Rafael Nadal names his top 10 athletes of all time Speaking with Netflix Sports, Nadal left Federer off his list but did include Novak Djokovic, with whom he shared one of tennis’s most intense rivalries.
Nadal listed his choices as: “Michael Jordan, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Novak Djokovic, Muhammad Ali, Michael Schumacher, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, [Diego] Maradona and Pele.” Their head-to-head record finished at 31-29 in favour of Djokovic overall.
However, Nadal had the edge at Grand Slams by an 11-7 margin.
In their final meeting during the 2024 Paris Olympics semifinals, Djokovic came out on top before going on to win the gold medal.
