BBC commentator Andrew Castle has pulled back the curtain on what it’s like to commentate alongside John McEnroe. And it will surprise few to learn he considers the seven-time Grand Slam champion one of the most insightful voices in the world of tennis.
Former world No.1 McEnroe, 66, rose to the top of the tennis pyramid during the 1980s, winning Wimbledon on three occasions alongside his four US Open titles. Less celebrated is the fact he also won nine doubles trophies at those two majors – five at Wimbledon and four at Flushing Meadows – before retiring from regular pro tennis in 1992. He has since fashioned a career as one of the most respected pundits in the sport who is regularly spotted on duty around the Grand Slam circuit.
Wimbledon regular Castle has revealed precisely what the once-rambunctious American is like behind the microphone. And it’s perhaps not what many fans might expect.
“John is a wonderfully, funny and well-weather guy,” he told Globusbet. “He has been through a life, and we all have. When you are sitting next to him in the commentary box and we’re doing a great match on centre where the sun is shining, I’m thinking, ‘Somebody pinch me.’
“I can tell you this, when he is into a match and is concentrating and is engaged whilst enjoying it, there is no one to match. It’s a thrill to sit there and listen to what he has to say.”
McEnroe was widely known as one of the fieriest figures on the ATP Tour during his career. He became known for his angry episodes on court, and it was in 1981 that his infamous “You cannot be serious” rant with a Wimbledon empire went down in tennis lore.
The Stanford-educated star has mellowed a lot in retirement and no longer causes quite the same controversy. However, he did ruffle a few feathers in 2017 when he said Serena Williams – whom he acknowledged as “the greatest women’s player in history” – would be “like 700th in the world” if she played on the men’s circuit.
Williams – who was pregnant with her first daughter, Alexis, at the time – tweeted in response asking McEnroe to keep her out of speculation. However, she later appeared on the David Letterman Show and admitted she would struggle against the men’s elite.
“If I were to play Andy Murray, I would lose 6-0, 6-0 in five to six minutes, maybe 10 minutes,” she said at the time. The men are a lot faster, they serve harder, they hit harder… it’s a completely different game.”
McEnroe refused to apologise for his comments, almost to prove he hasn’t lost any of that trademark fire despite hanging up his racket. And despite Castle’s praise of the pundit, it’s evident he still isn’t afraid to cause a little offence in order to make a point.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk