McEnroe believes current game too sterile for his liking: “I’d ike to see a little bit more explosive temper see the emotions”
Tennis News
John McEnroe weighed in about players temperament on
court, and mention Nick Kyrgios as an example.
Former world No. 1 took to
Twitter to respond to a fan who asked 'why do tennis players have such an
explosive temper?' McEnroe said he disagreed, since he doesn't see many players
showing their tempers in tournaments: "You must be watching different
tournaments than me 'cause I don't see many players having meltdowns at
all."
“And I know something about
meltdowns, my past experience, and I’ve seen a couple of players, obviously
Nick Kyrgios comes to mind having meltdowns on a pretty regular basis, but for
the most part, tennis players are incredibly well behaved, maybe too well
behaved in my book,”
“I’d like to see a little bit more explosive temper
see the emotions, wear it on their sleeve, there’s a handful of people you see
that, but I just saw someone win Wimbledon on the girl’s side who didn’t show
any emotion, so I don’t know if any of us wanna see that”, said the American in
reference to Elena Rybakina's reaction after winning her first Grand Slam. “So
perhaps there’s a happy medium,” he added.
Another topic McEnroe talked about
was players breaking rackets during games, a fact he himself made many times
during his career: “We break a tennis racket, and then you give it to a fan in
the stands, a broken racket, it’s a win, win. Is a person in the stands gonna
use it?”
“I would hope that if you got a racket from Nick
Kyrgios in a moment of his frustration that you’d maybe hang it up, put it up
somewhere, frame it, not use it. I doubt you’d be using, ‘Oh, I’m hitting with
Novak Djokovic’s racket’, which he broke in a fit of anger.”
“No, I think you’d have it like a piece of art or
something. Be happy that maybe you have a racket at all, so we can both be
winners. Get out the frustration, and you get the racket.”, finished McEnroe.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
claps 0visitors 0
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- I predicted whenthe list was finalised that Linda Noskova would win the WTA Finals and her matches against Gauff and Kostyuk prove that. She is the best (underrated) player in the world!Rapunzel11-11-2026
- Either Lena has a chronic internal ailment (i.e., colitis, enteritis, Crohn's, or some type of lower abdomen issue) -- or she is once again dealing with 'Vukovitis'. Mental stress can indeed cause lower body pains. No matter... whatever is truly going on sucks. "Virus" excuse is getting a bit old -- and often -- at this point.
mandoist09-11-2026 - Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!mandoist09-11-2026
- "Another fresh start is in the cards." Thanks for the Humor!! I'm guessing this is the minimum one can do to keep all your sponsors hanging-on in perpetuity?mandoist09-11-2026
- Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.mandoist08-11-2026
- Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??mandoist08-11-2026
- Wtf? Why is there no reason? And what about the men's?Bel08-11-2026
- One step by another step -- WTA continues to 'lose the plot'. Too many hi-tech microphones being installed at most venues!!! Remove them (especially those along the hallways, sidewalks, and pathways throughout the venues. Not to mention (most of all) remove the mic's from the Players/Coaches Box.mandoist06-11-2026
- Enough of her bullshit. Go marry someone.mandoist06-11-2026
- Don't you just love this young lady!? We fans often expect athletes to be supermen and superwomen, often forgetting that they WILL GET TIRED! I love Alex's perspective. Tiredness for an athlete should never be viewed as a negative, especially if you are healthy, taking care of your body and mental health and putting in the work. What a mature perspective. Good for you, Alex!Rapunzel05-11-2026
