Top 3 Most Decorated Athletes of All Time
Success is a difficult metric to measure in the sporting industry. Purists, who watch sports purely for entertainment, would argue that those players that were able to captivate the viewer, keep them on the edge of their seats, and steal hearts while playing their game, would have obtained success, even without the silverware and statistics to show for it. In the end, for purists, entertainment is the end goal of professional sports.
However, for the statisticians and Hall of Fame measurements, success is purely based on the trophies you win, the medals you collect, and the points you score. If you’re one of the top scorers of all time, then simply no one can steal your impressive performance and subsequent success.
This article will go through 3 of the most successful athletes of all time and will use a combination of both of these metrics to come to a decision. These athletes are simply the best in class, and can arguably be called the most decorated and successful of all time.
3. Serena Williams – Tennis
Serena Williams is an absolute legend of women’s tennis. In fact, when most people think about the best-ever female tennis players, Serena Williams will almost definitely be the first name to come to mind. This alone should be enough to constitute success for Williams – purely the fact that she is the most popular women’s tennis player of all time. But her achievements on the court and her immense talent showcase her success too.
Williams has won an incredible 23 Grand Slam singles titles – more individual titles than any other tennis player in history – men included. In fact, betting fans who love everything from the thrill of wagering on sports to playing Australian pokies would go so far as to recommend betting on her, even if she took part in a tournament after retirement. She is simply that good. Her success is merited based on hard work and talent.
2. Tiger Woods – Golf
Like Serena Williams, when it comes to professional golfing, Tiger Woods is undoubtedly the poster boy. Many golfing experts believe that Woods is the most talented golf player of all time, and the silverware and statistics surely back that up. His trophy cabinet contains a medal from pretty much every single tournament he ever took part in, and there are no players in the sport that can currently rival him in terms of course success.
He had a controversial career, filled with many public fallouts and family issues that may have contributed to his overall fame, but that does not take away from his professional achievements and success.
1. Lionel Messi – European Football
Coming in at number one is a pick that half of the European Football Fanbase might be a bit upset to see – Lionel Messi. During his career, he won every trophy available to him, including four champions leagues and the World Cup. Many fans of his bitter rival Cristiano Ronaldo would argue that in terms of silverware, the two are equal. But for many footballing purists, there is truly only one winner, and that is Messi.
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