Tennis is evolving into a new era! With Roger Federer already retired, Rafael Nadal hinting at hanging up his racquets, and Novak Djokovic struggling to clinch a title this season, the new metrics signal that the face of world tennis is changing. But, while many believe that the modern-day “Big Three” will be tough to define, John McEnroe’s latest remarks have certainly turned heads among fans.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have already been the two young and dominant forces in the new era of tennis. While Sinner is placed at No.1 in the ATP rankings, Carlos Alcaraz’s back-to-back Grand Slam wins are making him another formidable face for fans. But amid discussions of a possible big three, former pro John McEnroe believes that the third spot will be clinched by the American star Ben Shelton. 

In a recent episode of Good Trouble With Nick Kyrgios, McEnroe was quizzed on his prediction about the new Big Three. In his response, McEnroe said that “It’d be Ben Shelton. He made some great advancements and for us in America would be huge.” This does not seem to be digestible to the tennis fans who have continuously been bashing McEnroe for his remarks.

A user took to X and shared the statement of McEnroe with the caption, “🤦‍♀️,” signifying their surprise. Since then, the 65-year-old has been receiving immense flak.

“Funniest thing ever…’ fans mock John McEnroe for his surprising remarks

As soon as the above tweet gained traction, several tennis fans joined in to express their disagreement over McEnroe’s statements. Taking to X, one user wrote, “John McEnroe has oficially lost the plot. GEEEZ!!!🤦‍♂️” John McEnroe has been receiving bashing lately for his extreme remarks. Soon after Iga Swiatek won the French Open final, the American commentator advised her to throw some makeup during matches. This caused a huge furor in the tennis community, and the latest remarks of him on Shelton are equally surprising. Another user joined in to express similar sentiments. 

Responding to the tweet, a user wrote, “Shelton the “rock star”🤣🤣🤣” Ben Shelton has failed to demonstrate anything significant lately. The World No. 14 player has had the most success in the US Open when it comes to Grand Slams and has reached the semi-finals of the tournament. Besides, Sinner and Alcaraz have both won Grand Slam titles and their ranking in the ATP table has also depicted their superior status. Hence, it would be difficult for Shelton to match their level anytime soon. One more user joined in the fray to bash McEnroe and Shelton.

“The only big 3 he’ll be apart of is the big 3 embarrassments: Shelton Tsitsipas Zverev.” Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev are known for messing up things during important matches. Both the players have reached the finals of Grand Slams on two occasions but have failed to win them. Similarly, Shelton has also failed to pass through big matches and has been accused of directing senior players and losing his calm. Another user joined in to highlight the negatives that Shelton needs to work on.

“What’s John smoking these days? Ben has game, but has to shore up ground game and return of serve. Still makes too many errors, and needs to conserve court energy by taming emotions. In John’s time, compared to today, he was able to cruise through matches, today’s game is diff,” the user wrote.

Ben Shelton has been often criticized for certain aspects of his style, like his return of serve and movement on the court. While his serve is powerful, the failure to position them thoroughly is also a problematic aspect for the American. Besides, his error rate is extremely high. In a match with Frances Tiafoe last year, Shelton shot 34 unforced errors which included 11 double faults. 

One more user simply laughed at the remarks of McEnroe. “lol. That’s the funniest thing ever.” But as the sport evolves, it will be fascinating to see if Ben Shelton is impacted by such discouragement from fans or fulfill the aspirations of his compatriot, John McEnroe.