ESPN staff 4y

Fan vote: Rafael Nadal at French Open vs Floyd Mayweather as a pro

Tennis, Boxing

Welcome to ESPN's fan vote, where you, the reader and sports fan, will decide which individual or team has been the most dominant in the 21st century. 

In our third quarter-final, we have the King of Clay Rafael Nadal squaring up against arguably 21st century's greatest professional boxer, Floyd Mayweather Jr. 

(Please vote in the poll at the bottom of this page to decide the winner.)

Rafael Nadal at French Open (2005-present)

Imagine winning a Grand Slam on debut. Imagine preventing Roger Federer, one of the greatest players ever, from completing a Career Grand Slam (winning all four majors at least once) not once, not twice, but four times in succession. Imagine doing that to Novak Djokovic, another GOAT contender, three years in a row.

Imagine winning that Grand Slam 12 out of the 15 times you've played it, racking up a ridiculous 93-2 win-loss record in the process. Imagine doing all this while facing the pressure of expectations so heavy that anything less than winning that tournament is taken to mean you are finished.

That is Rafael Nadal's record at the French Open.

Floyd 'Money' Mayweather as a pro (2000-2015)

'Men lie... women lie... numbers DON'T lie.' After medalling at the 1996 Atalanta Olympics, featherweight American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. went professional. And as a pro, he has never been beaten. Fifty bouts. Fifty wins. Twenty-seven knockouts.

He started as 'Pretty Boy' and soon became 'Money', having beaten all comers, including Manny Pacquiao, one of the greatest professional boxers of all time, in the 'Fight of this Century'. Mayweather is a bonafide pound-for-pound great, one of the best defensive boxers of all time and one of the very few to hang up his gloves undefeated.

(If the poll doesn't load, click here to try again. The poll will close at 9 AM IST on Thursday, July 9)

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