"He's like the Rafael Nadal of the '70s" - When John McEnroe praised Jimmy Connors and spoke about their contributions to tennis

John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, and Ilie Nastase were three of the most dominant players during the '70s and '80s.

Comparing the head-to-head records of the three players, McEnroe led Connors 20-14 and Nastase 6-3. Between Connors and Nastase, it was the Romanian who finished with a 15-12 lead. Speaking on the Golf Channel's David Feherty podcast a few years ago, McEnroe reflected on how the three players were important for the growth of the sport at the time.

He stated that although they were ridiculed for their on-court behavior, their level of tennis attracted more people. The American also hailed compatriot Connors for the kind of intensity he played with, comparing him to Rafael Nadal.

"We certainly raised some eyebrows and got some people complaining about our behavior but at the same time, getting more interested in the sport. I think Connors brought an intensity to it that was unmatched at that time. He's like the Rafael Nadal of the '70s," McEnroe said.

"The guy played like every point was the last point he'd ever play and his story was interesting. He had this 'me against the world' thing. Nastase was completely insane," he continued. "So I was like, 'those guys are worse than I was'. How am I the guy who is told, 'You just lost it completely'? I mean I learned a lot from those guys. I've got to give them credit."

John McEnroe further stated that rules were changed to control the players and make tennis boring, but according to him, all three were good for the sport.

"It was sort of like the inmates in an assyllum which they didn't like and they eventually changed a lot of rules and made it more boring, personally. They wanted to stifle personality because they just couldn't handle us. But I'd like to think that all in all, we were good for the sport," he added.

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"I want to nurture Nick Kyrgios like one of my own kids" - John McEnroe

John McEnroe (L) and Nick Kyrgios

During a recent interview with Sunrise, John McEnroe stated that he was compared to Nick Kyrgios the most, primarily because of the on-court behavior of the two players. Like the American legend, the Aussie is known for misbehaving with match officials and his opponents.

McEnroe added that since Kyrgios brought in new fans, he was good for the sport and that he could achieve great heights if he knuckles down over the next couple of years.

"Nick Kyrgios is moving the needle and there's a lot of new fans coming into the sport because of him, so that's a real positive thing," John McEnroe said. "He's electrifying. Some of that, I brought to the game when I came into it. I see him as someone who's really good for the game and want to nurture him like one of my own kids. Kyrgios is the guy that I'm most compared to, and he's the guy that if he is committed for the next couple of years, could do some really good things in tennis."

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