JOHN MCENROE Compares 80s Tennis to NOW

[@nordattack]

I enjoyed how Andy and Mac both acknowledged the impact of Technology (Rackets and Strings) on the modern game. Mac being the last player to win with wood was also an amazing fact.

[@Tennisisreallyfun]

Watching Andy and John tearing down pickleball is the best thing to happen to me today😂

[@pauljohnmarcelino2121]

and yet they play it. They have pb slam 3 coming up. Go figure 🤣

[@pauljohnmarcelino2121]

and yet they still play it and they pb slam 3 coming up. Go figure 😅

[@donaldbraugh2314]

@@Tennisisreallyfun John plays PB, so take it as a testament to the largeness of tennis compared to the simple pleasure of Pickleball

[@grantmm01]

Same.😂❤

[@billydurham4143]

@@pauljohnmarcelino2121 money

[@barry4312]

I really appreciate Andy’s Edberg references. He drops them every once in a while and they’re like these understated sleeper references the same way Edberg was an understated sleeper player because of his calm and stoic nature, but a total legend in his own right, which (I think) Andy is himself making a point of acknowledging with the deliberate little Edberg nuggets he drops every few months. Piece of relatively obscure tennis trivia. Edberg is the only junior player ever to win all 4 slams in a calendar year - 1983.

[@ApKH221]

And one of the few male players to win Wimbledon as a junior and as a senior

[@decide2think]

Great conversation on tennis. Keep it up. Do more of this… it’s actually interesting… especially to those who’ve followed tennis for decades like me!

[@KarmaticEvolution]

Something that doesn’t get brought up enough is that in Federer’s career, he had to adjust the game changing from from serve & volley to grinding baseline game + the technology change in racquet’s increasing in size and string availability. YET he still managed to win 20 Grand Slams! It’s not as straight-forward as people like to make-it but I do admit Novak is still probably the better tennis player, Fed is the King of Tennis.

[@JAM-fm8lt]

Fed was only king of weakest men's era in tennis. Like Connors said that every body is jumping on the band wagon of Fed and Nadal but they weren't even best in their own era.

[@alexellz]

@@JAM-fm8ltpretty uninformed. Idk what your competitive experience is but that’s an unfounded claim. To rise to the top in any era is remarkable. To do it for that long puts you in your own league.

[@JAM-fm8lt]

@alexellz You are calling connors who won 8 GS pretty uninformed. Every unbiased single tennis players and unbiased lover of tennis who believe in merits and results would say the same. I agree that rise to the top is remarkable in any era. But fact doesn't change that Fed was better than everyone when he came out and won most of his GS beating no one. Then Nadal came in, and he was better than Fed, and then Joker came in, and he was/is better than both of them.

[@user-wd7ue1wd6r]

We tards always like to glaze and drool all over our guy at every damn opportunity. 😂 if we don't have an opportunity, we create one 💪 Go roger, you are THE KING of tennis, whatever that means 🤗😇

[@KarmaticEvolution]

@@user-wd7ue1wd6r Think about it this way, in UFC it doesn't matter who is the best, it matters who people like to watch more and they get the bigger contracts and money. We do not know if Federer had his career start when larger racquets and poly strings were already a thing if he would have won the most Grand Slams, but we know the majority of people love to watch him over most players, if not all. There are ways to figure out how to win and yes, that should matter most in comparing players. But the game changed so much with the technology and speed of the courts and he adapted to it all while doing it with style and grace, he is the KING! 👑😎

[@alexobed4252]

Mac is and has always been one of the most interesting people to listen to regarding tennis.

[@WesleyWattley-xy4fg]

On court stressed out!🎅 🎾 🎄🥂

[@michaelbush58]

Jimbo

[@jm7804]

Yes. His knowledge of the game is vast....just don't get him started on women's tennis. 🤣🤣🤣

[@rhodarobertson9835]

There see a lot more players I would rather listen to than the mighty John McEnroe. McEnroes head is up.his lown Ass he thinks he was a first class player, he wasn't it all depended on the mood he was in if his tantrums would be seen he was nothing but a bad boy of tennis. He was certainly a good player if the mood was right but usually his bad manners showed him up as a Brat.

