‘You’re Not the Same Player’- John McEnroe Once Compared Novak Djokovic to Tiger Woods After His Slump

John McEnroe has often come under scrutiny for his opinions on tennis players. It was the same case when he compared Novak Djokovic to golf legend Tiger Woods while talking about the downward trajectory of the Serb due to off-court distractions.

The former world no.1 and 7-time Grand Slam champion commented on Djokovic in 2017 when the Serbian player was going through a slump and was not winning any major titles.

When John McEnroe compared Djokovic with Tiger Woods

The American tennis legend faced a heavy backlash from tennis enthusiasts for comparing the playing status of Djokovic with Tiger Woods. He said, “If you’re distracted you’re not the same player.” McEnroe added, “The person that comes to mind immediately with Novak is not a tennis player, it’s actually a golfer: Tiger Woods.” 

He compared the two players, as Djokovic had mentioned some personal issues that bothered the player during that time. McEnroe said, “When he (Woods) had the issues with his wife and then he seemed to go completely off the rails and has never been even close to being the same player.” He added, “So we’re starting to say: ‘Wait a minute, is this possible with him (Djokovic)?”

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From Wimbledon 2015 to French Open 2016, Djokovic won all four grand slam titles simultaneously. However, after that, the player faced a slump. He did not win any major in 2017 and won his next grand slam title at the 2018 Wimbledon.

How is Novak Djokovic prevailing in 2022?

The legendary Serb faced many challenges since the beginning of this year. Djokovic was banned from participating in the Australian Open 2022 because of his vaccination status. Following that, he also missed several ATP tours in the US for the same reason. The 21-time Grand Slam champion did not fare well at the French Open as well, losing against his arch-rival Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals.

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However, he came back fighting and won the Wimbledon 2022 in domineering fashion. With his hopes of participating in the US Open dwindling, Djokovic may have to wait until next year’s Australian Open to equal Nadal’s majors tally.