"Gotta get that coolness back" - John McEnroe bemoans tennis' lack of accessibility and affordability in current age
John McEnroe recently expressed concerns regarding the accessibility and affordability of tennis in the current age. He said that it is important to revitalize tennis' appeal and make it 'cool' to a wider audience.
McEnroe recently made an appearance on the video podcast series Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios which is produced by Naomi Osaka's media company, Hana Kuma. In the podcast, McEnroe said that it is important that tennis players use their platform to make the sport more affordable and accessible to a wider audience.
The former World No.1 also expressed a view that the players need to make tennis more appealing, attractive, and cool to the general public. He believes that
"Sometimes it takes a lot longer to realize and appreciate what you’ve been given - that you want to give back ‘cause it’s given me a lot. You gotta get that coolness back, not to mention affordability, accessibility, which tennis isn't...This is an uphill battle. We need to do a lot more," McEnroe said.
Kyrgios, known for his active presence on social media, particularly Instagram, suggested that social media could be a powerful tool to engage with a broader audience and grow the game of tennis, connect with fans, and promote the sport
"For me social media is a huge thing. I go on Instagram everyday. To grow the game of tennis it’s... I think it’s good," Kyrgios said.
"You're making me think that maybe I’m missing out on something. I like that, that I'm into," McEnroe said.
John McEnroe on being called 'Superbrat': "I have to put up with this s*** for the rest of my life"
On the aforementioned podcast, John McEnroe opened up about his fiery on-court behavior and his nickname "Superbrat." He said that he was not fond of the name and knew that it would stick with him for life:
"I was like 'Superbrat, that's got to be the worst goddamn name. I have to put up with this s*** for the rest of my life," McEnroe said.
McEnroe also revealed that though during his playing days, he never envisioned himself playing seniors tennis or working as a commentator, he has embraced these in his life after competitive tennis:
"Pretty much everything that I said I wouldn't do, I have done. 'I'll never play seniors tennis, never commentate - I wouldn't be caught dead doing that,'" McEnroe said.
McEnroe has a total of 17 Grand Slams to his name - seven in singles, nine in doubles, and one in mixed doubles. He also holds the distinction of being the only male player to have simultaneously held the World No.1 rankings in both singles and doubles since the ATP rankings were established in 1973.