Latest news with #McEnroe
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
‘Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner would beat Rafael Nadal at his peak in French Open': John McEnroe
Tennis legend John McEnroe has sparked fresh debate in the tennis world by claiming that current stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz could be favoured to beat Rafael Nadal at his peak on clay—an extraordinary statement considering Nadal's unparalleled dominance at Roland Garros. McEnroe's comments before Alcaraz and Sinner played out one of the best Grand Slam finals in the open era added more value to his prediction skills. Alcaraz registered a thrilling five-set victory over World No. 1 Sinner in the French Open final on Sunday after coming back from 0-2 down. Speaking on TNT Sports, McEnroe lavished praise on the new generation of stars and made a bold comparison to the all-time greats. 'You would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favoured to beat Nadal, at his best,' McEnroe said. 'The tennis level right now is higher than I've ever seen.' Nadal has won a record 14 French Open titles and holds a staggering 112-4 career record at Roland Garros. His combination of relentless athleticism, clay-court mastery, and unmatched mental toughness has long been regarded as unassailable on the Parisian red dirt. But McEnroe believes that the quality of tennis currently being played by world No. 1 Sinner and three-time major winner Alcaraz has set a new bar. 'Do I think they're gonna reach 20, 24 [Grand Slam titles], either one of them? No, because that plateau is so hard,' McEnroe continued, referencing the staggering tallies achieved by Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic. 'But these two guys right now, it's like when you watch the NBA and you say nobody could be better than Michael Jordan.' Alcaraz's win on Sunday was a testament to the Spaniard's resilience and athleticism. Down two sets to love, he fought off three championship points against Sinner before coming back to win 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) in the longest final in French Open history. Sinner, who had already claimed the Australian Open and US Open, was aiming for his third straight Grand Slam title. 'These two kids have grown into incredible tennis players,' McEnroe said. 'They're fine young men and a credit to our game.' The seven-time Grand Slam champion added that while Alcaraz and Sinner now form a compelling rivalry, the men's game needs one or two more young stars to fully capture global attention. 'The third guy, to me it should be either Jack Draper or Ben Shelton. Francis Tiafoe may be a little bit old,' he said. 'In order for the sport to expand to that next level on the men's side, we need that other guy, possibly a fourth. We need a guy or two more to make it even more interesting.' McEnroe compared the current landscape to the tennis era he emerged from, when Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors dominated headlines and provided benchmarks for rising players. He noted that even Novak Djokovic began his career in the shadow of Federer and Nadal, using their success to fuel his own rise. With Alcaraz and Sinner now firmly established as generational talents, McEnroe believes a new golden era is dawning—one with the potential, he says, to eclipse even the most legendary names in the sport's history.
The Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- The Independent
John McEnroe claims Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner would beat Rafael Nadal ‘at his best'
John McEnroe has claimed that both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner would beat Rafael Nadal 'at his best' after the pair contested an extraordinary French Open final. Alcaraz roared back to win a remarkable match in five sets having saved three championship points late in the fourth to force a decider. A first grand slam final meeting between the two outstanding players of their generation is unlikely to be the last, with the Spaniard defending his French Open crown to continue a run of six straight majors won by the pair. Their emergence comes soon after the retirements of Nadal and long-time rival Roger Federer, with Novak Djokovic also likely to soon follow them in concluding his playing career as the three most successful male tennis players of all-time bow out in quick succession. Nadal's 22 grand slam titles included 14 triumphs at Roland Garros between 2005 and 2022 as the left-hander established himself as virtually unbeatable on the Paris clay courts. Three-time Wimbledon winner McEnroe believes, though, that Alcaraz and Sinner would both be a match for Nadal even in his prime. "You would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favoured to beat Nadal, at his best," McEnroe said on TNT Sports, speaking before the final epic. 'Do I think they're gonna reach 20, 24 [titles], either one of them? No, because that plateau is so hard. "But these two guys right now, it's like when you watch the NBA and you say nobody could be better than Michael Jordan. The tennis level right now is higher than I've ever seen.' Alcaraz won his fifth grand slam barely a month after his 22nd birthday, extending his advantage over Sinner in terms of tally of titles to two. The Italian had been hoping to add French Open success to major wins in Melbourne and New York, but found himself stunned having powered into a two-set lead. While the duo are clearly ahead of their contemporaries currently, McEnroe believes another player may yet rise to match them, with British No 1 Jack Draper among those he feels could do so. "These two kids have grown into incredible tennis players, they're fine young men and a credit to our game," the American explained. "The third guy, to me, it should be either Jack Draper, or Ben Shelton. Francis Tiafoe may be a little bit old. "I remember when I was growing up playing, Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors were the two greats and everyone talked about them. My goal was to get somewhere close to their level. 'Novak [Djokovic] was the same way when he played, it was always about Rafa [Nadal] and about Roger [Federer]. In order for the sport to expand to that next level on the men's side, we need that other guy, possibly a fourth. We need a guy or two more to make it even more interesting."