[@Msadlo]

Great pod! Tennis needs to get more media savvy ..... and fan friendly.... need more guys like John who are generous with their love for the game!

[@TraxxasNetwork]

I can't believe this podcast hasn't blown up yet... all in good time.

[@denisecasalino9295]

Why?

[@wolfgangmarkusgstrein8522]

Shut up mr knows and hates all

[@sachadevelle]

What a great conversation 🎉

[@datapro007]

I love hearing John's analysis.

[@Molloy1951]

Is there any tennis legend more charismatic than McEnroe? If there is, I don’t know them.

[@lawrence1318]

Connors was.

[@anwealde]

Alice Marble

[@andrea-v2s]

imo the most charismatic tennis legend is Jimmy Connors

[@ROBERTORRRR1]

Yes it’s Monica Bellucci playing tennis in any tennis club

[@Sanctified57]

@@andrea-v2sNah! Mac anytime

[@donaldbraugh2314]

I enjoy the best of Mac. Let him sit in comfortably and say what's in his intuitive nature. He was an artist and has good insight seldom matched except by maybe the less talkative but equally insightful Ivan Lendl.

[@martybaggenmusic]

Just found this channel.... WONDERFUL!

[@sharonmiddelchylde2638]

John, your matches are still great to watch.

[@bradleye3108]

Andy has a GREAT podcast!!

[@johnbarroll1120]

Rod laver would clean the current crop up. I miss wooden rackets, the sound of the ball is so soothing and relaxing to watch.

[@davidhunternyc1]

Andy is really smart. He knows the ins and outs of tennis at a microscopic level that most of us do not. As much as I love listening to Andy's commentary here I would love to see Andy have a second hoorah in tennis... as a coach. Pick a player, any player, and coach them to a Major win. Yes, it's a full time job but Andy has got the mentality for it. You only live once. Go for it, Andy.

[@mrporsche4236]

The oldies would smash the modern players if they played today

[@GregoryWhite-dc1tw]

I've been playing and watching tennis since the 60's. I absolutely adore the faster modern game. And John McEnroe...

[@donaldbraugh2314]

The strings the strings the strings. Forget the strokes, the rackets. The strings changed it all in 1997 at the French Open Final with Guga winning with Poly. Also Agassi spoke about the string issue in his autobio. Transformed his shotmaking. He was incredulous

[@RamZar50]

John is so right about the huge advancement of racket and string technology. I still have an old racket from the 1970s. The string area is TINY! It’s also why women’s game has advanced into being watchable (outside of the great Evert-Navratilova rivalry). Also, the players are fitter. However, the truly great players are just so mentally tough now and then.

[@RLP69guitar]

Wood racket, yes 😅, I played Donnay Bjorn Borg, but I always cheered for McEnroe in finals vs Borg😉. My friend played Dunlop Tournament with natural gut String. I played blue synthetic strings- because it was much cheaper and my topspin on clay killed the strings weekly. All over I would say: more athletic and better material makes today playing so fast.

[@peterbedford2610]

Just watched Nasty and Tanner play. Amazing tennis to watch.

[@bigdaddy812]

I’m surprised players don’t volunteer or tend to talk much about the raquets and the love they have for them. Maybe they are indifferent to the equipment because the top companies all make great sticks. But it would be cool to hear them talk in more detail on why they prefer one brand or model over another.

[@bonglesnodkins329]

Agassi's career slumped after he made a deal to use Donnay racquets rather than his preferred Prince. At one point he even played with a Prince Graphite Oversize that had been blacked out and rebranded to look like a Donnay, to keep contractual obligations.

[@igorvorona3593]

The last tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles title using a wooden racket was Yannick Noah. He achieved this feat at the 1983 French Open, where he defeated Mats Wilander in the final. This victory marked the end of the wooden racket era, as graphite and composite rackets became the standard in professional tennis shortly thereafter.

[@DreamWatcher-h1j]

You sure?

[@fb30xhk]

Thanks for pointing this out

[@Carlos27thFS]

No, his racquet was a graphite La Coq Sportif concept 3.

[@markthomas3730]

wrong. Noah was using a graphite composite racket at that time...

