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LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 19: John McEnroe of the United States reacts during the mixed doubles match between John McEnroe of the United States and his partner Kim Clijsters of Belgium and Martina Navratilova of the United States and Jamie Murray of Great Britain during the Wimbledon No. 1 Court Celebration in support of the Wimbledon Foundation at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on May 19, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

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LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 19: John McEnroe of the United States reacts during the mixed doubles match between John McEnroe of the United States and his partner Kim Clijsters of Belgium and Martina Navratilova of the United States and Jamie Murray of Great Britain during the Wimbledon No. 1 Court Celebration in support of the Wimbledon Foundation at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on May 19, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
John McEnroe is undoubtedly one of the most unfiltered tennis legends of all time. His on-court outbursts were not the only thing that one needed to be aware of. He has always been able to express his views without any consideration of the criticism he might face. One such view comes from his book, “But Seriously” released in 2017. As Wimbledon is going in full swing, the fact that players needed to bow down in front of the royal box comes back into the limelight.
However, when that comes into the picture, John McEnroe’s unfiltered criticism also gains the spotlight. A proponent of hard work and talent, McEnroe did not mince his words questioning the merit of the royalty.
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John McEnroe dishes out harsh criticism of the bowing down rule at Wimbledon?
Seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe who garnered his fame because of his sheer talent mocked at the idea of bowing down to the royals. As the custom went, the players needed to bow down in front of the royal box. This did not sit well with the SuperBrat McEnroe.
So, he went all out with his emotions when he wrote his book, “But Seriously” in 2017. It triggered him more that the players were bowing in front of minor royals too. He wrote, “As for all the bowing and curtsying ? and we?re not just talking about the Queen here, we?re talking about some pretty minor royals ?what was all that about?”
McEnroe did not like it because birth was gaining supremacy over merit. He added, “This was the class system gone mad, the opposite of a meritocracy, where hard work is rewarded and people are respected because they?ve actually done something, not because they?ve been born on the right side of the tracks.” He went all out with his rant questioning the actual stars. He questioned,?”Who were the performers here? The players, right? So why were they bowing to someone else when they were about to provide the entertainment?”

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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – SEPTEMBER 26: Team World Captain John McEnroe speaks before Team Europe is presented with the Laver Cup trophy after defeating Team World 14-1 during Day 3 of the 2021 Laver Cup at TD Garden on September 26, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images for Laver Cup)
Though a custom, it eventually started acting like a rule. Eventually, this was not something very pleasing for McEnroe. He concluded with a harsh statement and said, “Those people in the Royal Box should think about bowing to them.”
Fortunately, this custom came to rest when in 2003 the authorities scraped this custom. It became optional as to whosoever felt like bowing could bow but this custom won’t be enforced. However, there are still some rules that players need to adhere to in front of the royalty.
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Nick Kyrgios faces the brunt of breaking a royalty-based rule at Wimbledon last year
During a grueling face-off against Novak Djokovic in the finals of the Wimbledon last year, things heated up. And as is the case with Nick Kyrgios, he is not very good at hiding his emotions. So, in the heat of the moment, he spoke some profanity in front of the royals including then-eight-year-old Prince George. Kyrgios lashed out after a female spectator distracted him from his serve.
However, recently he eventually lost a lawsuit filed by this woman for defamation too. Later on, he had to pay a fine of $4000 for using rash language in front of the royalty.
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What are your views about such certain royalty rules at Wimbledon? Let us know in the comments below.
WATCH THIS STORY: ?Don?t Mind Getting A Bit Dirty? ? Aussie Star Nick Kyrgios Explores The ?Roger Federer? Connection To Wimbledon And His Nasty Desire To Win
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