John McEnroe, champion of seven Grand Slam tournaments, sits down with MARCA to talk about the current edition of Roland Garros, Carlos Alcaraz and tennis. McEnroe is a commentator for Eurosport, which broadcasts Roland Garros entirely and exclusively.
Ask. Do you feel that tennis needed someone like Carlos Alcaraz, who seems like the natural replacement for the ‘Big Three’?
Response. Alcaraz is incredible, I still can’t believe how good he is anymore. He is the prototype player that only appears every 10 years like Rafa, Novak and Roger. I’ve never seen someone move like Carlos and he’s only 19 years old. It’s incredible what he shows in his leg, his energy… Tennis needs someone like him. Now it is necessary for an American to come out who can compete with him. Tennis is bigger in Europe than in the United States, mainly due to the fact that we haven’t had a men’s champion for a long time.
Q. Did you expect Novak Djokovic to come back so strong after missing the first part of the season by not wanting to get vaccinated?
R. Yes, at first it could affect the situation. What happened to him in Australia was horrible both for him and for our sport. Everyone took it for granted that he was going to win the Grand 21 in Australia and, suddenly, Rafa, his great rival, won it. These players play for history and be the greatest. Of course they like to win Rome too. Since he was deported in Australia, surely the only thing on his mind was being ready for Roland Garros. It has taken him a while to get in shape, but he is clearly on the up-line.
Since he was deported from Australia, Djokovic has been thinking about this tournament
Q. Nadal had asked the Roland Garros organization to play the quarters with Djokovic during the day. I will finally do it at night. Do you think he will have a decisive influence on the outcome of the match?
R. It could make a difference, but I remember that two years ago there was talk of the cold in October in Paris, I thought that the conditions were perfect for Djokovic because the ball bounces less, and then the result was what it was. It’s going to be cold, but he’s been cold the whole tournament, also during the day. It is clear that playing at night should favor Novak, we will see if that is the case or not.
P. Which is your favorite to win the current edition of the Gallic Open?
R. Djokovic is a bit more favorite than the others. Then Rafa and Alcaraz will come. In another group he will put Zverev. Nobody talks about Ruud, but he is a great player on clay. His problem is inexperience in these final rounds. He thought that Tsitsipas could have the moment for him, but he has been able to put pressure on him.
P. Nadal hinted that the match with Dokovic could be his last at Roland Garros in case of defeat.
R. He plays every game like it’s his last. I’ve been hearing that for 15 or 20 years. It seems like every match can be the last and then it isn’t, that’s why it’s so big. Nobody has a better attitude than him and only Connors trained so much.
I’ve been hearing for 15 years that it could be Nadal’s last match
P. Do you see tennis players like Tsitsipas or Zverev mentally lazy to take over from the ‘Big Three’?
R. They know that Nadal, Federer and Djokovic are legends and they feel intimidated. All of us in tennis must be involved in its promotion when the big three retire. Serena Williams has been the best player in history and I don’t think she has used her enough for the promotion of tennis in the United States. I feel like it’s still too expensive for families to take their kids out to play.
Q. What is your opinion that Wimbledon does not allow the Russians and Belarusians to participate?
R. I do not agree. It is not understood that two top 10 cannot play. Russian tennis players know that if they say something against their country they risk 15 years in prison. That’s what I’ve heard. It is normal that they do not say anything and that they are afraid that some members of their families will pay for it. There are four weeks left and I hope something changes.
Q. Will you play the tournament if you don’t get points?
R. I will play, but I consider that removing the points is another mistake. Wimbledon is not an exhibition. When I was a child I saw it as the most important tournament in the world. Everyone loses.
Q. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Wimbledon?
It is normal that Russian tennis players do not talk about the war, and that they are afraid that their families will pay for it
R. The final is coming up with Borg. When they talk to me about Wimbledon, they always talk about that particular match. It was a match that changed my career and I felt it despite losing. It made me a better player because I realized that he needs to improve, he needs to be stronger mentally. The press put me on pretty well and the fans applauded me a lot.
P. Which players of the new generation do you see with a chance of winning at the All England Club?
R. . Alcaraz, Aliassime, Shapovalov, Rune, although the Dane is more of a clay court. A year ago, I met Carlos next to Ferrero in New York, and I asked him if he would learn to play on a hard court and he replied: “calm down”. And now look at what he has done in just five months of competition. It is a bit the example among the young.