[@BrianJensen-hq5xj]

McEnroe vs Connors. Nothing better.

[@stitchius]

Borg vs Vilas

[@Hobbiest_Ranek]

Def tough relating to the wooden racket era of tennis since it was usually seen as a wall ornament in stores these days...Lol great talk of who switched up their careers.

[@RamZar50]

Roddick finished the year in the Top 10 for 9 consecutive years which is great. For comparison, Nadal finished the year in the Top 10 for 18 consecutive years which is just mind-blowing.

[@hoaxashian-f8v]

Novak was #1 in 13 separate years lol

[@RamZar50]

@ Moot point! The Djokovic ranking records which matter : - Most weeks at No. 1: 428 - Year-end No. 1: 8

[@robertoiemmola4694]

Hi. I feel Roger got his Slams in a much purer way compared to Novak and Rafa as he only in the main used a single handed slice- blocked backhand and only changed it to top spin more consistently in in his last couple of years on tour. Had he had a double handed backhand from the start he could easily have won more Slams. 17:48

[@hoaxashian-f8v]

great channel and fantastic panel , could listen to McEnroe and Roddick until the cows come home

[@phillipruland4886]

Tennis was a better game with the wood racquet. Much more interesting to watch. Less power more touch and nuance.

[@mtns7036]

Great convo guys.

[@Max_Ukas]

Andy, hi from Ukraine! Streets remember you) When I was a kid, and started to watch tennis, you were my favorite for some short time, but than, in 2005, I saw how Rafael Nadal plays.........)

[@speedymaster5758]

Who invited stiffler onto this podcast 😂🤣.. Andy Roddick doppleganger Sean William Scott 😂 can't unsee it anymore

[@eduardoribeiro383]

That Roddick "only" has 66k subs is CRIMINAL.

[@hoaxashian-f8v]

agreed , something is off this channel really should have far more subs?

[@jaaklucas1329]

David Ferrer,aka "Lil Beast", was a hell of a player.

[@casualtennisnoob]

Novak playing Sinner/Alcaraz in earlier rounds might actually work out for him...He'll be fresher when facing them, while still being able to take out the rest of the field.

[@JohnnyBg2905]

Yep, great take, and enough in the tournament to stabilize/lift his form.

[@peterrukavena4955]

Novak isnt taking anyone out anymore, he’s done, he couldnt get past the quarters in the easiest major tune-up in tennis history this past week losing to a player ranked no. 289

[@JohnnyBg2905]

@peterrukavena4955 did you see how Opelka played? Better than Isner was playing in his whole career, plus he was 17th player before injury, so it was all but realistic ranking.

[@VelvetRiot-hz5mp]

Wooden racquets, and a lot more grass tennis. I miss the turf, it had a lot more variables.

[@knotwilg3596]

Nalbandian is 5'11 or 1m80. No idea why he came up as the example of a short guy. Ferrer is 1m75 and indeed a much better example.

[@donaldbraugh2314]

I think he meant Nalbandian in a different light. He knew Nalbandian was not short but maybe he meant Ferrer but Nalbandian was an underdog also and pushed himself to great heights

[@ApKH221]

I am 5’9

[@JohnnyBg2905]

One guy said it in the comment and I will reiterate - Novak having to face Alcaraz and/or Sinner earlier in tournaments might work great for him, since he will be fresher, yet enough in tournaments to build his form. Lets see 🙃

[@MikeHammerForEver]

I believe it's the opposite. He will not be at full speed arriving at the GS, specially with little tournement play before Australia. Nole, like Rafa, usually starts slow and with more difficully, and then gets more momentum in each match, peaking at the final. Meeting Alcaraz or Sinner will be more dangerous, but even someone like Zverev, Medvedev, or some other top 10 guys can mean trouble for him in the best 16 or quarters.

[@michaelensminger5190]

Thomas Muster was 5'11" and had a career path similar to Rafa, until a tragic accident in a parking lot after a tournament.

[@davidtepper2290]

I remember Muster and yes, Rafa and Muster are similar as they are both left-handed and both very strong guys physically. Both well suited to play on clay. But I think Rafa was a much more talented tennis player. He had a wider variety of shots and a better sense of the game.

