Just two days ago, John McEnroe was under fire again for saying something inappropriate on air. And really, should anyone be surprised? This is the same man who spent decades making headlines with a racket in his hand. Now he just needs a microphone. McEnroe may have left the court years ago, but he clearly has not lost his talent for stirring controversy.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Speaking on Tennis Insider Club, McEnroe reflected on how much his relationship with commentary has changed. For years, he hated one comparison more than anything. “At first, for 10 years, I was pissed. It’s like, ‘God damn it, don’t tell me I’m a better commentator. This is bu****t.'”
Eventually, though, he began to see the job differently. “A commentator is like you baking a beautiful chocolate cake. That’s the players. The commentators, maybe if you put a little icing on top and if you do a good job, you make it a little more interesting, hopefully, for the people watching. But ultimately, it doesn’t really matter what you say. So that’s a pretty nice thing. And then you start to appreciate… I was able to appreciate things I wasn’t appreciating before.”
He began his broadcasting career with NBC in 1992, first working as an analyst during the French Open before making his Wimbledon commentary debut that same year. Over the years, he worked with CBS, USA and the BBC before becoming one of ESPN’s most recognizable tennis voices.
McEnroe also admitted that the praise eventually stopped bothering him. “I feel proud of where I’ve ended up. That’s a good thing. I feel good. Like, people used to come up to me all the time. They’d go, ‘You’re an incredible commentator. You’re a better commentator than you were a tennis player.’ Whoa, whoa… hang on there for a second. You know, I did win seven majors, and I did win a fair amount.”
Then came the realization. “I was like, ‘Wait a minute. If they’re saying that, it’s really about perspective. It’s a big compliment, right?’ So then I was like, ‘Hey, I must be a pretty good commentator if they’re saying I’m better than I was at tennis.’ So it’s all about the way you look at it, ultimately.”
McEnroe now seems far more at ease with where his second career has taken him. But being comfortable behind the microphone has not made the role any less controversial.
John McEnroe Keeps Landing in Trouble Behind the Mic
McEnroe’s willingness to speak his mind is part of what made him such a compelling player. It is also what continues to get him into trouble in the booth.
At last year’s US Open, his remarks toward a court attendant drew significant backlash. During Novak Djokovic’s quarterfinal against Taylor Fritz, McEnroe referred to an older staff member delivering restrung rackets as “grandma” and added, “Good time for her age group.”
The staff member, Susan Perkins, later described the comments as hurtful and dismissive, explaining that she had simply been doing her job.
The controversy was not an isolated incident…
At this year’s tournament, McEnroe again became a target of fan frustration. His sarcastic comment to Mariano Navone after the Argentine stunned Djokovic—telling him he would be playing his second round on “Court 21”- was widely mocked, particularly because there is no Court 21 at the US Open.
His commentary during Learner Tien’s five-set victory over Jakub Mensik also sparked criticism. Viewers took issue with what they perceived as his preference for Mensik, especially after the booth suggested the match was essentially over following the third-set tiebreak. Tien ultimately fought back to win, but the conversation afterward quickly shifted toward McEnroe.
Still, none of this is entirely new…
McEnroe has faced criticism over remarks involving Emma Raducanu, Nicolas Jarry and Iga Swiatek in recent years. Even he has acknowledged that some criticism is fair, once admitting, “I’ve said far worse, believe me.”
Yet he has never suggested that he intends to become someone else behind the microphone.
Perhaps that is the point. McEnroe spent his playing career refusing to hide his personality. Now, decades later, he is doing much the same in the commentary booth… only with considerably less shouting.
And after years of being angry at the comparison, McEnroe finally seems comfortable with the idea that his second act might be just as memorable as his first.