John McEnroe names Novak Djokovic as the player he’d like to face amongst the current lot, claims facing Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros would’ve been the HARDEST

John McEnroe Expresses Desire to Face Novak Djokovic on Grass

John McEnroe names Novak Djokovic as the player he’d like to face amongst the current lot, claims facing Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros would’ve been the HARDEST

John McEnroe, Djokovic and Nadal (Credits: NPR and Tennis Majors)

Tennis icon John McEnroe recently piqued fans’ interest by expressing his wish to confront Novak Djokovic on the court. In an honest interview, McEnroe highlighted his hypothetical showdown versus Djokovic. He also confessed that facing Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros would have been the most difficult confrontation.

During his peak, McEnroe was known for his aggressive on-court persona and superb tennis talents, and he expressed his opinions on competing against today’s top players. When asked about his ideal current-player matchup, McEnroe smiled and said, “I would have liked to play Novak Djokovic.“

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McEnroe, on the other hand, did not shy away from admitting the enormous task that confronting the Serb would have posed. He emphasized Djokovic’s hardness and stability on the court, underlining his excellent skills and ability to adapt to different playing surfaces. McEnroe understood that facing Djokovic on grass or hard courts would have been the ultimate test.

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John McEnroe acknowledges enormity of challenge

John McEnroe
John McEnroe (Credit: International Tennis Hall of Fame)

McEnroe demonstrated a high sense of self-awareness when professing his desire to face Djokovic. “I don’t think it would have turned out well,” he said. He implied that he knew the hardship of competing against Djokovic at this point in his career. Despite this, McEnroe retained his trust in himself, saying, “I think I would have stood up to him.“

For tennis fans, the prospect of McEnroe, known for his serve-and-volley technique and fine touch at the net, taking on Djokovic, a modern baseline behemoth, is enticing. Such hypothetical games frequently spark debate and curiosity among fans, driving conversations about how today’s stars would do against legends of the past.

In addition to expressing his desire in a possible matchup with Djokovic, McEnroe briefly mentioned another difficult scenario. He stated that competing against Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros would have been the “hardest” challenge. Nadal has had exceptional success at RG, winning multiple trophies and establishing himself as the “King of Clay.”

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