[@giuseppericci516]

Wow talking about 80 tennis and mention Lendl only as the Murray coach is quite remarkable

[@Mench951]

Agree. Lendl is the most under appreciated player of his time. And what's most impressive to me is that he built himself out of sheer will not only physically but mentally. In the beginning of his career he was known as a choker, by the end there was no one mentally tougher.

[@ROBERTORRRR1]

Well, they don’t really like each other…

[@franciscoanguiano9838]

The pettiness is very much alive and well

[@rizwanramzan5729]

Johnny Mac and Andy are great commentators...the tennis version of Barkley, Shaq & Kenny on TNT...

[@aevans1979]

American’s will never have another men’s major champion until there are enough top American athletes playing tennis to generate coaches who can coach a top American athlete and create a new American play style/tactics for the super athletic players ala Alcarez.

[@abdullahibrahim8509]

Taylor fritz actually a good player, ranked in the top four .. played very well this year. His match against zverev shows how good he is. Unfortunate he has a bad luck either he faces Sinner or Alcaraz and try his best against them.

[@aevans1979]

Fritz is really good and probably the best chance for a ln American Grand Slam in the next year or 2. Not sure he is a top athlete but a good example of someone who can’t out play Sinner in long baseline rally’s and can’t compete with Alcarez in sheer athleticism.

[@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten]

@@aevans1979 All the 80's and 90's players are still around to coach... But there has been no American who is really talented and has a complete game, maybe this is because they focus too much on serve +1 or something else, ultimately it comes down to being lucky enough to get a generational talent and putting him in the environment for optimal development.

[@alexandermayer2026]

Well said. It is poor coaching that has killed American tennis, specifically the tennis academy. Bolletieri is a huckster who never built a player; he poached players to his academy. Patrick M is a sham who sits in the box during matches on TV, for 20 players. Tennis and golf are only taught well by private lessons. Robert Lansdorp, anyone? The tennis academy has ushered in the biggest decline of any sport in history. Look at the number of Americans in the US Open in the 70’s and 80’s and then in the 2000’s. Roddick was taught by Benhabiles, then dumped him. McEnroe was taught by Palafox, right down to the style of play. No mention of their foundational coaches.

[@aevans1979]

@@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten good point and yes American’s stuck to serve and volley too long. Don’t know that Rodick would be a good coach and McEnroe has a tennis academy that has hundreds of players each year. Don’t think that either actually coach much though.

[@brandonwood6869]

Never going near the big 3. Remembering seeing each one I understood that there wasn’t anything like Federer, Nadal or Djokovic ever before in Tennis. I noticed Federer 05 Final against Agassi. Djokovic 2007 Montreal and Nadal 2005 Rome.

[@raytrace2014]

Nalbandian is more like 5ft 11in. He's taller than Ferrer.

[@factman-w8m]

It was true about the strings. I remember Lendl always adjusting his strings back to the straight lines. I never see players do that anymore. Strings are so tight. I wonder how prime Borg would do today vs Sinner if borg could use Novak's racket.

[@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten]

Borg would lose badly and maybe win a few games (if Sinner feels like being generous).

[@KarmaticEvolution]

@@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten LOL, that is if he had the same technique as he developed but if he grew-up with poly his technique would have been vastly different.

[@drobson8004]

And Sinner with a 70's racquet?​@@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten

[@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten]

@@KarmaticEvolution Yes if Borg had grown up in the 2000's he would have had modern technique although it's still uncertain he would have reached the top level. BUT that was NOT the question he asked...

[@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten]

@@drobson8004 A much more interesting question, I think Sinner would still win (on clay and hardcourts) because his movement and his serve would be better while his groundstrokes are still likely to also be better, but someone like Federer (or even Sampras) have a better chance with a wooden racquet because there grip is a bit less extreme. You can look up clips of modern players hitting with wooden racquets and they still hit quite big, and as someone who has modern technique and has played with 80's graphite racquets (85 headsize, synthetic gut 370 grams) it did not reduce my quality of shot by much.

