D
Deleted member 758560
Guest
even so, not a big deal, still it's at least two inches from marinator, not just one like u mentioned
Is Nadal the greatest athlete in history?
- Thread starter clayqueen
- Start date
even so, not a big deal, still it's at least two inches from marinator, not just one like u mentioned
titoelcolombiano
Legend
There is not many tougher feats in world sport than beating Nadal at Roland Garros
BorgTheGOAT
Legend
Of course he isn’t. Even if we assume he is the Tennis GOAT (which I personally don’t), the distance between him and other great players is not as big as with GOAT candidates in other sports. Gretzky and Karelin just to name two, dominated their respective sports way more. If we look strictly on athletic prowess, irrespective of dominance in their respective sports, we have multi discipline athletes like Wilt, Bo Jackson, Herschel Walker, Jim Brown, as well as countless decathlets, who are all greater overall athletes than Nadal. There are lik
UnderratedSlam
G.O.A.T.
GOAT is silly because we can't compare eras. So if nobody is GOAT in tennis then logically no tennis player is best athlete ever.
Best ever in all sports is completely fictional. That title doesn't exist either.
Best ever in all sports is completely fictional. That title doesn't exist either.
Your facts are as good as Next Gen mug winning upcoming 4 slams
Federev
G.O.A.T.
Very true. I think they've played twice or so (?) since then cause Fed's fallen off clay some as a surface he often excelled on compared to the other two. Maybe more, but I only recall 2011 RG and 2019 RG. I must be missing some?
But Rafa hasn't beaten Fed off clay since 2013. I think they've played 6 times? 5 HC and Wimby in 2019.
And I don't think he's beaten Novak off clay for an even longer time span (?)
Rafa's incredible. I just don't think overall he's better than Fed and Novak off clay. At his very peak I think he's very very close though.
And so I think calling him the greatest athlete in history is a bit much.
I'd like Rafa to get the CYGS - what a cool thing at the tail end of his career.
But I don't think he'll get past Novak at Wimbledon if they have to face each other.
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mike danny
Bionic Poster
Rafa hasn't beaten Fed off clay since early 2014 and Novak since late 2013.
And he's also beaten Djokovic off clay just twice since 2010.
Yes, Fed has failed to beat him on clay since 2009, but Rafa has failed to beat these guys on 2 surfaces, not just one.
People give Fed a hard time for his records against Djokodal, so I don't see why Rafa should get a pass. He's lucky he's not the oldest of the 3, otherwise he wouldn't have won 8 slams in his 30's.
heftylefty
Hall of Fame
In fairness to today's professional tennis players, they are more athletic as a collective than players of the past. Players like Laver, Borg, Lendl and to a certain extent Becker, Sampras and Agassi were once in a generation athletes who players could possibly excel in other sports. Today's top players must compete against fellow players not too far away from them athletically. Even today's servebots are better movers than guys 35 years ago who were over 6'4.
I think Nadal is one of the greatest athlete in the world today. All Time, he's in my top 20.
I think Nadal is one of the greatest athlete in the world today. All Time, he's in my top 20.
DonMcEnroe
New User
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?
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 impossiwww.marca.com
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