USA Today
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
John McEnroe reacted to Tom Thibodeau firing while announcing the French Open
John McEnroe reacted to Tom Thibodeau firing while announcing the French Open Many people were surprised to hear that the New York Knicks had fired head coach Tom Thibodeau, but very few of them were on TV as it happened. But when tennis legend John McEnroe heard the news, he was actively announcing the French Open in Paris on TNT. This, of course, is a rather difficult place to process that kind of information. But it was especially difficult for McEnroe, who is a longtime fan of the Knicks. The former No. 1 men's tennis player in the world was often spotted at Madison Square Garden supporting the Knicks during their recent playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they eventually lost to the Pacers. More: Tom Thibodeau didn't cost the Knicks a ring, but firing him makes sense During the broadcast, the camera panned to former NBA MVP point guard Derrick Rose, who was attending the tennis tournament. Rose played for Thibodeau with the Chicago Bulls from 2010 until 2015, then again with the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2018-19 campaign, and with the Knicks from 2021 until 2023. Rose was a fitting person to show as McEnroe thought about his favorite basketball team. "That's pretty harsh," said McEnroe. "That is a bummer." The Knicks will soon begin their search for their next head coach, and whoever is hired has very big shoes to fill in New York.
Forbes
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
John McEnroe Says He Never Officially Retired: ‘No Ceremony, No Nothing'
John McEnroe never officially retired from professional tennis and thus never had a send-off like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have enjoyed. 'I've never retired…No ceremony, no nothing,' the 66-year-old tennis legend said Thursday on TNT while broadcasting what could be Richard Gasquet's final match, against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros. As a serve-and-volley master with a unique left-handed service motion and incredible touch at the net, McEnroe won seven Grand Slam singles titles during his career and captured 77 singles titles overall, He still holds the men's record with 155 combined singles and doubles titles. His last major titles came in 1984 when he won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. He also held a two-sets-to-love lead on Ivan Lendl in the French Open final before collapsing and losing in five. In 1992, he told wife at the time, actress Tatum O'Neal, that if he didn't win a major that year, he would 'stay home with the kids.' 'Since I hadn't won a major for six, seven years leading into the year, something was telling me this was going to be my last year,' McEnroe said of the year he turned 33. That year, McEnroe reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the semifinals of Wimbledon and the round of 16 at the U.S. Open, 'Semis of Wimbledon, I lost to some young nobody named [Andre] McEnroe retired from the professional tour at the end of 1992. He ended his singles career ranked world No. 20. He played in one tournament in 1994 as a wildcard at the Rotterdam Open, losing in the first round. This was his last singles match on the ATP Tour. In his defense, Bjorn Borg, McEnroe's top rival, suddenly retired after losing to McEnroe in the 1981 U.S. Open final without making an announcement, and amid rumors of death threats. The Swedish legend walked off the court after shaking hands with McEnroe and thanking the chair umpire. He then quickly showered and escaped the stadium through the kitchen backdoor, jumping into a Volvo station wagon. Borg did make several aborted comeback attempts. Pete Sampras, meantime, never played again after beating Agassi to win the 2002 U.S. Open, and officially retired a year later. Told that tennis could still arrange a retirement ceremony 'at a pub down the road here' in Paris, McEnroe said, 'It might be a little late but I appreciate the thought.'
India Today
25-05-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Jack Draper is a big threat in French Open: John McEnroe backs British youngster
Tennis legend John McEnroe believes Great Britain's Jack Draper could be a major threat to the top contenders at the 2025 French Open. Although the 23-year-old has yet to progress past the opening round at Roland Garros - falling short in both 2023 and 2024 - McEnroe thinks Draper has the potential to challenge stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik took a major step forward in his career by reaching the semi-finals of the US Open, where he was defeated in straight sets by Alex de Minaur. Earlier this year, he made headlines by replacing 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic at No. 5 in the ATP rankings, becoming the first British player to break into the top five."I'm really impressed by Jack, his progress. I've got to say he's become extremely formidable. You know, he's another one of those guys to me after the two guys (Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner) and I think he's in Sinner's quarter, so that wouldn't make it as easy. But you know, he's a threat to anyone at this point,' McEnroe told Reuters. Also Read: French Open: Emma Raducanu reveals biggest needle phobia in back injury recoveryadvertisement"He's put himself in a position where, well, if he doesn't win (the French Open), he's certainly going to be one of the top couple of favourites at Wimbledon and he's going to be extremely difficult to beat. So he's put himself in a great position. 'I'm really impressed by his maturity and just his level the last year. So Jack's going to be doing some incredible things in the future,' McEnroe added. Draper recently played in the Madrid Open where Casper Ruud beat her in the semis. He crashed out in the Italian Open after losing to Carlos Alcaraz. Draper is scheduled to get his campaign underway in the French Open on Monday, May 26 against Mattia Bellucci of Italy in the first round.
