French Open 2024: Angry Tennis Fans Call for a Ban on John McEnroe Over His ‘Awful’ Commentary Stint

On Saturday, the world watched Iga Swiatek stepping onto the court at Roland Garros, and clinching her fourth French Open title. The Polish sensation demonstrated her exceptional technique and dominating gameplay, defeating Italian Jasmine Paolini in straight sets (6-2, 6-1). Sitting comfortably in the top-5 winningest players in Paris and even surpassing the likes of Serena Williams, the celebrations were somewhat dimmer, courtesy of the controversial comments from former American tennis player and commentator John McEnroe.

McEnroe questioned whether Swiatek would “throw on a little makeup” before the ceremony to receive her trophy. He even suggested that she might consider it if Lancome USA, her recent cosmetic partner, offered her the right price.

This is not the first time McEnroe has witnessed flak for his unwarranted opinions. His stance revolving around women’s tennis has received widespread condemnation in the past when he made a notorious remark targeting tennis legend Serena Williams, who then had the most number of Grand Slam singles titles (23) in the Open era since 1968.

In an NPR interview in 2017, when he was asked why he wouldn’t qualify Serena, who was six months pregnant at the time, as the greatest player in the world without the “female” clause preceding the GOAT title, McEnroe stated, “If she played the men’s circuit she’d be like 700 in the world. That doesn’t mean I don’t think Serena is an incredible player… And 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 U.S. Open, etc. But if she had to just play the circuit — the men’s circuit — that would be an entirely different story.”

He took a bit too far when he joked, “I mean my kids don’t think I can beat her anymore. Maybe I should get her now because she’s pregnant.”

But that was just the tip of the iceberg. In another NBC Mornings interview shortly after, McEnroe presented his defense for his statement earlier: “I respect Serena (Williams) and very much so, okay? You’re gonna get honest feedback; she’s the greatest female player that ever lived.” When asked a very straightforward question whether he “would like to apologize,” he gave a straight-up answer, “No. The offer is this, […] why not combine? Just solve the problem. I know the men will be all for it.

“Let the men and women play together, and then we don’t have to guess.”      

While calling a match that same year, he got an envelope that was signed “Donald Trump.” McEnroe claimed that there was a buzz around how the Williams sisters “could beat a lot of guys.” Former President Donald Trump couldn’t stay away from all the hype for long as he challenged McEnroe to a Battle of Sexes 2.0 at his Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City for a $1 million prize purse to defeat either of the Williams sisters.

Fast-tracking to the present times, the 7x Grand Slam singles champion’s latest remark on Iga has once again caused displeasure among tennis fans worldwide, who now demand a ban on his commentary.

‘Sickening,’ Tennis fans lash at John McEnroe for his remarks on Iga Swiatek

McEnroe’s remark on the Pole angered the tennis fans, who quickly took to social media to support Swiatek. Several users took to the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter) to condemn McEnroe’s statement. One user expressed their disgust, writing, “Sick to my stomach hearing McEnroe casually criticize Iga for not wearing more makeup during this final … WTF.” This tweet rapidly gained traction, with many others joining in to bash McEnroe for his inappropriate remarks.

Tennis commentator John McEnroe faced criticism from fellow player John Millman during Wimbledon last year. McEnroe was calling Carlos Alcaraz’s close third-round match against Nicolas Jarry. While Jarry pushed the top seed to four sets, McEnroe’s comment about getting to know Jarry seemed to downplay his skill. Millman took to social media to vent his frustration. He pointed out that Jarry, ranked in the world’s top 30, is already a well-established player, not someone the audience needs to “discover.” In fact, one follower even expressed relief at having muted McEnroe, saying, “He’s awful, I muted him. I’m glad I missed that.” 

Another user questioned McEnroe’s continued role as a commentator, stating, “The fact that he is still a commentator is shameful.” Calls for his dismissal reached a fever pitch when a user tweeted tagging NBC Sports, Peacock TV, and Tennis Channel. “That was sickening… @NBCSports @peacock @TennisChannel it’s time for McEnroe to be GONE as a commentator. See ya,” the tweet read.

Tennis champion Iga Swiatek, coinciding with the start of her title defense at a tournament in Stuttgart in April, announced a groundbreaking partnership with Lancôme cosmetics. The World’s No. 1 player is the first Polish woman and first female athlete to ever represent the prestigious beauty brand. Sharing the news on social media, Swiatek highlighted her love for red lipstick, a symbol of confidence and glamor for her. Owing to this, another user reacted with shock and disbelief, writing, “Did JMac seriously just ask if Lancôme signed Iga if she’d throw on a little makeup for the right price? He’s unbelievable!!! Unhinged!”

Similarly, John McEnroe’s lack of preparation for commentating duties caused a stir during the Australian Open 2024. While calling Stefanos Tsitsipas’ match against lucky loser Zizou Bergs, McEnroe admitted he wasn’t familiar with Bergs. Tennis player Thai-Son Kwiatkowski took to Twitter, calling it “unbelievable” that McEnroe repeatedly goes on air unprepared. He argued that McEnroe’s actions disrespect players like Bergs, who are ranked highly within the professional circuit.

McEnroe’s remarks have continued to receive backlash from the tennis community. His latest comments about Iga Swiatek’s makeup have once again sparked widespread criticism and calls for accountability in sports commentary. Meanwhile, only time will tell if McEnroe will apologize for his remarks or if this controversy will create more chaos.