Just two days ago, when Novak Djokovic suffered a shock opening-round loss to Mariano Navone, John McEnroe was quick to weigh in on the Argentine. But his comments, which appeared to overlook Navone’s growing profile, didn’t sit well with many fans. Now, just 48 hours later, McEnroe is facing scrutiny again, this time over his take on Alexander Zverev’s first-round opponent.
With the Arthur Ashe crowd buzzing under the night lights, Zverev made the first move, taking the opening set against Sonego. But Sonego turned the match around with a 6-3, 7-6 comeback in the next two sets. That’s when McEnroe chimed in with a comment that once again caught attention.
He overlooked Sonego’s credentials during the match and commented, “Sonego, not very well known. But he’s competing well,” McEnroe said on the broadcast.
And given the resume Sonego brings to the court, McEnroe’s take might not tell the whole story. The World No. 89 has pulled off some major upsets in his career. At the 2020 Vienna Open, Sonego entered as a lucky loser and stunned Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-1, handing the Serb one of the heaviest defeats of his career. He also owns a career win over Carlos Alcaraz, beating the Spaniard in their 2021 meeting. Since then, Sonego has won two Davis Cup titles with Italy.
The Italian also reached a career-high No. 21 ranking and made the Australian Open quarterfinals in 2025 after beating Stan Wawrinka, Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien.
Now at the US Open, Sonego once again showed why he can be a dangerous opponent. He pushed Zverev hard, taking the second and third sets to force the German into a decider. Yet during the match, McEnroe appeared to overlook the Italian’s achievements.
The remark quickly caught the attention of fans, especially given Sonego’s history of making deep runs and pulling off major upsets.
John McEnroe’s commentary draws backlash
The internet chatter has largely moved away from the game and now targets the ESPN broadcast booth, where McEnroe’s words have become a hot topic.
“Let’s turn @espn’s coverage of the @usopen into a drinking game. Take a shot every time John McEnroe mispronounces Zverev’s name,” one fan wrote, pointing at McEnroe’s mispronunciation of the German’slast name as ‘Zuh-rev.”
It was one of several posts venting frustration at the veteran commentator’s presence during a match already testing viewers’ patience at this hour, as the Zverev vs Sonego showdown stretched past 1 am.
“The GOOD news if Zverev loses tonight is that we won’t have to listen to John McEnroe mispronounce his name 629299 times a match,” another fan wrote.
Moreover, some fans pointed to a pattern in McEnroe’s commentary, arguing that he often takes jabs at lower-ranked players. On Sunday, after Navone stunned Djokovic, McEnroe was heard saying, “You’ll be playing your second round on Court-21. We wish you the best.”
The comment came in the context of the US Open’s scheduling, where high-profile matches are typically played on Arthur Ashe Stadium. With Djokovic as his opponent, Navone had naturally earned a spot on Flushing Meadows’ biggest court.
Still, McEnroe’s commentary has continued to draw scrutiny, with fans calling him out for mispronouncing players’ names and making comments about their popularity. One fan even took issue with the amount of time McEnroe spends on the microphone during matches.
“John McEnroe has not stopped talking for the 7 minutes this matches has started,” one viewer posted just a few minutes into the match, while another went further stating, “@espn I will never watch another tennis match that John McEnroe is calling. HE NEVER STOPS TALKING. Any thought he has he says and it never ends ITS BEEN 40 YEARS. Please no more #JohnMcEnroe.”
“It’s like John McEnroe forgets we’re even here and just rambles!! I can’t take it!! If he’s not gonna retire can they AT LEAST move him to daytime matches?!? #USOpen,” one fan wrote, floating a scheduling fix rather than a retirement.
McEnroe’s comments have now given fans another reason to question his presence in the broadcast booth. From repeatedly mispronouncing Zverev’s name to appearing to downplay Sonego’s credentials, the four-time US Open champion has drawn plenty of frustration from viewers. Regardless, commentary is one thing every fan tunes in for, and a slip from a high-profile commentator is bound to attract frustration among fans.