"Sick to my stomach hearing John McEnroe criticize Iga Swiatek for not wearing makeup" - Fans appalled at American's commentary in French Open final
John McEnroe's commentary during Iga Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini's blockbuster French Open final has not sat well with tennis fans. In particular, the American's comments about the World No. 1 not wearing makeup have sparked controversy.
Swiatek was at her clinical best as she secured a commanding 6-2, 6-1 victory over Paolini in an hour and eight minutes to achieve a hat-trick at the claycourt Major. Apart from winning her fourth Roland Garros title, the World No. 1 also clinched her fifth Grand Slam crown, equaling Maria Sharapova and Martina Hingis' tally.
Although the Pole triumphed in straightforward fashion, the match was not without its share of drama, sparked by John McEnroe's remarks.
The American courted controversy when he made a remark about Iga Swiatek "throwing on a little makeup," making a reference to the 23-year-old becoming the brand ambassador for French luxury makeup and perfume brand Lancome earlier this year.
"You think if they offer her enough, Lancome, maybe she (Iga Swiatek) would consider throwing on a little makeup for the right price?" McEnroe said.
McEnroe's remark left fans in disbelief, with one fan calling him "unhinged."
"Did JMac seriously just ask if Lancôme signed Iga if she’d throw on a little makeup for the right price? He’s unbelievable!!! Unhinged! 🤬," one fan questioned.
"I'll let someone else handle McEnroe wondering if Iga Swiatek might "throw on a little makeup" if she'd accepted the Lancomb deal because... wtf?" another user posted.
Fans were shocked and appalled at McEnroe's comment, questioning why the seven-time Grand Slam champion was concerned about the Pole wearing makeup during the final.
"Sick to my stomach hearing McEnroe casually criticize Iga for not wearing more makeup during this final ... WTF," one fan posted.
"Why tf is John McEnroe talking about if Iga is gonna wear makeup? Talk about the f**king match weirdo," another fan chimed in.
With John McEnroe having already received significant backlash for his commentary earlier in the tournament, several fans expressed a strong desire to be rid of his "disastrous" commentary.
"Glad I'm not the only one to hear that, let's be glad it's the final year of this NBC deal, it's just a disaster. I don't remember him being this bad on ESPN, granted he doesn't do women's matches there, thankfully," one fan wrote.
"The fact that he is still a commentator is shameful," another fan wrote.
Some fans even accused the former World No. 1 of being "sexist" for focusing on Iga Swiatek's appearance instead of her commanding performance.
"What a sexist pr*ck John McEnroe is!" a fan commented.
"If the roles were reversed and men wore make up all the time - would McEnroe say this about Hubi?? I think not," another fan chimed in.
Others, meanwhile, invoked the examples of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova to denounce McEnroe's commentary in comparison.
"Oh god 😳 now I know how lucky I'm to have Chris Evert on eurosport," a fan posted.
"I can't stand John MacEnroe's commentary. Give me Jim Courier or Martina Navratilova any day," said another.
Iga Swiatek inches closer to matching Chris Evert's French Open record after winning fourth Roland Garros title
Displaying her impressive prowess on clay, Iga Swiatek proved her dominance on the surface by clinching her fourth French Open title. The Pole is now three titles away from matching Chris Evert's WTA record of seven titles at the claycourt Major.
In the lead-up to this year's French Open, Evert herself expressed confidence in the 23-year-old's ability to surpass her tally, asserting that the Pole has all the qualities of a true champion.
"Absolutely. Iga is a player on a mission. She’s more focused. She doesn’t get upset at all when she’s losing. She just has all the ingredients to be a champion. She really does. She checks all the boxes — the intangibles and the tangibles," Evert told AP.
Martina Navratilova echoed Evert's sentiments, proclaiming that while Rafael Nadal's record of 14 titles may be out of Iga Swiatek's reach, she has the potential to match Evert's tally.
"It’s not comparable because Rafa did 14 altogether, like 14 out of 16 or something ridiculous. But she might catch up to Chris the way she’s going. She’s still really young. She got started earlier than either Rafa or Chris winning in Paris," Navratilova said.