Casper Ruud shares hot take regarding Novak Djokovic, LeBron James

If there were a Mt. Rushmore of the greatest athletes of the 21st century, Novak Djokovic and LeBron James would be front and center. 

The two men have rewritten the history books in their respective sports, while separating themselves from their peers. While Djokovic holds records for most majors (24), most weeks as World No. 1 (428) and most ATP Masters 1000 titles (40), James holds the record for most points (50K and counting), most minutes (including playoffs) and most All-NBA selections, among many other achievements.

The contrasting natures of their sports make it quite hard to compare the two athletes, primarily since one competes in an individual sport and the other in a team-oriented game. Yet, former World No. 2 Casper Ruud has declared that Djokovic clears James as the most outstanding athlete of not just the 21st century, but of all time.

The Norwegian made the tall claim when asked to share his "hot take" by OverTime Tennis.

"Novak is the greatest athlete of any sport in history, yeah, in the history of sports," he stressed. "I don't want to compare because it's stupid, but if you take Novak's athleticism next to [Tom] Brady, Brady’s the GOAT, don't get me wrong, but I think Novak would crush him in most of the physical tests that you can do. And then again, LeBron would maybe crush Novak in certain physical [aspects], so I don’t know, but for me Novak is the greatest athlete that ever lived."

Ruud was probably citing Djokovic's mental toughness and poise as the reason to rank the Serbian above James and Brady, while accepting that the two American athletes were better pure athletes.

While Brady retired with a record seven Super Bowl titles, Djokovic, 38, and James, 40, continue to chase championship glory. Djokovic begins his pursuit of his 25th major at the U.S. Open this week, and James aims for a fifth NBA title in the 2025-26 season.