ZACH COHEN: Clayton Kershaw
Nothing against the brilliant careers of Nadal or Messi, but the best case can be made for Kershaw. (Harden is excellent, too, but he hasn't had the long-term success of the other three.) Despite his struggles in the postseason, Kershaw's earned run average (ERA) hasn't touched 3.00 since his rookie season. In six of the last seven Major League Baseball seasons, he’s had an ERA of less than 2.50. When the Los Angeles Dodgers give him the ball, the team is expecting a win. It's a fascinating amount of pressure to deal with, but he has had no trouble remaining practically un-hittable.
ASHLEY NDEBELE: Rafael Nadal
The fact that Nadal's uncle Toni had the vision to coach the right-handed Nadal to play as a lefty is remarkable in itself. The Spaniard embraced Uncle Toni's idea and transformed his lefty hand into a lethal weapon. He won his first Grand Slam at Roland Garros on his first try two days after turning 19, and has won a total of 16 Majors (second most in history for a male player). He has won at least one Slam since 2005 (save for 2015-2016). While Kershaw, Messi, and Harden have excelled in their respective fields, Nadal's stats speak for themselves.
JOEL DRUCKER: Rafael Nadal
Nadal. Plays every minute of every game. No relief pitchers to close it out. No teammates to gather rebounds. No power plays. No in-game coaching. A tennis player is pitcher and catcher, guard and center, goalie and forward—often all on one point, in a matter of seconds. The tennis player is also the head coach and team owner.
About Tough Call:
In Tough Call, our TC Live panelists debate the toughest questions in tennis. Is Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal the GOAT? Who would win between 2007 Serena Williams and 2017 Serena Williams? On court coaching - yes or no? Tennis is a competitive, one on one sport. In Tough Call our experts debate - and our viewers decide who wins.
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