"What are you clapping at? I'm not complimenting" - John McEnroe teases Jack Sock for turning to pickleball after tennis retirement
John McEnroe has teased Jack Sock for taking up pickleball after quitting tennis as a professional in 2023.
The incident occurred during an event prior to the Pickleball Slam 2 in February this year but the video clip was only made public recently. McEnroe was on stage with Sock, Andre Agassi, Maria Sharapova, and James Blake when he decided to poke fun at Sock.
"We're still tennis players right guys? Except for Jack," he said.
McEnroe then walked up to Sock and expressed regret at the latter's decision to become a pickleball player after helping Team World lift their first Laver Cup trophy in 2022 after four attempts.
"Jack, I wanna say goodbye man. I can’t believe he helped me win the Laver Cup, I lost four times in a row. This guy helped us win the Laver Cup and then he becomes a professional pickleball player," the 65-year-old added.
The crowd cheered for Sock but McEnroe abruptly told them not to suggesting he wasn't appreciating Sock's move to the paddle sport.
"What are you clapping at? I’m not complimenting," he said.
At this, James Blake asked the old man if he would switch roles with Sock and learn pickleball from the compatriot.
"I think he should coach you in pickleball because you coached him in Laver Cup. Wouldn’t that feel pretty good," Blake said.
John McEnroe replied:
"I’m an old man, get me Jack Sock."
Notably, John McEnroe and Jack Sock played in opposing teams at the Pickleball Slam 2. The former had joined forces with Blake and Sharapova, while the latter was a part of Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf's team. Sock and his team managed to beat the seven-time Grand Slam champion's side at the event.
Jack Sock helped John McEnroe's Team World win four points at 2022 Laver Cup
Jack Sock contributed to Team World's first triumph at the Laver Cup in 2022 with four crucial points. Sock's team, captained by John McEnroe, included Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Diego Schwartzman, Frances Tiafoe, Alex de Minaur, and Tommy Paul.
On the first day, Sock paired up with Tiafoe to take on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in a doubles match, which was famously the Swiss' last competitive appearance on the court. The American duo staged a comeback effort to clinch a point with a 4-6, 7-6 (2), 11-9 win for his side.
Sock then teamed up with Auger-Aliassime and secured three crucial points on the third day of the competition. He and the Canadian bettered Matteo Berrettini and Andy Murray 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 to help John McEnroe and Co. finish ahead of Bjorn Borg's Team Europe.