussion as just tennis' greatest star, but also as one the greatest athletes of all time.

It's impossible to name one person as the greatest given the long list of impressive names in the conversation, but let's take a look at some of the athletes that have set themselves apart from the rest and entered rarified sporting air.



Michael Jordan

Perhaps the most popular athlete of all-time, Jordan's impact with the Chicago Bulls made him a mega star across the world. Despite retiring over 20 years ago, he continues to leave his mark on the world of basketball.

Michael Phelps

The most decorated athlete of all time, his genius in the water saw him win an astonishing number of medals. Nadal's 14 Roland Garros titles may never be equalled, but the same can be said for Phelps' 23 Olympic golds.

Tiger Woods

Woods changed the world of golf, with his explosion onto the scene resulting in him becoming the highest paid athlete in the world. Having done things that nobody had seen before, injuries are all that prevented him from moving past Jack Nicklaus in terms of majors, though he still has time...

Usain Bolt

The fastest man in history with the charisma of a star. Few things were better than watching him set records in the 100 and 200 meters. Will anyone be able to beat them?

Tom Brady

From the 199th pick in the draft to the greatest quarterback of all time, Brady's career has been something out of a movie. With seven Super Bowl rings to his name, along with the most passing yards all time, it's hard to think someone will ever top him.


Mohamed Ali

An athlete who transcended sports, his anti-war sentiments and fight for civil rights was a jolt to American society. Owner of the heavyweight title for close to two decades, his fights remain the stuff of legends.

The fight over who is the greatest extends to other sports as well, with football fans unable to reach a consensus. Maradona or Pele? Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? It's a debate that will continue to rage on.

The same can be said when discussing other sports like cycling, Formula 1 or MotoGP. Eddy Merckx or Miguel Indurain? Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton? Valentino Rosso or Marc Marquez?

www.marca.com

Is Nadal the greatest athlete in history?

Rafael Nadal's 22nd Grand Slam victory means the Spaniard is no longer in discussion as just tennis' greatest star, but also as one the greatest athletes of all time. It's impossi
www.marca.com www.marca.com
Click to expand...
lol what a shithouse article… reads like something that an American intern wrote to appeal to Spanish readers

cherry on top is pretending that Indurain vs Merckx is even a debate

Marca :-D
 
Vicky_Nolefam said:
I think MMA fighters can not necessarily beat the greatest heavyweight boxers on earth, the greatest fighters on earth are the boxers, there is nothing more primal and animalish than boxing. That having said, Lesnar himself could have been a freak boxer if he wanted, a unique athlete he is.
Click to expand...
MMA is more complex I think. It’s why you see more top fighters wirh losses, because there’s so many different matchups. I think it’s a harder sport to master.
 
nobutinyellow.jpg
 
Vicky_Nolefam said:
I think there are quite a few who won 5 TDF.

Lance has 7 but he has been removed for doping, sad.... I think Lance should be considered as the top guy, his wins should not be taken away
Click to expand...
Just letting you know, there are other races than the TDF. This would be like someone saying Federer is the greatest bc he won Wimbledon the most.

Merckx is by far and away the GOAT, it isn't really even a conversation. Any serious cycling fan would laugh at you saying the above.

On the other hand...

If we are willing to consider Nadal (or Djokovic) as one of the greatest athletes ever, I don't see why one would exclude Lance really.
 
initialize said:
Lol no. Impressive achievements but his name won’t ever quite measure up to the likes of Jordan, Federer, Ronaldo, etc.
Click to expand...

None of the three you listed are untouchables, but Federer's inclusion is just hilarious. You're stuck in 2007.
 
Vicky_Nolefam said:
Stop crying Sir.

Tennis is not a ballet dance.

Artistry cannot be a substitute for insane athleticism, when Nadal arrived in 04-05 then a 24 year old Federer who was at his physical peak did not have any answer to Nadal's athleticism, speed and power. Nadal is a superior specimen in Tennis in this century, perhaps in all time. Fedfans being jealous won't help.
Click to expand...
No answer except for a bunch of wins, of course. And what's this got to do with RG 22 decrepitdal bumblefucking his way to the W, anyway?
 
