# Who is the greatest athlete never to break the record they chased?

> Every career here ended one number short. A title, a ring, a record that stayed just out of reach after years of chasing it. They were not lesser athletes for it — several were the best of their generation. Which of these near misses stings the most?

*By YPB Team · Published August 4, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-greatest-athlete-never-to-break-the-record-they-chased*

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## Current results (0 votes)

1. **Serena Williams**
   Stopped on 23 majors and lost four more Grand Slam finals chasing Margaret Court's 24.
2. **Dan Marino**
   Held the passing records of his era and never won a Super Bowl in 17 seasons.
3. **Barry Sanders**
   Retired 1,457 yards short of the NFL rushing record while still the best back in the league.
4. **Ivan Lendl**
   Reached the Wimbledon final twice and never won the title he rebuilt his game for.
5. **Pete Sampras**
   Won 14 majors but never the French Open, leaving the career Grand Slam incomplete.
6. **Phil Mickelson**
   Finished runner-up at the US Open six times, the one major missing from his career slam.
7. **Roger Federer**
   Never won Olympic singles gold and never held all four majors in one calendar year.
8. **Karl Malone**
   Second on the NBA all-time scoring list and finished a 19-year career without a ring.
9. **Charles Barkley**
   An MVP and Dream Teamer who never reached the summit of the NBA.
10. **Colin Montgomerie**
   Eight European order-of-merit titles and five major runner-up finishes, no major.
11. **Ted Williams**
   The last man to bat .400 and never got the World Series title he wanted.
12. **Ernie Banks**
   Two MVP awards and 512 home runs without a single postseason game.
13. **Stirling Moss**
   Sixteen Grand Prix wins and four straight runner-up seasons without a world title.
14. **Andy Roddick**
   Lost three Wimbledon finals to Roger Federer and finished with one major.
15. **Elgin Baylor**
   Reached eight NBA Finals with the Lakers and retired weeks before they finally won.
16. **Michelle Kwan**
   Nine US titles and five world titles, but silver and bronze at the Olympics.
17. **Jim Kelly**
   Took the Buffalo Bills to four straight Super Bowls and lost all four.
18. **Sergio Garcia**
   Waited 74 majors for a green jacket after a decade of near misses.
19. **Patrick Ewing**
   Carried the Knicks to the Finals twice in the Jordan era without winning.
20. **Raymond Poulidor**
   Finished on the Tour de France podium eight times and never wore the yellow jersey.

Tags: sports, athletes, legends, records, greatest-of-all-time