"Horrible" - Fans slam John McEnroe over bizarre comparison between Novak Djokovic & Donald Trump during French Open commentary

John McEnroe stirred controversy with his commentary during Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner's semifinal showdown at the 2025 French Open. In particular, fans were furious over McEnroe's decision to compare the Serb to US President Donald Trump.

With a place in the final on the line, Djokovic and Sinner produced a riveting contest in the semifinals of the Paris Major. The World No. 1 continued his strong run of form by claiming a 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3) victory over the Serb and setting the stage for a highly anticipated title clash against Carlos Alcaraz.

During the match, John McEnroe, who was commentating for TNT Sports, caused controversy with his remarks on Novak Djokovic's mindset. The American suggested that the 24-time Grand Slam champion possessed the same psychological edge over his opponents that US President Donald Trump did.

"Donald Trump got reelected. You know why? He got in the head of his opponents," McEnroe said.

Fans were baffled by the "horrible" comparison, with some of them accusing McEnroe of deliberately trying to create a "negative" image of Djokovic.

"No one can convince me that John McEnroe comment comparing Novak’s mindset to Trump was not premeditated and intentional. Horrible," one fan commented.

"Did McEnroe just sit there and compare Djokovic to Donald Trump? 😭," another fan chimed in.

"He could literally compare Novak to so many other accomplished athletes yet he choose Trump for obvious reasons to invoke negative feelings from people. If anyone needs to retire it’s John McEnroe," said another.

Given that McEnroe has often come under fire over his commentary, fans also called for the American to be removed from the broadcast team.

"McEnroe really just compared this matchup to how Trump won the election…I need him off of my screen FOREVER," one fan posted.

"Seriously, John has lost the plot," another fan wrote.

"FU John McEnroe for giving trump a mention. @PatrickMcEnroe I hope you think better being a fellow Westchester guy. @tntsports there is no place in a #tennis broadcast for this BS. #rolandgarros," said yet another.

This was not the only controversy John McEnroe was involved in while commentating on Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner's French Open semifinal. The former World No. 1 also faced backlash for his "uninformed" take on Sinner.

John McEnroe favored Novak Djokovic to beat Jannik Sinner in French Open SF

The Serb and Jannik Sinner - Source: Getty

Before the French Open semifinal, John McEnroe predicted that Novak Djokovic would triumph over Jannik Sinner if the match went to five sets. Although he acknowledged that the Serb was older, he explained that Sinner could be at a disadvantage after missing a lot of match time because of his three-month doping ban.

"Believe it or not, I think that if it went to a five setter, I would favour Novak, even though he's older, because Sinner hasn't played that much for a while," McEnroe told TNT Sports.

McEnroe also said the 24-time Grand Slam champion would make sure to pose a difficult challenge for Sinner because he was aware that he had very limited opportunities to add to his Majors tally.

"He’s not going to be easy to deal with; I can promise you that. He knows that he's got a limited amount of chances left, I'm guessing unless he's Superman. Maybe he is," he added.

Interestingly, Novak Djokovic dropped a bombshell retirement hint after his loss to Jannik Sinner by suggesting that this could be his last appearance at the French Open.