John McEnroe (New York, 1959) answers questions with the same intensity with which he returned the ball on the court. The former number one is part of the team of experts for the 2026 Australian Open that can be followed in its entirety, live and exclusively, through HBO Max and the Eurosport channels. A legend who confesses to being an admirer of Alcaraz and Nadal.
How will his divorce with Ferrero affect Alcaraz? Do you see him mature to move forward without him?
These are two very good questions for which no one has the answer. As for the second, I think it is mature enough. He seems like a very mature boy for his age. I’m a little superstitious and a big believer in not changing a winning formula, and this one was, without a doubt, a very winning one, so I was surprised. When I found out I said: “What? What just happened? Why did this happen?” I don’t know the details, but I believe Juan Carlos has three children and has spent a lot of time away from his family. Maybe he didn’t want to be away so much anymore, I don’t know. What I am clear about is that he will have many offers from other players to train them. Of course, it will be difficult for him to achieve what he just achieved with Carlos. It’s going to be very interesting to see what happens. Juan Carlos was very much on top of what Alcaraz was doing, even during the games, something that seemed incredible to me for someone with as much quality as him, but it worked for them.
Can you be as friends as Sinner and Alcaraz are and fight with everything on the track afterwards?
Of my three biggest rivals, did I get along with Ivan (Lendl)? Well, we respected each other, but I can’t say we were good friends. Connors? No. But Björn Borg and I never had any problems. We always got along well and he was surely my biggest rival. So the answer is yes. Fans like to see a little friction, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
As a tennis fan, do you miss Rafa Nadal?
Without a doubt, I miss it. Jimmy Connors was the player I saw trying the most on a court until Rafa appeared. The two of them have meant more to this sport than most. Simply because of that ability to play each point as if it were the last one you will play in your life, and that is almost impossible to imitate. I remember looking in the mirror and saying, Am I trying as hard as Jimmy Connors? And usually the answer was no, and I thought I was trying pretty hard. I know that the players who have faced Rafa over the last 20 years think the same.
He won everyone and they respect him…
How could this guy go out on the court and be humble and competitive at the same time? It is very difficult as an athlete to have the total respect of the locker room. That alone was one of the most incredible things I had the privilege of seeing during Rafa’s career. In his matches he transmitted brutal energy. You knew what he was feeling on the court, he expressed himself as he was, and that is all you can demand of an athlete. You could never ask for more than what he gave.
What do you think of what they have called the battle of the sexes?
Those matches Billie Jean King played 50 years ago did more for women’s tennis than anything else. And thanks to that, over time women were allowed to have a better distribution of prize money. Now, for me, in the last thirty years it has become something of a spectacle; It seems that there is more marketing than anything else in these mixed matches. It’s like, “oh, we have to make Kyrgios play against Sabalenka, because it’s good for tennis.” And it may be, but I’m not sure this is the path to explore. Everything looked strange: Nick’s side of the court was smaller, they played with only one serve… If they really wanted to match it, why didn’t Sabalenka have two serves? The truth is that I don’t know what to think about it. I chose to stay out of it. I’d rather that if some female player comes along and says, “I can beat the men,” then they should be allowed to play on the men’s circuit. Let him play for one or two years and see how it goes.
Which player do you see winning a Grand Slam beyond Sinner and Alcaraz?
Beyond Djokovic, I would target Musetti. He has had bad luck. At Roland Garros, for example, he was injured when he was playing at a very high level, and that slowed him down. Now he seems to be back to where he was. It seems that mentally and physically he is getting closer to the best. Now, with his ranking, he could avoid some of the big boys until the later rounds. The key for him would be not having to face Sinner or Alcaraz until the semi-finals, although there is always the possibility of running into Djokovic. It’s not entirely clear where Novak stands, but to win a major you usually have to beat two or three of these players. And that is a lot to ask. That’s why it’s so hard to imagine who will be next to win their first Major. If not Carlos or Jannik, who? Does Djokovic still have enough to lift one more? And then names like Musetti, Draper appear… Zverev is another unknown. Ben Shelton would also be in that group. And then there is Bublik, who is suddenly “top10” in the world. I don’t think there are many players wanting to cross paths with him.
Is Djokovic in time to win another Grand Slam?
He has an almost surreal record in Australia, almost as good as Rafa’s at Roland Garros. So until you decide to hang up your racket, it’s hard to say you can’t do it. All players have bad days, and that doesn’t mean that if your rivals are at their best, you can’t beat them. But that doesn’t guarantee that your opponents will always play at their best. Therefore, you never know what can happen. What does seem clear is that if Carlos and Jannik are fit, they will continue to face each other in finals for quite some time.
Sinner and Alcaraz are the new dimension of tennis…
I think Alcaraz is an extraordinary representative of what, for me, both children and adults should try to imitate: the joy he brings to the game, his smile, his attitude and his style of play. He’s a great contrast to Sinner and brings out the best in both of them. Rivalries of this type are needed. We are very lucky that these two players emerged just when we lost Roger, Rafa and Novak. In the United States today, everything revolves around American football. There is no talk of tennis. In my country we need, for example, a player like Shelton or someone with his personality and playing style who creates a fan following.
Is there too much technology in today’s tennis?
Nothing is perfect, not even the electronic refereeing system. If there was a system where every decision was correct, that would be a huge advantage… I would probably have more hair on my head. Many times people value the human component, that interaction with the chair umpire. From my playing days, people remember me more for that than for my game. In a one-on-one sport you need personality and you have to find it somehow. It does not mean that it should be shouted at a referee, but it does mean that technology cannot replace everything. I am old school and I don’t analyze statistics like others, although it is not bad to do so.
