The 41 Most Dominant Athletes of the Decade (Big 3 ranked)

[Fedbump]

Whittling down this list to 41 athletes was no easy feat. We didn't use any formula. We followed a subjective method, judging domination on individual success and accolades, team success, and an intangible sense of influence and command over a sport.

15. Novak Djokovic

Tennis player

Age: 32

How he dominated the decade: Djokovic's decade was a series of peaks and valleys, with the peaks ranking among the highest ever in tennis. In 2015, Djokovic ruled over the "Big Three," winning three slams and an astounding 11 titles. After a slump in 2017, he rebounded in 2018 by winning two more slams and reclaiming the world No. 1. He continued in 2019, winning the Australian Open and beating Roger Federer in a legendary duel at Wimbledon. Perhaps the hardest man to score on in tennis, Djokovic has won eight of the last 20 grand slams, and his age will give him a chance to break Federer's slams record. — Scott Davis

10. Rafael Nadal

Tennis player

Age: 33

How he dominated the decade: In what will be remembered as the greatest stretch of men's tennis in the history of the sport, Rafael Nadal was an absolute force. Known as the "King of Clay," Nadal dominated at Roland-Garros, winning eight of the 10 French Open titles this decade. At 33, Nadal's reign is still going strong, having reached the final four of his past four Grand Slam appearances and entering the 2020 season as the reigning French Open and U.S, Open Champion. — Tyler Lauletta

4. Roger Federer

Tennis player

Age: 38

How he dominated the decade: Many athletes dominate with force; Roger Federer dominates with grace. Every serve, return, and movement seems so effortless with Federer, even as he's aged well past the point when many tennis players can compete for titles. But the ease with which Federer plays on the court belies a fiery competitiveness that has allowed him to stake his claim as the greatest men's tennis player ever: five slams this decade, 42 titles since 2010, and a record 20 slams overall. If Federer has lost a step as he enters his third decade as a pro, it hardly shows. — Scott Davis


For the complete list of all 41 athletes click here:

https://www.businessinsider.com/most-dominant-athletes-of-the-decade-2019-11

A friendly reminder that Business Insider is read more than the Washington Post or the New York Times.....

 

[NatF]

Should be the opposite order...

 

[TheGhostOfAgassi]

Should be the opposite order...

glad you agree

 

[Fedbump]

Should be the opposite order...

Perhaps, you overlooked something.

 

[conjoshruk]

Should be the opposite order...

Lol, why do you say that?
Djokovic won 15 of his 16 slams in the 2010's, compared to Fed who only won 5 slams. Even looking at other titles which weren't slams like Masters, etc. Djokovic still had more dominance.
Additionally, Rafa's dominance on clay and at the French Open is pretty much unprecedented.
I think Fed is the winner in terms of longevity, but this does not necessarily translate into 'dominance'.

 

[clout]

Unless this is a list of most dominant athletes since 2000 (but it seems to just be since 2010), no way should Fed be ranked that high.

 

[Phoenix1983]

Lol, why do you say that?
Djokovic won 15 of his 16 slams in the 2010's, compared to Fed who only won 5 slams. Even looking at other titles which weren't slams like Masters, etc. Djokovic still had more dominance.
Additionally, Rafa's dominance on clay and at the French Open is pretty much unprecedented.
I think Fed is the winner in terms of longevity, but this does not necessarily translate into 'dominance'.

Er...re-read their rankings.

 

[NatF]

Lol, why do you say that?
Djokovic won 15 of his 16 slams in the 2010's, compared to Fed who only won 5 slams. Even looking at other titles which weren't slams like Masters, etc. Djokovic still had more dominance.
Additionally, Rafa's dominance on clay and at the French Open is pretty much unprecedented.
I think Fed is the winner in terms of longevity, but this does not necessarily translate into 'dominance'.

Thats what I'm saying, Federer is highest in the list but should be on the bottom for this decade.

 

[Third Serve]

I agreed with this list until I discovered that it was referring to the 2010s decade.

 

[Tiki-Taka]

Bad order, Djokovic was the man of this decade and should be in Federer's place on that list.

Messi in fifth. Honestly I expected they would put more Americans ahead of him. Not too bad actually, those three ahead of him have been exceptional in their sports too to be fair.

 

[NatF]

glad you agree

 

[Red Rick]

Some more 'Murican magazine pretending some sport only big in the USA is bigger than the biggest names in especially football. Just ROFLMAO

 

[Phoenix1983]

Bad order, Djokovic was the man of this decade and should be in Federer's place on that list.

Messi in fifth. Honestly I expected they would put more Americans ahead of him. Not too bad actually, those three ahead of him have been exceptional in their sports too to be fair.

Messi in 5th is about right. He’s about 3rd or 4th greatest all time in football so it makes sense.