[@Lifehasnotake2]

Yea I always wonder if it’s fair to have too big of physical difference between players. I always feel bigger and taller players have an edge over smaller players in Tennis, in most sports.

[@cc-cc4499]

To be honest, I am tired of seeing endless baseline games. I am pretty sure many others would agree.

[@yournamehere7182]

Opelka is fun to watch & he has a great temperament 🤷‍♂

[@leolight5369]

01:05 McEnroe is so wrong here. He's not the last guy ever to win a Major with a wood racquet. Yannick Noah is (1983 French Open).

[@donaldbraugh2314]

Well it was a blended wood racket. John had a full wooden racket

[@DreamWatcher-h1j]

You sure?

[@peterrukavena4955]

Mac switched in 1984 so if Noah’s racquet was indeed wood you are correct.

[@donaldbraugh2314]

@peterrukavena4955 you missed the prior facts that Noah's racket wasn't only wood. It was a composite of graphite and wood

[@ofaz6300]

Level of Difficulty to play average to well 0-5 Tennis: 4- 5 Padel Tennis: 4 - 5 Racquet Ball: 3 - 4 Pickle Ball: 2 - 3 Squash: 4 - 5

[@raylopez99]

Chess: 10

[@jsquire5pa]

Real tennis is the true king of racket sports …

[@MichaelWarchol]

The best player in the world right now is Jannik Sinner, and he receives barely a mention. Gee. What a surprise.🙄

[@ralliman320]

it's because Alcaraz is the best player in the world right now _to watch._ Sinner's game is consistent excellence, and I'll never stop marveling over how he beats top-5 opponents while looking for all the world like he's about to collapse and die on the court, but when Alcaraz is on his game, there's no one more _fun_ in tennis--he combines athleticism and passion in a way that's entertaining as hell. With that passion also comes volatile results; on any given day he could beat the world or lose to anybody, and that makes him interesting, too.

[@donaldbraugh2314]

Well he did cause a scandal

[@boluke2340]

The dude has the personality of my big toe. An undeniable generational talent, but with tennis being a single person sport…viewers need some sort of personality to connect to. The dude just doesn’t have it.

[@ndk4]

He is a giant compared to all of us mortals but when it comes to be professional player so close to big 3 era, he is basically an ant.

[@scara19]

​@@boluke2340 Do you think that he got no personality because he's ice cold, don't break rackets and celebrate so much? Many players can do that. Sinner can stay very calm and concentrate on crucial points, can change his game when It matter the most. He can beat Medvedev from two sets down in his first slam final. That's a huge personality, if you ever played a sport at a competitive level you can recognize that

[@cosjtm]

McEnroe entertaining as always. But it's true men's tennis has become pretty boring with the retirement of the greats and the ratings show it..

[@stufftod]

People don’t talk about much how short Carlos is in today’s tennis.

[@s4m130]

Nalbandian was 5'11

[@andrewklados4096]

Federer in his Prime untouchable only one could beat him was only on Clay was Rafa, and I’m a RAFA fan, but the truth be tow Federer the greatest of all time, the truth be told Federer the greatest of all time go back and look at his matches look at the Andre Agassi match at the U.S. Open against him in the final think 2005 just one of how many also Federer beat Djokovic at the French Open final or was it semifinal in jokers prime that was a masterful match Federer was older, but that was a glimpse of his greatness that was slipping away, as he got older, which happens to all athletes.

[@CHillTennisEntertainment]

Yet six foot tall Carlos Alcaraz, who serves slower than many of these taller players is the one that's winning all of the slams. 🙄

[@abhs1141]

Combined with racket and string tech

[@ksantosh100]

Funny, after the draw, Novak will play Alcaraz in quarters now (if they make it that far). And Zverev in semis, and sinner in finals (if they all make it). Thats #3, #2, #1 players in a row to win.

[@animen4165]

in slow motion? John, you do the era disservice. You actually played faster, more imaginative or creative, and defended the entire court. It was the era of quick or the dead.

