John McEnroe is no stranger to controversy, and once again, the American legend found himself in the spotlight during the 2026 Australian Open coverage. McEnroe’s commentary, marked by exaggeration and off-the-cuff remarks, has faced increasing criticism, with fans questioning his preparation and perceived bias toward top players. This time, the 7x major champion went completely off-script during Carlos Alcaraz’s second-round clash at the AO.

While commentating on ESPN alongside Mike Monaco during Alcaraz’s match against Yannick Hanfmann, McEnroe momentarily appeared to forget the sport he was covering.

What began as a routine promotional plug for upcoming NHL games quickly turned into an unexpected and, in McEnroe’s own words, “depressing” rant. It all started when Monaco referred to reports suggesting the Rangers were entering “sell mode” amid a disastrous season. McEnroe immediately cut in. “I saw that, that’s really depressing. What is going on with the Rangers?”

Instead of returning focus to the action unfolding at Rod Laver Arena, the commentary duo stayed on New York’s struggles. John McEnroe openly lamented the Rangers’ recent decisions, including the departure of former captain Jacob Trouba.

“They’re getting rid of all their guys. He was their captain.”

He kept on speaking on a completely different subject during this nail-biting contest, where Carlos Alcaraz defeated Yannick Hanfmann by 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-2. However, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen McEnroe raise eyebrows with his actions during commentary.

John McEnroe’s latest moment only adds to a growing list of on-air controversies.

From mispronouncing players’ names at Wimbledon to factual errors during US Open commentary to drawing backlash for insensitive remarks about injured players (recently, McEnroe said Holger Rune was “eating humble pie” after a torn Achilles’ injury), the former world number one has frequently found himself at odds with fans.

His commentary during Carlos Alcaraz’s matches, in particular, has previously drawn criticism, including during the 2024 French Open and earlier Wimbledon appearances. At the French Open, he was accused of talking incessantly during the third-round match between Alcaraz and Korda.

At Wimbledon, his bizarre remark about Nicolas Jarry sparked major discontent among the fans.

But despite the distraction in the commentary box during this second-round battle at the 2026 AO, Alcaraz remained unfazed on court. With this win against Hanfmann, the Spaniard will now take on Corentin Moutet in the third round. But what did Alcaraz say after the match?

John McEnroe’s commentary mishap fails to dampen Carlos Alcaraz’s on-court heroics

While John McEnroe once again tried to ensure that the conversation off court was almost as loud as the tennis itself, Carlos Alcaraz produced yet another brilliant performance.

Amid the commentary noise, the world number one delivered another composed and clinical performance to stay firmly on track at the 2026 AO. Alcaraz’s bid to complete a Career Grand Slam faced its sternest test yet on Wednesday, as Yannick Hanfmann pushed him hard in a bruising opening set.

The German came out fearless, racing to an early break and matching Alcaraz shot for shot from the baseline. In a gripping 78-minute first set, the longest Alcaraz has ever played at a Grand Slam, the Spaniard had to dig deep before finally pulling clear in the 7-6(4) break.

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But once Carlos Alcaraz found his rhythm, the momentum shifted decisively, and we saw him wrapping up the other two sets in a much quicker time. What did the Spaniard say after this hard-fought victory?

“I didn’t see myself [as having played] that well. But then, after talking to my team, I realized I played better than I thought, which I think is great. Obviously, I’m still getting used to the conditions and to playing better. I think in front of me, I just played against a great player today. But just happy that I’m improving every day after every match. So hopefully being better in the next round.”

So while John McEnroe’s off-script moment briefly stole attention in the commentary box, it was Carlos Alcaraz’s authority on court that ultimately dominated the narrative. What are your thoughts about McEnroe’s commentary and Alcaraz’s performance in this match?