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

How he dominated the decade: Many athletes dominate with force; Roger Federer dominates with grace.

If only a pretty backhand was mentioned too, I would have been convinced some TTWer was the writer who made this list.

 

[Sport]

4. Roger Federer

How he dominated the decade: Many athletes dominate with force; Roger Federer dominates with grace.

Are we reading the Cosmopolitan section for the London Fashion Week or an analysis about a physical sport like tennis? In tennis you are not the best for being the most classy performer in a runway, but for having the most success, particularly in Slams.

Funny how they ignore their criterion (grace > force) as soon as they arrive to a physical beast like LeBron. LeBron is #1 on the list despite being a brutal beast full of force. Why? Because LeBron is American, and Business Insider is American as well.

 

[Tiki-Taka]

Messi in 5th is about right. He’s about 3rd or 4th greatest all time in football so it makes sense.

Whatever you think about his all time standing in football has no relevance regarding the 2010s, where he's easily been the best in his sport.

 

[Yugram]

Are we reading the Cosmopolitan section for the London Fashion Week or an analysis about a physical sport like tennis? In tennis you are not the best for being the most grace performer in a pasarela, but for having the most success, particularly in Slams.

Funny how they ignore their criterion (grace > force) as soon as they arrive to a physical beast like LeBron. LeBron is #1 in the list despite being a brutal beast full of force. Why? Because LeBron is American, and Business Insider is American as well.

Outsiders image of tennis is usually something from 2006 or 2007. Ask them who’s N1 on the rankings today and they'll probably say Federer.

Too bad people of such a low knowledge and qualification are allowed to write articles involving tennis.

 

[Sport]

Whatever you think about his all time standing in football has no relevance regarding the 2010s, where he's easily been the best in his sport.

Tied with Cristiano. In 2018, Cristiano scored 54 goals in 55 matches, 15 of them in the Champions League and 4 in the World Cup. Messi in 2019 scored 54 goals in 58 matches, 10 of them in the Champions League and only 1 in Copa America. Messi received the Ballon d'or in 2019, Cristiano in 2018 did not receive the Ballon d'or despite having made a better year than Messi in 2019.

 

[Fedbump]

Whittling down this list to 41 athletes was no easy feat. We didn't use any formula. We followed a subjective method, judging domination on individual success and accolades, team success, and an intangible sense of influence and command over a sport.

 

[Sport]

Where is Djokovic? That drawing was definetely made before 2007, so it has nothing to do with the 2010s decade. And including Nadal as a "student" when he was already leading the H2H over Federer indicates that the cartoonist was a giant Federer fanboy.

 

[Yugram]

 

[Phoenix1983]

Tied with Cristiano. In 2018, Cristiano scored 54 goals in 55 matches, 15 of them in the Champions League and 4 in the World Cup. Messi in 2019 scored 54 goals in 58 matches, 10 of them in the Champions League and only 1 in Copa America. Messi received the Ballon d'or in 2019, Cristiano in 2018 did not receive the Ballon d'or despite having made a better year than Messi in 2019.

It's true. Messi is vying with C. Ronaldo for best footballer of this decade and his generation. Neither of them are football GOAT.

 

[Sport]

.

 

[Tiki-Taka]

Tied with Cristiano. In 2018, Cristiano scored 54 goals in 55 matches, 15 of them in the Champions League and 4 in the World Cup. Messi in 2019 scored 54 goals in 58 matches, 10 of them in the Champions League and only 1 in Copa America. Messi received the Ballon d'or in 2019, Cristiano in 2018 did not receive the Ballon d'or despite having made a better year than Messi in 2019.

Do you truly believe that? It takes a little more than googling the scoring stats to judge who was a better performer, and we know which one is so much more than those numbers.

There is Leo, and then there is everyone else. As far as the last three decades are concerned at least.

 

[Sport]

Do you truly believe that? It takes a little more than googling the scoring stats to judge who was a better performer, and we know which one is so much more than those numbers.

There is Leo, and then there is everyone else. As far as the last three decades are concerned at least.

I respect your opinion, but I strongly disagree.

 

[Lew II]

Age of the last Balon d'or winners:

Messi 32
Modric 33
Ronaldo 32
Ronaldo 31

Over30 are still a force like in tennis

 

[RF-18]

What is this drivel

 

[TheFifthSet]

Dumb af and not just the tennis part of it...Kershaw 10 spots higher than Trout is also just madness lol.

 

[Fedbump]

What is this drivel

It's called reality.

It's the way the world views the tennis scene and the players in it.

I'm sorry if this disappoints you.

