It seems John McEnroe can’t catch a breath anytime soon at the ongoing Wimbledon. Controversies are chasing him constantly, thanks to his commentating duties. Whether it’s mispronouncing players’ names or getting heat from Djokovic’s fans after trying to suggest that his career is over. It appears the 7-time slam champion and former ATP greatly struggles to control his raw opinions. As the grass major approaches its end, there’s been a lot of chatter growing louder about the ex-American pro’s commentary skills. However, not everyone has taken offense.

Recently, The Washington Post’s Sally Jenkins urged, “Please, someone in American television, break the McEnroe grip on tennis microphones,” read an Instagram post from Washington Post Sports on July 10. Doubling down on her criticism of McEnroe, Jenkins added, “Belching up words is not broadcasting, a craft John McEnroe never learned. Johnny Mac has become an entitled air quaffer, a lapsed past master turned trifler who refuses to work at it. Witness how he tends to butcher the names of anyone not ranked in the top five.”

However, it seems not everyone agrees with Jenkins’ opinion. Take, for example, American ATP star Frances Tiafoe’s girlfriend Ayan Broomfield. While defending McEnroe, she simply wrote in the comments, “Disagree. He is incredibly raw (which is refreshing) ,holds player accountable, and has an extremely unique insight on the sport.” She had more to say.

Replying to a user in the comments, she went on to explain how McEnroe provides an engaging experience for viewers with his insights and expertise. “He brings his UNPARALLELED on court experience, a familiar face, storytelling, and insights that the average commentator may not have access to.” Citing her own experience of listening to his commentary, Broomfield concluded, “I’ve heard interesting anecdotes from Laver Cup bts, Davis cups, locker rooms, etc. It’s a different analysis and I think it’s great for new and old tennis audiences.”

While Broomfield may have found the former American great “Unparalleled”, it seems majority of tennis fans don’t think so. In fact, they recently lashed out at him for giving a rude verdict on 24-time slam king Novak Djokovic over his career. But what happened exactly? Let’s take a recap from the semifinal stage.

John McEnroe’s disrespectful comments about Djokovic draws flak

Saturday saw Novak Djokovic taking on the World No.1 and Italian sensation Jannik Sinner. While fans were hoping for the Serbian to clear this obstacle and move into the final to lock in on his goal of a 25th slam, it didn’t happen. Unfortunately, the former World No.1 lost in straight sets.

Interestingly, this was the second-straight semifinal battle in a slam between Djokovic and Sinner, where the latter once again reigned supreme. During the 2025 French Open, too, the Italian bested him, crashing hopes of lifting a 25th major title. While Saturday’s result was heartbreaking for Djokovic’s supporters, what made things even worse was John McEnroe’s words.

During the match, when Djokovic found it hard to make a comeback against Sinner, McEnroe delivered a harsh verdict, claiming that the Serbian’s career was nearly over. And that he must soon announce his retirement. “He’s seeing a mirror image of himself from the past. Djokovic is feeling a pressure to do something he doesn’t normally have to do, which is take more risks. With Sinner it’s a different story.”

He further added, “There’s probably five things going on his mind. One is how do I get myself in this match? How do I use the crowd to my advantage? What can I do differently? Has my time passed? You get some evil thoughts in your head, even him.” Later, social media was abuzz with strong reactions to McEnroe’s comments.

But what about Djokovic himself? Does he also think it’s time to call it a day? One would assume yes. But him? Not at all. After losing the battle against Sinner, again, the Serbian simply said, “Hopefully it’s not my last match on the Centre Court. I’m not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today. So I’m planning to come back definitely at least one more time, play on the Centre Court for sure.” It will be intriguing to see how he makes a strong return to the court soon. Especially at the upcoming US Open tournament in New York.

Circling back to McEnroe, what do you have to say about his commentary and unfiltered takes on players? Let us know in the comments below. And don’t forget to follow the Championships in real-time with EssentiallySports’ Live Blog updates.