John McEnroe is famous for being spontaneous. Obviously, it doesn’t mean that he played his matches without focus. It just shows that the legendary former player is multi-talented. One of the classic incidents in which the eight-time Grand Slam champion flaunted his witty and humorous side was at the Wimbledon Championships in 1999.

The veteran was playing alongside Steffi Graf in the mixed doubles category of the Wimbledon Championships at that time. And during one of their matches, he intrigued spectators by making Graf chuckle mid-match. Here are the details of the incident.

What did McEnroe say to make Graf laugh?

The legendary duo was playing against Jeff Coetzee and Eva Melicharova in Centre Court for a seat in the second round. During the match, the audience witnessed one of the rare moments when the calm and composed Graf laughed in front of the world’s media and suffered from a fit of giggles. 

To lighten the mood of the audience, post the American-German duo’s match, interviewers asked, “Steffi, at the first change, John cracked you up. What did he say?” To which McEnroe responded, “I’m the greatest player of all time. That brought a big laugh from her.”

Further, he added, “I think it was looking at that girl’s (Melicharova’s) serve. She needs a little work on that.” “Don’t say that,” requested the 22-time Grand Slam champion Graf. 

Top Stories

Rafael Nadal Faces New Injury Blow Only a Year After His Emotional Tennis Exit

Taylor Townsend Makes Unexpected Coaching Call After Career-Defining Success

Roger Federer Sparks Comeback Frenzy After Huge Australian Open Announcement

Andy Roddick’s Sudden Return to the Court Turns Heads 13 Years After Retirement

Coco Gauff’s Vision Pays Off as Two Tennis Influencers Achieve Major Breakthrough

However, regardless of her plea, McEnroe went ahead and detailed. “She changed it (the serve) mid-match. We held back. It was the crowd, wasn’t it? Steffi was laughing. I wasn’t.”

Read more: “It Wasn’t Good Enough to Release It “- John McEnroe Details Why His Music Album Never Hit the Stores.

What are John McEnroe and Graf up to these days?

The German tennis legend since her retirement is keeping a low profile and barely makes any public appearances. She tied the knot with Andre Agassi in 2001 and is currently focusing on her family. However, Graf has made occasional appearances to help Agassi’s foundation, which focuses on improving at-risk children’s life in Nevada. 

Watch this story: John McEnroe, Boris Becker and Others in the Most Shocking Moments of Wimbledon Championships.

Speaking of McEnroe, the former World no.1 is still maintaining his bond with the sport. He now uses his knowledge and experiences in his role as a commentator. He covers several ATP events, especially the Grand Slams, for channels such as ESPN, CBS, NBC, etc.