No Serena Williams or Pete Sampras on Rafael Nadal's tennis 'Mt. Rushmore' list, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer get a spot

Legends like Serena Williams and Pete Sampras missed out as Rafael Nadal revealed his tennis ‘Mount Rushmore,' which included himself, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic. He also made room for one surprising legend of the sport.

In a reel shared by Complex Sports on Instagram, Spanish tennis legend Nadal was asked to name his tennis ‘Mount Rushmore,' essentially, the four greatest players in his view.

Nadal first chose Australian icon Rod Laver, followed by his longtime rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, before completing the list by including himself.

There were no spots for arguably the greatest female player, Serena Williams. The American tennis icon won 23 Grand Slam titles and finished the year as World No. 1 five times. Sampras also did not make the list. He has won 14 Grand Slam titles and finished the year-end No. 1 six times in a row.

Meanwhile, the legends on Nadal’s list have achieved extraordinary success. Djokovic holds a record 24 Grand Slam titles in men's tennis, Nadal follows with 22, and Federer has 20 to his name. The trio has dominated the sport for the past two decades, frequently trading the World No. 1 ranking.

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John McEnroe’s tennis ‘Mount Rushmore’ mirrors Rafael Nadal’s, featuring Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and no Serena Williams

John McEnroe at the French Open Tennis Tournament, Roland-Garros 2025 - Source: Getty

During his appearance on Inside the NBA earlier in the year, John McEnroe was asked to name his tennis ‘Mount Rushmore.’ His answer was exactly like Rafael Nadal's and did not include Serena Williams.

"My Mount Rushmore would be: Rafael Nadal on the surface we are going to see the next couple of weeks without a doubt at Roland Garros on clay. The best hard-court player of all time would be Novak Djokovic. We also play on grass for one month a year, which I would give to Roger Federer," McEnroe said (via Tennis Gazette).

He added Laver's name to the list as well.

"To me Rod Laver way back when was my idol," he added.

In the 1960s, Laver stood as one of tennis’ greatest players, becoming the only man to win all four Grand Slam titles in a single year twice. In total, the Australian legend captured 11 majors.

McEnroe himself is not far behind the legends of the sport. During the peak years of American men’s tennis, he firmly established his place among the greats. He spent a remarkable 170 weeks as world No. 1 in singles. Over his career, he captured 77 singles titles, 77 doubles titles, and one mixed-doubles major.