"Carlos Alcaraz is the player I would pay a ticket for" - John McEnroe sends big message about Spaniard after French Open heroics

Former player John McEnroe hailed Carlos Alcaraz for his athleticism and stated that he is the player he would pay to watch play after the Big 3 - Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz recently won the French Open, his fifth Grand Slam trophy, by defeating World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the final.

McEnroe, a legend of the sport, has been active even after retirement. He plays in senior events on the ATP Champions Tour along with dabbling in commentary. During his professional playing days, McEnroe won seven singles Grand Slam titles and helped the US win five Davis Cup trophies.

Recently, the 124th edition of the French Open saw Carlos Alcaraz emerging as the champion in the men's singles, beating World No. 1 and 2025 Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner. Though the Italian player displayed some phenomenal ball-striking, Alcaraz's prowess garnered praise from John McEnroe.

In a recent update, McEnroe noted the difference in the attributes of the two players, and ultimately stated that he would pay to watch the Spaniard's tennis.

"Both him and Alcaraz have unique elements. Carlos is the most talented young player I have ever seen hold a racket, Jannik is not far behind. Alcaraz is brighter, Sinner is more consistent. I am struck by the sound of Jannik's ball: I have never heard anything like it. Carlos is the greatest gift the post-Big Three generation could give us. And he is the tennis player I would pay a ticket for."

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McEnroe won the over-45 legends doubles title at the 2012 French Open, defeating Andres Gomez and Mark Woodforde with his brother and partner, Patrick.

John McEnroe talks about the rock band he would compare Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to

Sinner and Alcaraz at the 2025 French Open - Day Fifteen - (Source: Getty)

John McEnroe, the only male player to win over 70 titles in both singles and doubles, held the No. 1 rank in singles for 170 weeks. After Carlos Alcaraz's Roland Garros heroics, the seven-time Grand Slam champion compared him and Sinner with music bands.

"It's like choosing between the Beatles and the Stones. The Stones were unpredictable but sometimes the Beatles were better. We're talking about groups that, like Jannik and Carlos in tennis, have made history."

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In 1999, John McEnroe was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

About the author

Agnijeeta is a US Olympics journalist at Sportskeeda. She holds a Master’s degree in English and has worked as a school teacher, a blogger, a content writer and a sports writer over the past 5 years. A lover of high-adrenaline track and field events, she was also a sprinter during her school days.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone happens to be her favorite Olympian, and the athlete’s feat of breaking four records within 13 months inspires her, apart from the American's body language on and off the track. Grant Hackett swimming with a partially dysfunctional lung and winning gold in Athens is her all-time favorite Olympic moment.

Agnijeeta believes that deriving of unique angles from podcasts and interviews carried out by Olympics.com, along with hype-building of potential Olympic events on social media can help fill the coverage gap during the off season.

When not at her work desk, Agnijeeta likes to sing and paint. She also plays string instruments like guitar and ukulele and is an avid player of word puzzles.

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Edited by Agnijeeta Majumder