Poisoned Slice said:
I just don't like the cut of the could've been jib. I'm not sure being an MMA lifer would've been able to hide his defensive weaknesses. And then if I start to think a bit, say he has a better defense, will his attack be as good? And on and on we go.
Click to expand...
He doesn’t like being punched, I’m not sure if that would’ve changed. But he was such a physical specimen and he started so late.
 
weakera said:
None of the three you listed are untouchables, but Federer's inclusion is just hilarious. You're stuck in 2007.
Click to expand...
You’re the one who’s delusional. Fed will always be greater than Nadal and people know it. Better all-court player, better and more beautiful strokes all around, more popular, and crushed Nadal in basically their last 8 or 9 meeting. Fed is the better player
 
I think Nadal has a ways to go before he can be mentioned alongside Bonds or Bradman in terms of best at hitting ball with stick athletes.
 
initialize said:
You’re the one who’s delusional. Fed will always be greater than Nadal and people know it. Better all-court player, better and more beautiful strokes all around, more popular, and crushed Nadal in basically their last 8 or 9 meeting. Fed is the better player
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's the reason why Nadal has a Double Career Grand Slam and Federer doesn't. Nadal has his Slam titles more evenly distributed. 2 AO and 2 WB > 1 RG. Double Career Grand Slam > Career Grand Slam.
 
The greatest athlete across sports is a stupid and utterly meaningless concept since there is no objective measure and therefore it is only something for fans of particular athletes to discuss, never agree on, and never convince anyone.
 
initialize said:
You’re the one who’s delusional. Fed will always be greater than Nadal and people know it. Better all-court player, better and more beautiful strokes all around, more popular, and crushed Nadal in basically their last 8 or 9 meeting. Fed is the better player
Click to expand...
 
Not to mention that the list of athletes that are typically mentioned are heavily biased by how well-known an athlete is, and even moreso if the 'list' is made by somebody from the US.

WHenever athletes like Brady, Woods, and (to lesser extent) Jordan are on there, you know it's made by an American, because they happen to pick 3 athletes from sports that are particularly popular in the US. In fact, in no other country would anyone ever think of Brady as 'greatest athlete', and I would argue that, yes greatest quarterback but certainly not greatest athlete.
Woods similar; greatest golfer, sure you can argue for that. Greatest athlete across all sports....highly dubious given golf is not the most physical sport out there.

And of course there are truly exceptional athletes that were truly dominant in more obscure sports. Think e.g.: Mat Fraser, Teddy Riner, Steve Redgrave, Jesse Owens, and many, many others

My point being that greatest athlete across all sports is a dumb concept to begin with.
 
Sport said:
Nope, Jordan wasn't surpassed by any player of his era. Federer was surpassed by Nadal.
Click to expand...
Nadal doesn’t belong to the same era as Fed though. Yes, they played in a couple of the same eras, but that doesn’t mean they’re from the same era
 
Sport said:
Nadal has led the H2H over Federer since 2004 (Federer's era) and has regularly met Federer at Slams since 2005 (also Federer's era).
Click to expand...
What does H2H have to do with eras? Plus Fed was still the much better player on anything save clay from 2004 to 2009 (not counting 2008 due to Fed’s mono and back issues)
 
Sport said:
Nadal has led the H2H over Federer since 2004 (Federer's era) and has regularly met Federer at Slams since 2005 (also Federer's era).
Click to expand...
Poor choice of arguements...in tennis 5 year gap is a generation gap. Thiem and zverev are not of same era although they played each other since 2016.
 
T007 said:
Federer is not of Nadals era... Nadal is the Next Gen of Feds era. Fed dominated his era...Won most in his prime...
Click to expand...
Yes, he is. Nadal surpassed Federer's Slam count while Federer was still an active player.

Nadal has also led the H2H over Federer since 2004 (Federer's era) and has regularly met Federer at Slams since 2005 (also Federer's era).
 
T007 said:
Poor choice of arguements...in tennis 5 year gap is a generation gap. Thiem and zverev are not of same era although they played each other since 2016.
Click to expand...
Nadal is 4 years and 10 months younger than Federer. Their respectives primes coexisted in 2005-2009, and Nadal still led the H2H over Federer those years.
 
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