"Carlos Alcaraz, he’s one in a billion": John McEnroe urges tennis players to attend college and "play other sports"

John McEnroe showered Carlos Alcaraz with praise as "one in a billion" on the SmartLess podcast.

The 7-times Grand Slam champion discussed the current situation of the young Spanish player, Carlos Alcaraz, who recently exited in the first round of the Paris Masters and is preparing for the ATP Finals in Turin.

The World No. 2 hasn't had a strong performance in his recent tournaments, including an early exit in the Shanghai Open, leaving him significantly behind Novak Djokovic in the ATP Ranking.

In a recent episode of the SmartLess podcast, John McEnroe talked about the importance of young individuals participating in sports and learning from the world of competition and discipline.

“I grew up in Queens. The best thing that ever happened to me was not going to a [Nick] Bollettieri-style camp. I would’ve quit the game at 16 or 17. I love to play other sports,” said the American.

“All studies show, both physically and mentally, it’s healthier for kids to play other sports. This idea that you’ve got to go all in in soccer or basketball is a bunch of, can you say bull***t on this, it’s total BS.”

“The truth is, what I base my beliefs on and what this academy is all about, that you should play other sports and you should come to this a little later. Tennis players are peaking later than they ever did,” McEnroe added.

“I think college is an experience that not only do you get to play as a team potentially if you’re in a sport, but you get to grow up a little bit and also have some fun before you work your way into a profession, and you’ll be more prepared to handle it. So I completely disagree with what they do most often.”

“For every person you hear that succeeds, there’s a million that don’t. Not everyone’s Carlos Alcaraz, he’s one in a billion. He’s just a freak. He’s an incredible player, but most kids have no business doing that,” he concluded