[@ashtagbeats]

Lmfao, you’d have to be delusional to actually believe this. Go watch some Guillermo vilas highlights and try not to sleep

[@franciscoanguiano9838]

Right! When I watch those old matches the ball moves insanely fast, maybe the swing is slower but the ball is flying

[@ashtagbeats]

@@franciscoanguiano9838 with all due respect, you’re delusional if you believe the game has in any way slowed down

[@George_Taylor_]

"Let me tell you about modern tennis pros. They are different from you and me." "Yes, they have better racquets."

[@sylvainbauge]

How is Novak 6'4 now? He's 6'2 or 1m88

[@hoaxashian-f8v]

yes well McEnroe is reeling stats so occasionaly gets the wrong numbers

[@emjay2045]

Why is there only ONE guest dominating the conversation on Andy’s podcast ? 🤔 yap-yap-yap

[@Gidoza]

I hope they mention touchtennis more to help find other uses for pickleball courts lol

[@joemarshall4226]

Ferret won over 700 matches...about the same as Sampras, Edberg, and Becker. He was the best player of hi sir time outsidide the Big Four

[@Nightingale_1]

Don't really think height is key to the argument. The reason Alcaraz may struggle as time develops is not because of his height, but because of his playing style. In particular his free swing style on the forehand. Those big guys mentioned. Are one off trends in a period where the game is in transition. The only one that has shown actual major consistency is Medvedev. If this was basketball or swimming where reach was detrimental in winning then it is key to be over 6ft. However, in tennis - where you hit a ball just over a metre sized net doesn't require height. Being tall can be an advantage when serving, but often the tall guys lack any athleticism or agility or technical purity to dominate. They are slow. Against a good returner that serve can easily be nullified. You need more than just size. Back in the 90s there were a ton of big guys, but the one that stood out was Sampras - why? He had the whole complete game. But it was his movement that mattered the most. Federer said it the best - '"The best movers are the best players". I think that is what tennis comes down to. Technique, athleticism and movement. In regards to Murray. What he will bring to Djokovic is his ability to study his opponents. His analytical ability - I think Novak wants Murray's view on how to tactically dismantle Sinner more than Alcaraz in Australia. Sinner is the real threat to Djokovic due to his level of consistency. Right now at the Australian Open Sinner is the man to beat; not Djokovic for the first time in more than a decade. Djokovic knows this based on his results last season against him.

[@peterrukavena4955]

The Joker is done boss, he had a great run but father time has caught up to him

[@Nightingale_1]

@@peterrukavena4955 In what way boss has 'father time caught up with him'?

[@peterrukavena4955]

@ Have you watched him lately, I actually watch his matches, he’s wearing that knee brace, not moving anything close to what he was prior to his injury at the French last year. When has he ever lost to anyone ranked 289 in the world, he lost in STRAIGHT sets. He’s DONE, technically he didnt win an ATP tournament last year, the Olympics officially count so he won ONCE. Name me one player who won anything of note at age 37 or older. He’s done trust me.

[@Nightingale_1]

@@peterrukavena4955 Have you watched him lately? He's not wearing that knee brace anymore. He reached a Wimbledon final, won Olympic gold on his least favourite surface against Alcaraz having just comeback from surgery. You have to look past age here - and look at the tennis. He's still playing at a level that can challenge. The only other players better than him on the day can be Sinner and Alcaraz. Name me any other player in the top ten apart from those two who can genuinely still beat Novak at grand slam level regularly? I'm not even a fan of Djokovic - but even I can see he is still a contender on all surfaces whether I like it or not.

[@peterrukavena4955]

@ He just fell off the cliff this year he went from #1 in the world to #7. He won 7 ATP Tournaments in 2023 to what was really ZERO last year. Who has ever done that and recovered to be a top player again? Let me ask you this how many more Tournaments do you think Novak wins in his career? He wont play ATP 250 or 500 events, so its majors and big tournaments where he sees only the best. The over and under is ONE to get his 100th tour title

[@TenisPlayero]

Federer played with 20+ Year Old Racquet, and dominated the game for decades. Technology helps, but it doesn’t make you a Champion.

[@RamZar50]

Sampras winning 14 Grand Slams was purely the function of weak competition during 1993-1998 when he won 10 of his 14 GS and finished the year No. 1 for 6 consecutive years.

[@peterrukavena4955]

I agree, I was playing in college during that era and I get laughed at by people when I say Sampras won a lot in a very week era of tennis, after Agassi who was the next best player of that era Rafter?

[@ericcoatrieux1712]

I think Yannick Noah was the last to win a major with a wooden racquet in 1983...Laminated with carbon fiber but wood was still the main component....

[@DanceAffectionist]

If it is laminated with reinforcement fibers, then it is a wood composite, not purely wood. It makes a difference.

[@ericcoatrieux1712]

McEnroe’s Wilson wooden racquet was laminated too ..

[@TimTheMusicMan]

It’s the rackets and strings. Today’s players don’t have to be as athletic (as in the 80's and 90's) as the equipment helps them.

[@ThomasMann85643]

Tennis is far older than 100 years. Shakespeare had a tennis court and in Henry V the king mocks the dogging dauphin of France with a tennis ball.

[@davidmcpherson2220]

I generally like Andy's analysis, but I think he's wrong to criticize this fan asking him whether Alcaraz will win 10 majors. It wasn't a crazy question then, and obviously even less so now. We could all see the incredible talent, how good his technique is, his desire and competitiveness. And what Roddick misses is that before Sampras many of these greats were not playing four majors every year like clockwork. Now they are. So we have this situation where players are more obsessed with their fitness than before. They have access to more innovative surgeries that can prolong their careers. So a great player can easily play 80 majors in his career. Yet it's crazy to think someone like Alcaraz (who will probably be one of the three best players of his generation) could win 10 majors? It's not crazy at all to think that. If not him, then who will win them? Tennis has always been dominated by just a few guys.

[@hoaxashian-f8v]

well let a person win 1 then we can talk about 10 , absurd hype about Fonseca , fact is that of the original 128 players who enter the main dra at AO2015 only 5 had ever won a grand slam , Meddy, Wawrinka, Sinner , Alcaraz and Djokevic

[@davidmcpherson2220]

@ Yes, but the way it always works is that the second-tier greats struggle to win even one. Anyone below that has no chance at all. And the top-tier greats rack up huge Slam numbers. I don’t think it’s far-fetched to think Fonseca will be a top-tier great.

[@GR-1111]

John drinking a beer ?

[@hoaxashian-f8v]

why not its not a crime

[@ryanb3721]

pickleball lives rent free in these guys heads

[@user-qh7rj9wj4p]

Not really.

[@ryanb3721]

@ it’s consistently mentioned when it has nothing to do with anything. “king of the racket sports” hurr durr. just love your sport

[@PaulWolfe1]

Alcaraz is 5'11" and change

[@stevemd6488]

I watched 80s tennis, JM was always my favorite, always exciting serve and volley with such shitty equipment. Lost interest when the game became a baseline grind with space age gear and grunts on every shot, yelling and screaming in jubilation on winning a routine point.

[@peterrukavena4955]

Good rankings I agree except Id flip Roger and Nadal, no way was Nadal better, too many clay court wins. Roger was a better all-around player

[@valiusmaximus]

Agree, ratings are not good since the greatest tennis players (Roger and Rafa) retired

[@gokulee501]

You can see the difference right in front of you, John has 🍺 next to him and the others 💧

[@Normskiblue]

I thought that Yannick Noah was the last slam winner with a wooden racket!

[@swingeasyguy]

Nobody mentions squash? 2nd best racquet sport

[@johnnyblackrants7625]

The 6'5''+ players are unwatchable. ATP needs to do something about the first serve. Alcaraz-Paul is amazing; as interesting as the NBA, but something like Isner-Opelka? I'd literally, unironically, rather watch Jack Sock dink a whiffle ball around.

[@normangoldstuck8107]

The whole thing is unwatchable. Add in female umpires for men's matches to feminize it a bit -yuk.

[@rhodarobertson9835]

The gentleman of tennis was Stefan Edberg and no one else.

[@tomloft2000]

Go back a ;little further and someone like Stan Smith might be mentioned.

[@michaelbarlow7777]

Interesting that McEnroe mentions that he is the last player (actually the last male player) to win a major singles title (the 1981 U.S. Open) with a wood racket - but Jimmy Connors was the last player to win a major singles title with a metal racket - the 1983 U.S. Open with his 65 square- inch Wilson T2000. And Chris Evert is the last female player to win a major singles title with a wood racket - the 1983 French Open. So McEnroe should have qualifed his statement by saying that he is the last MALE player to win a major singles title with a wood racket.

[@peterrukavena4955]

He’s not, Noah won that same French Open for the men as Evert did for the women in 1983 with a wooden racquet

[@gatesurfer]

The U.S. Open comes after the French. Mac was right either way.

[@peterrukavena4955]

@@gatesurfer Einstein, McEnroe won a major in 1981 last with wood. Noah’s French win was in 1983 with wood. By 1983 John was using a graphite composite. So he wasn’t right.

[@timoverdijk2716]

Fed turn his game to a more base line game... But he still was an attacking play style... Novak Rafa and Murray are defending players... That is for a reason... Rafa and Murray payed for that with there body's... Novak was better with that... Butt Roger was always there standing up to Al of them... Attacking is more difficult than defending in tennis... The other 3 can not pull of a sabr... And serve volley non of them come close to what Roger was doing even if he was 5 years older... So I say this... Roger raised the bar... And gave Nadal and Novak the new standard to aim at... And if Roger was the best in a weak era... How can he be the one that makes Novak era a stronger era... Roger is the goat... He has the most fans reason... Novak won the most... Butt Rafa always called Roger the best... Because he knows that what Roger does is more difficult than what Novak and he are doing...Murray is not even in this conversation imo... Novak had a soft spot for Andy so he wasn't as killer to him... Becker sayed at the end with Novak.. The player who wants it more... Wil be number 1 at the end of this match.....

[@daintiestquarters3411]

With Sinner, Alcaraz, (and even Djokovic is still there), that's not gonna happen. These guys are way way way ahead than the whole group of american players. Maybe one of them gets lucky and wins a slam, but none of this big, strong, and young players has enough class to win even two slams, not with that competition.

[@hoaxashian-f8v]

its amazing how US tennis has sunk from the heights , still 2 top ten is not terrible , and Shelton is still in with a chance

[@mtns7036]

Tds and pds!

[@Rob-d7f5j]

heard the name pickle ball. Never seen it never want to 17:22

[@elviastoute7319]

IMO Joker hired Murray to help him win W19 in case he has to face Carlos again.

[@ggoore]

Yannick won RG 83 w a wooden racquet

[@Raven05R6]

Wood/Graphite racquet not entirely wood

[@johnholmes912]

I still think that the 60s was the golden age

[@trishennaidoo1309]

Forehead size is a lot different between now and the 80s 😉

[@shiptube7836]

Padel is more exciting to watch than tennis. And I have played a lot of tennis and never played Padel.

[@stevel.2759]

Geniuses

[@RamZar50]

Next time McEnroe will say he’s 5 feet 11 & 15/16th inches. In reality, he’s 5’ 11” just like Borg. McEnroe is definitely one of the Top 10 players of the Open Era but if he hadn’t taken a sabbatical he would’ve been even greater. I’d rank him 6th in the greatest players of the Open Era ahead of Borg but behind Lendl. 1. Djokovic 2. Nadal 3. Federer 4. Connors 5. Lendl 6. McEnroe 7. Borg 8. Sampras 9. Agassi

[@paulhefner2813]

The one thing Michael Chang showed was the pitiful level of consistency for the players of his era. Michael had no serve or any real strength besides commitment to not give up. Other than that no special skills and he won tournaments. It speaks volumes to the real abilities of the players in his era. In the modern era michael would not break through number 32. My opinion.

[@peterrukavena4955]

He was very fast and you’re right you will never see a short guy like him excel in today’s era if tennis

[@noeldacosta7621]

You lost me at pickleball.

[@billdillon3886]

CAN ANDY ASK A ONE SENTENCE QUESTION?...SPIT IT OUT BOY.

[@seensay2132]

There are absolutely better athletes in the game now. Natural evolution of sport. But racket, surface and ball technology are the biggest changes to the game. Give the current crop of players wooden rackets to play with and I think the growth in physical tools is apparent. But the level of skill isn’t that big of a gap from the Connors/Borg/McEnroe era.