 

[Third Serve]

Some more 'Murican magazine pretending some sport only big in the USA is bigger than the biggest names in especially football. Just ROFLMAO

YoU mEaN SoCcEr

 

[NoleFam]

As if the Business Insider needed anymore reason to be rendered irrelevant. Yea Federer won 10 less Slams but he was #4 while Djokovic was #15? LOL. Gtfoh.

 

[Fedbump]

As if the Business Insider needed anymore reason to be rendered irrelevant. Yea Federer won 10 less Slams but he was #4 while Djokovic was #15? LOL. Gtfoh.

This list is not only about how many slems each player won in the decade.

Intangibles are also considered.

 

[Third Serve]

This list is not only about how many slems each player won in the decade.

Intangibles are also considered.

The ranking is literally called “most DOMINANT athlete”. That excludes intangibles by itself.

 

[Fedbump]

The ranking is literally called “most DOMINANT athlete”. That excludes intangibles by itself.

I beg to differ.

Here's an example:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/249568

 

[Fedbump]

Dominance goes much deeper than sheer statistics on the court.

Tennis is a business, afterall.

 

[Tennis_Hands]

Age of the last Balon d'or winners:

Messi 32
Modric 33
Ronaldo 32
Ronaldo 31

Over30 are still a force like in tennis

 

[NoleFam]

This list is not only about how many slems each player won in the decade.

Intangibles are also considered.

What intangibles? Moral victories? The list is just wrong on so many levels even outside of tennis. It's a list compiled by a "sports writer" who works for Business Insider and has 1500 followers. Nothing left to be said.

 

[Fedbump]

What intangibles? Moral victories? The list is just wrong on so many levels even outside of tennis. It's a list compiled by a "sports writer" who works for Business Insider and has 1500 followers. Nothing left to be said.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1201838112109998082

 

[James P]

Maybe this is their money making dominance. I'd actually believe, with endorsements, that Fed dominated Djoker and Nadal in that department.

 

[Winners or Errors]

A testament to how the popularity of the athletes. Nadal and Djokovic have been much more dominant on the court during this decade, but so many more people love Federer. Must really chafe fans of the other two... I guess this thread proves that.

 

[tonylg]

These lists are always doomed to failure.

I'd argue that if there's more than one person per sport, then no-one actually dominated the decade.

To that end, although I have little interest in the Olympics, it's hard to see how Phelps and Bolt didn't top the rankings.

Serena Williams at 2? She definitely dominated the start of the decade, but she's won 2 slams in 4 years and NOTHING since AO 2017. She's still the most recognised, but far from dominant in the context of the whole decade.

 

[BeatlesFan]

And including Nadal as a "student" when he was already leading the H2H over Federer indicates that the cartoonist was a giant Federer fanboy.

I'll post a cartoonist who is a giant Nadal fanboy.

Feel better now?

 

[BeatlesFan]

How about a Djokovic fan boy cartoonist?

 

[octogon]

Utter fluff piece. Why even post this stuff here, other than to pointlessly massage Fed fans ego with something so easily dismissed? It has nothing to do with tennis. It's just a typically myopic perspective an American luxury magazine. We all know Federer has friends in high places with these people (like Anna Wintour) and it these New York power connections that get Fed placements like this in their propoganda "influencer" lists that they try to pass off as if it means anything.

Sucking off New York based influencers like Fed does is not the same as actually dominating a tennis decade.

 

[MeatTornado]

Imagine actually being upset by this.

 

[King No1e]

These hacks don't know what decade means, it seems. Maybe overall in their careers, that's the order of dominance, but certainly not in the 2010's.

 

[JaoSousa]

These lists are always doomed to failure.

I'd argue that if there's more than one person per sport, then no-one actually dominated the decade.

To that end, although I have little interest in the Olympics, it's hard to see how Phelps and Bolt didn't top the rankings.

Serena Williams at 2? She definitely dominated the start of the decade, but she's won 2 slams in 4 years and NOTHING since AO 2017. She's still the most recognised, but far from dominant in the context of the whole decade.

Definitely

 

[conjoshruk]

Thats what I'm saying, Federer is highest in the list but should be on the bottom for this decade.

Ah ok, I see haha. My apologies.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Most dominant athletes of the decade has ranked Fed 4th, Rafa 10th and Djoker 15th

Slams this decade:
Djoker 15
Rafa 13
Fed 5

YE # 1 this decade:
Djoker 5
Rafa 4
Fed 0

Weeks at # 1 this decade:
Djoker 275
Rafa 155
Fed 48

WTF this decade:
Djoker 4
Fed 2
Rafa 0

M1000 this decade:
Djoker 29
Rafa 19
Fed 12

Makes perfect sense

 

[TheGhostOfAgassi]

How he dominated the decade: Many athletes dominate with force; Roger Federer dominates with grace.

If only a pretty backhand was mentioned too, I would have been convinced some TTWer was the writer who made this list.

It’s so funny.