John McEnroe is promoting his upcoming memoir, But Seriously, which goes on sale Tuesday. Yet the only thing that those who heard his comments on NPR are saying is: You cannot be serious!
McEnroe has been emphatic that there is "no question" that Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, is the greatest women’s tennis player ever. But he expanded on that, saying that “if she played the men's circuit, she'd be like No. 700 in the world.”
The seven-time major singles winner could have simply stopped at praising Williams’ greatness rather than comparing her to those who compete on the men’s tour.
“That doesn't mean I don't think Serena is an incredible player,” McEnroe said. “On a given day, Serena could beat some players. I believe because she's so incredibly strong mentally that she could overcome some situations where players would choke 'cause she's been in it so many times, so many situations at Wimbledon, the US Open, etc. But if she had to just play the circuit — the men's circuit — that would be an entirely different story.”
Serena certainly did not appreciate McEnroe’s comments, responding publicly on Twitter Monday night.
