McEnroe Unloads On Doubles

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 6th December 2013

McEnroe Unloads On Doubles

epa03307513 Former US tennis great John McEnroe reacts during his match against Michael Stich of Germany 15 July 2012 in Hamburg during the 'Match of the Legends'. A total of 32 professional tennis players participate in the ATP World Tour 500 untill 22 July 2012. EPA/Angelika Warmuth |

Editors Note: 10sballs does not agree with John Mac. He is grumpy. Taking a shot like that at the fabulous Bryan brothers… Shame on him. The current game of doubles is awesome! It’s nice that a busy, brilliant man like Chris Kermode would give him time to vent. Respect.

John McEnroe will meet with new ATP World Tour executive chairman and president Chris Kermode in London this week to discuss the future of the game and top of the most opinionated man in tennis’ agenda is doubles – including a surprise attack at the Bryan brothers.

When McEnroe looks back on his stellar career he sees 78 of his total 155 titles were won on the doubles court, including four at both Wimbledon and the US Open. He always maintained it was his chosen mode of practice and his long-time partner Peter Fleming, regularly says the best doubles team of all time would be “Junior and anyone.”

Yet McEnroe has clearly fallen out of love with the two a side game to the extent he maintained, while preparing for the Statoil Masters at London’s Royal Albert Hall, he said: “Doubles – why are we even playing it?

“Most of you guys know I love doubles. But I look at it now and say, what is this? I don’t even recognize what this is. It’s not doubles, it is foosball or something, these guys standing an inch from the net, it’s like wham bang thank you man. I don’t know what doubles is bringing to the table.

“Would the sport be better off if there was no doubles at all, and we invest all the money we save elsewhere? So that some other guys who never really got into a good position in the sport, end up playing more in singles and becomes No.100 instead of quitting at No.300 .

“I have guys at my club in New York who are pros who make more money teaching than these guys out on the tour. It is too easy to bail out and not to keep on with it. The players ranked 200 to 1,000 need to be encouraged to be able to be able to stay in the sport.”

And most damningly, McEnroe said: “Most doubles players are, I hate to say, the slow guys who aren’t quick enough to play singles.”

And McEnroe doesn’t exclude the record setting Bryan brothers from his assessment. The Californian twins who have stacked up 344 consecutive weeks at the top of the doubles rankings, finished the ATP year-end top doubles team a record eight times and are the only doubles team in history to have won every major title, having won all four Grand Slams, Olympic Gold, all nine Masters series titles, the Year-End Championships and the Davis Cup during their careers.

Nevertheless McEnroe asked: “Would they have made it as singles players? No. So what do you think they are playing doubles for?

“I like Bob and Mike and single handedly they are trying to keep doubles going. But sometimes I hear people saying they are the greatest doubles team. I’m like “excuse me?”

Topics: 10sballs.com, Atp, Atp World Tour, Bryan Brothers, Chris Kermode, Doubles, John Mcenroe, London, Tennis, Tennis News, US Open, Wimbledon