Greatest Sportspersons/athletes of All Time

[Skipper Pup]

'Greatest athlete' and 'Greatest in their sport' are two different conversations.

For example, I would say Richie McCaw is the greatest rugby union player I have ever seen but he's nowhere near the greatest athlete to ever play rugby union.

If it's the former then this conversation probably warrants the inclusion of someone like Sonny Bill Williams. For tennis and golf probably has to be Scott Draper, aside from playing both those sports professionally, he made it even harder by being left-handed in tennis and a right-handed golfer.

 

[Furball]

Count as sports

They're games, not sports.

 

[Ali TT]

They do not.

Obviously not athletes but the thread title is sportspeople/athletes and they are very definitely sportspeople.

 

[Skipper Pup]

I love Fed as much as anyone but lets be real, he only gets the tennis nomination because he's a stand-up bloke and consummate professional. There's definitely a nostalgia that comes with reflecting on his career and the grace and class he had on the court.

In reality there are two blokes who not only beat him 1v1 more often than not, but have also bettered his record.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

John Cena

 

[duffer]

John Cena

has he turned heel yet?

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Shohei Ohtani

 

[Line and Length]

If we're having a tennis player, it's BJK, Martina or Serena, not Fed, who wasn't even the best of his generation.

... and Rod Laver

 

[BackFootPunch]

Shohei Ohtani

If his next 10 years look like the previous 5 then I reckon he's right up there. Incredible athlete.

 

[capt_Luffy]

I love Fed as much as anyone but lets be real, he only gets the tennis nomination because he's a stand-up bloke and consummate professional. There's definitely a nostalgia that comes with reflecting on his career and the grace and class he had on the court.

In reality there are two blokes who not only beat him 1v1 more often than not, but have also bettered his record.

I felt like from Tennis it had to be one of Joker-Fed-Raf or Rod Laver. Laver played in a much earlier era, and lacked in humane longevity of these 3. Among these 3, I must admit that Fed was somewhat of a personal bias of mine..... I don't think there's too much separating them, but I always felt Joker never reached as high as Fed and Raf; and Nadal was too big of a French bully....

 

[capt_Luffy]

Obviously not athletes but the thread title is sportspeople/athletes and they are very definitely sportspeople.

Seriously, are darts and snookers sports like tennis or cricket or games like chess.... It's a genuine question, or else if games qualify then Kasparov definitely warrants a spot (yeah, over Fischer, Carlsen and Paul Murphy).

 

[duffer]

I felt like from Tennis it had to be one of Joker-Fed-Raf or Rod Laver. Laver played in a much earlier era, and lacked in humane longevity of these 3. Among these 3, I must admit that Fed was somewhat of a personal bias of mine..... I don't think there's too much separating them, but I always felt Joker never reached as high as Fed and Raf; and Nadal was too big of a French bully....

C'mon dude, Novak has surpassed them both. All three have favourite slams to beef up their totals

 

[Himannv]

has he turned heel yet?

He has.

 

[capt_Luffy]

C'mon dude, Novak has surpassed them both. All three have favourite slams to beef up their totals

Don't know man.... Since retirement of Fed and Nad's decline I hardly feel like Novak has worthy competition. Yes, his longevity is inhumane; but do you feel he's better than Roger?

 

[duffer]

Don't know man.... Since retirement of Fed and Nad's decline I hardly feel like Novak has worthy competition. Yes, his longevity is inhumane; but do you feel he's better than Roger?

I do, and I'm a huge Rafa mark. He's gone past them both

 

[capt_Luffy]

I do, and I'm a huge Rafa mark. He's gone past them both

Fair enough.

 

[Molehill]

Don't know man.... Since retirement of Fed and Nad's decline I hardly feel like Novak has worthy competition. Yes, his longevity is inhumane; but do you feel he's better than Roger?

Did Fed have worthy competition before those 2 turned up? Djokovic's record is better than Federer's, one is a nicer bloke, but that's not how it's being measured.

And absolutely Ronnie O Sullivan should be in there. I'll throw in A P McCoy too.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Novak just has the better PEDs.

 

[Skipper Pup]

I do, and I'm a huge Rafa mark. He's gone past them both

Rafa would have been comfortably clear of both if his body had held up.

I am not a Djokovic fan but have to admit he is psychologically in a whole different realm to most sportsmen.

 

[trundler]

That squash guy who won 500 matches in a row or something