Nick Kyrgios, known for his outspoken nature on the tennis court, shared his thoughts on a hypothetical encounter with tennis legend John McEnroe during a recent interview for TNT Sports’ Wimbledon coverage. While Kyrgios has defeated top players like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and reached his first Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon in 2022, he never had the opportunity to face McEnroe, a player whose fiery temperament on court parallels his own. Kyrgios expressed confidence that he could have unsettled McEnroe to the point of a default if they had competed.
The Australian, currently battling injuries that have kept him away from major finals recently, was asked about his favorite tennis matches and opponents he wished to face. Instead of naming his Wimbledon final, Kyrgios highlighted his 2017 Miami Open semifinal against Federer as a memorable contest, praising the intense atmosphere and the match‘s enduring reputation.
Probably against Roger Federer in Miami,
Kyrgios said.
It was a crazy atmosphere to play in and that match is very well known.
—Nick Kyrgios
When asked about the player he most wanted to play but never did, Kyrgios chose McEnroe, suggesting the American’s notorious on-court behavior might have led to his disqualification in a match against him.
John McEnroe. I think he would have been defaulted because I could get under his skin pretty easily,
Kyrgios stated. —Nick Kyrgios
Reflecting on a Career Low Point for Kyrgios
The conversation turned somber as Kyrgios was asked about the tennis moment that still weighs heavily on him. He recalled his disqualification at the 2019 Italian Open after losing control and throwing a chair, a decision that ended a promising match amid a noisy crowd.
Probably when I threw a chair in Rome and got defaulted,
Kyrgios confessed.
It was such an incredible match, it was a soccer crowd and I lost control.
—Nick Kyrgios
John McEnroe’s History with Disqualifications
Although Kyrgios imagines forcing McEnroe into a default, the American was officially disqualified only once during his career. That incident occurred at the 1990 Australian Open, where McEnroe was defaulted after receiving three code violations for unsportsmanlike conduct, racket abuse, and swearing at umpire Gerry Armstrong. At the time, he was leading Mikael Pernfors two sets to one.
Reflecting on the incident years later, McEnroe expressed mixed feelings about the decision, suggesting he might have deserved it in other matches but questioned its fairness in this particular case.
It was rather ignominious I would say; it was almost so shocking that it was,
McEnroe commented.
I pushed it to the limit a lot, so I suppose that even though I don’t feel like I should have been defaulted, say, in that particular match, I’m sure there were a few others where I probably deserved to be.
—John McEnroe
The Significance of the Kyrgios-McEnroe Hypothetical Matchup
The imagined duel between Kyrgios and McEnroe highlights two of tennis’s most volatile and charismatic players, both known as much for their temperaments as their talents. Kyrgios’s belief that he could unsettle McEnroe underscores his own challenging personality on the court, while McEnroe’s single disqualification serves as a reminder of his controversial but disciplined career. This hypothetical matchup offers fans a glimpse of what could have been a captivating and tension-filled battle between two generations of tennis rebels.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is John McEnroe a millionaire?
A. McEnroe’s wealth is estimated to be about £90 million. Throughout his career, he secured 77 titles and earned around £10 million in prize money. Considering his peak was in the mid-1980s, that prize money would be roughly £35 million today.