Tennys Sandgren roasted
John McEnroe's commentary at the
US Open after he pronounced a player's name incorrectly.
Former World No. 1 McEnroe is back providing commentary for matches at the US Open after a positive COVID-19 test saw him miss the initial rounds. The four-time US Open champion was commentating for the semi-final clash between Carlos Alcaraz and
Alexander Zverev when he mispronounced the latter's name.
The Spaniard's clever decisions, footwork, and good anticipation were among the many things that helped him win 4/4 out of his break points. Meanwhile, Zverev was drained from enduring a five-set battle in the previous round, and the top seed ultimately ousted his opponent in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
McEnroe criticized for mispronunciation
McEnroe received criticism for mispronouncing Zverev's name, saying it with 5 syllables. One of these critics was American player Tennys Sandgren, who lost his second-round match in qualifiers for this year's US Open.
"Can someone tell johnny mac [John McEnroe] that Zverev doesn't have 5 syllables in it pls," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Fans expressed their agreement, with some pointing out other instances where the 64-year-old had mispronounced players' names.
"Hahahaha great call. He also adds 2 syllables to Shapovapolov," added one.
"His pronunciation of Zverev is less offensive than Tsitsipas," added another.
"And that the "two Russians" [Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev] that played yesterday's also actually have names," commented a third.
Meanwhile, another recalled McEnroe's pronunciation of Novak Djokovic's name.
"Ha ha! My wife was just complaining about this, and I reminded her that he pronounced it “jock-o-vich” for 2 years," they wrote.