Serena Williams ranked No. 2 ahead of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic by ESPN in Top 100 Athletes of the Century list

Serena Williams was ranked second on ESPN's Top 100 Athletes of the 21st Century list, leaving behind the 'Big 3' of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal. Record 28-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps topped the list.

ESPN released its complete list of the top 100 athletes of this century on July 18. Over 70,000 votes from ESPN contributors helped them create the list keeping in mind that the achievements and performances of the athletes that are being considered should come after the turn of the century.

23-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Phelps led the list and was proclaimed as ESPN's top athlete of the century.

In the second spot is the 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams. Although her first Major title came in 1999, she won 22 Major singles titles between 2003 and 2017. Her longevity and dedication to the sport were commendable and put her in a spot much higher than the 'Big 3' of the ATP, according to ESPN.

2022 FIFA World Cup winner Lionel Messi occupies the third spot. One of the greatest to grace the football field, Messi is a record eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. NBA's all-time scoring leader LeBron James occupied the fourth spot while seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady completed the top five.

The first of the 'Big 3' to appear on the list was Roger Federer. The Swiss with 103 tour singles titles occupied the sixth spot. Next, Novak Djokovic, who holds the record for most weeks as No. 1 (428), was ranked in the 11th spot and Rafael Nadal, a 14-time French Open champion, was ranked in the 12th spot.

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How many Grand Slam titles have Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal won?

Serena Williams with the 2014 US Open trophy. (Source: GETTY)

In the 21st century, Serena Williams dominated the WTA circuit. She owns multiple records including the most Grand Slam titles won by a woman in the Open Era. Williams was tied with Steffi Graf with 22 titles when she won Wimbledon in 2016.

She participated in the Australian Open in 2017 while she was pregnant. Still, Williams went on to win her 23rd and final Grand Slam title.

Roger Federer won his first Grand Slam title in 2003 by going all the way at Wimbledon. His 20th and final Major title was also at the All-England Club in 2017. He won a total of eight Wimbledon titles which is a record for men's tennis in the Open Era.

Rafael Nadal, on the other hand, won his first Major title at the French Open in 2005. The Spaniard won the Paris Slam for a record 14 times in 2022. Overall, it was his 22nd Grand Slam title. 38-year-old Nadal is still an active player and hopes to compete in more Major competitions.

Lastly, Novak Djokovic, who reached the Wimbledon final this year but missed out on the title, has won 24 Grand Slams in his career. The Serb holds the record for the most Major singles titles won by a man.