10 Greatest Individual Rivalries in Sports History

By Brian Kalchik

10 Greatest Individual Rivalries In Sports History

Tom Brady Peyton Manning — For the 16th time in their illustrious careers, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will square off against each other this Sunday afternoon. The Brady-Manning rivalry has been going on for over a decade, with both playing like the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. So that has me thinking, what other individual rivalries are the best in sports history? These are my top 10.

10. Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova

Chris Evert Martina Navratilova

10. Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova

Chris Evert Martina Navratilova — Martina and Chris met 80 times during their careers, with Navratilova holding a 43-37 career advantage, including a 10-4 head-to-head record in Grand Slam finals. The rivalry lasted 15 years, a feat that may not be matched today in any other sport. They are tied for fourth all-time with 18 Grand Slam singles titles.

9. John McEnroe vs. Bjorn Borg

John McEnroe Bjorn Borg

9. John McEnroe vs. Bjorn Borg

John McEnroe Bjorn Borg — Borg and McEnroe met 14 times during their career. A true rivalry, each won seven times. McEnroe was the bombastic American who was athletic, serving and volleying his way to victory. Borg was the laid-back Swede who preferred to play from the baseline. The height of their rivalry came in 1980-81 when they played each other in back-to-back Wimbledon and U.S. Open Finals. After losing to Borg at Wimbledon in 1980, McEnroe won the other three.

8. Pete Sampras vs. Andre Agassi

Andre Agassi Pete Sampras

8. Pete Sampras vs. Andre Agassi

Andre Agassi Pete Sampras — Sampras and Agassi met each other 32 times, with Sampras winning 20 times. Sampras held a 4-1 advantage in Grand Slam finals, with his last win coming against Agassi in the 2002 U.S. Open. Between 1993 and 2002, they combined to win 20 of 40 Grand Slam finals.

7. Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal Roger Federer

7. Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal Roger Federer — There have not been many rivals that have dominated their sport together like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Since Federer won his first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon in 2003, Federer and Rafa won 24 of the next 29 grand slams. However, Nadal has dominated Federer in Grand Slam finals, winning six of their first eight matches.

6. Jack Nicklaus vs. Arnold Palmer

Jack Nicklaus Arnold Palmer

6. Jack Nicklaus vs. Arnold Palmer

Jack Nicklaus Arnold Palmer — The Nicklaus-Palmer rivalry became one of the first in the sport's history. The birth of this rivalry came in the 1962 U.S. Open at Oakmont. Nicklaus overcame a three-shot deficit to force an 18-hole playoff, defeating Palmer by three shots in the playoff for the first of his record 18 majors. Palmer captured seven slams in his career. Four times during their great rivalry they finished 1-2 in Grand Slams.

5. Joe DiMaggio vs. Ted Williams

Ted Williams Tribute

5. Joe DiMaggio vs. Ted Williams

Ted Williams Tribute — The greatest rivalry in baseball also featured one of the game's greatest individual rivalries with Joe DiMaggio and the New York Yankees against Ted Williams and the Boston Red Sox. In 1941, both had seasons for the ages. Williams finished the season with a .406 batting average, becoming the last player to hit over .400; meanwhile, DiMaggio had a 56-game winning streak, still the longest in the game's history.

4. Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning

Tom Brady Peyton Manning

4. Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning

Tom Brady Peyton Manning — When Tom Brady and Peyton Manning face each other, it creates the biggest buzz of any matchup in the NFL. These two quarterbacks have dominated the AFC, appearing in eight of the last 13 Super Bowls. In fact, Brady and Manning have both defeated the other twice to advance to the Super Bowl.

3. Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier

Muhammad Ali Joe Frazier

3. Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier

Muhammad Ali Joe Frazier — Ali-Frazier is one of the nastiest individual rivalries ever. These two definitely did not like each other, and settled their differences in the ring. In what is known as a "blood trilogy," Frazier defeated Ali to win the fight of the century. Ali then won the rematch, setting the stage for "The Thrilla In Manilla." In one of the most physical fights ever, Ali won in the 14th round after Frazier was advised to not continue.

2. Bill Russell vs. Wilt Chamberlain

Bill Russell Wilt Chamberlain

2. Bill Russell vs. Wilt Chamberlain

Bill Russell Wilt Chamberlain — Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain matched up with each other 142 times in the 10-year span of their rivalry. Chamberlain almost always posted better stats, but it was Russell’s Celtics that usually got the upper hand, winning 85 times head-to-head. In eight postseason series, Russell's teams won seven times, including his last game in Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals.

1. Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson

Larry Bird Magic johnson

1. Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson

Larry Bird Magic johnson — The Bird-Magic rivalry began in the 1979 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game, and carried over to the NBA. Both were pivotal in saving the NBA, and either one or both appeared in the Finals in each year of the 1980s. Three times these teams faced each other, with Bird winning once in 1984 and Magic winning twice in 1985 and 1987. They combined for six MVP awards and five NBA Finals MVP Awards.

Brian Kalchik is a Detroit Lions writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.

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