“It makes no sense,” John McEnroe slams Roland Garros for keeping Rafael Nadal unseeded

Nadal is going to face World No. 4 Alexander Zverev in the first round itself.

“It makes no sense,” John McEnroe slams Roland Garros for keeping Rafael Nadal unseeded

Rafael Nadal and John McEnroe (Via Imago)

For a long time, all Grand Slam events except Wimbledon had been using the ATP rankings to decide the seedings for the tournaments. Wimbledon, too, adopted this system in 2021 in place of their older structure in which the seeds were based on previous performances and results in the tournament. 

John McEnroe, the American tennis legend, believes there should be some flexibility with the seeding system where they can accommodate previous results in the tournament as well, instead of just using rankings.

He was visibly annoyed with the French Open’s decision to not award a seeding to Rafael Nadal as the rules prohibited it. The Spaniard has won the tournament 14 times and is virtually unbeatable on the center court at Roland Garros. This is what prompted McEnroe to say Rafa deserved to be recognized in the draw.

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It makes no sense that someone who has won 14 times is not seeded. It is the way the tournament has always acted. For me it is crazy.
John McEnroe said as per Marca

The fiery American held nothing back as he called out the tournament for their ‘crazy’ decision. His remarks are backed by the fact that Nadal versus Alexander Zverev, what would have normally been a clash towards the far end of the tournament, is a first-round match this year.

John McEnroe thinks Zverev is a contender for the title in Roland Garros, but Nadal may surprise him

Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev are set to lock horns in Paris on Monday, in an unexpected first-round encounter. Ahead of this match, John McEnroe called it the most interesting first-round clash in the open era. 

John McEnroe and Alexander Zverev
John McEnroe and Alexander Zverev (Via Imago)
It is the most interesting first round of a Major that I remember and the most tough [in the] Open Era for someone like Nadal.
John McEnroe said

He added that Nadal’s legacy will remain intact irrespective of the outcome of the match, hinting that he expects Zverev to emerge victorious in their clash.

He has to do whatever he wants. He loves to compete and if he loses to Zverev it does not mean that all his records at Roland Garros will be lost. Maybe his time has come to be a father and everyone’s time has come.--On the one hand, it will be a surprise, and on the other it won’t. People like him, Novak or Roger are Superman.
John McEnroe said

Although their head-to-head is lopsided in favor of Nadal, McEnroe thinks it’s Zverev’s time to shine and he is a serious contender for the title. 

[Zverev] has a real chance of winning in Paris if he focuses solely and exclusively on tennis and not on other things off the court. I believe that the 2020 US Open should have been his. Sascha’s serve is working better than ever.
John McEnroe added

The outcome of the much-anticipated match will be determined soon and excitement grows about this mouthwatering encounter. Currently, Nadal has a hefty lead of seven wins against Zverev’s three in their encounters so far.

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