John McEnroe: Players these days are too coddled, one thing happens and they need to see a sports psychologist

Tennis legend John McEnroe criticized the current generation of tennis players, stating they seek the advice of sports psychologists for even the simplest of matters.

McEnroe, a retired American tennis player, is widely regarded as one of the best players of all time. He was a true tennis virtuoso, known for his creative style of play and precise volleys.

He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, including four at the US Open and three at Wimbledon, nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, including five at Wimbledon and four at the US Open, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title at the French Open.

The American recently sat down for an interview with Sunrise after the release of his biopic, 'McEnroe,' back in September. When asked why he used tennis as a metaphor for life in the biopic, he responded that tennis is a character-building sport and that while it can be challenging to distinguish between positive and negative lessons learned from playing, doing so aids in human growth. He also criticized the players today for frequently consulting with sports psychologists for the tiniest of issues.

"Tennis is a game of, like it builds character, sometimes you'll build the wrong type. You're really out there sort of having to figure out for yourself and I think that as a human being, that helps you grow more, in my opinion. I think in a lot of cases, players now are too coddled, and everything they do is they hit one shot, and then they're looking to their coach. One thing happens, and all of a sudden they need to see a sports psychologist," John McEnroe said.

While the seven-time Grand Slam winner is aware that it isn't necessarily a terrible idea to consult a sports psychologist, he believes that things "get out of hand" when children as young as 10 and 12 do so.

"I'm not saying that it's bad to see a sports psychologist, but I don't think you should be seeing a sports psychologist when you're ten years old or twelve years old. I mean, you're a kid. It feels like it's gotten totally out of hand," he noted.

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"I would like to see a little bit more explosive temper from tennis players, see the emotions" - John McEnroe

John McEnroe pictured at the 2021 Laver Cup.

During an interview with WIRED, John McEnroe was asked why tennis players had public outbursts on the court, to which the 63-year-old responded that tennis players are generally well-behaved and could attest to it given his own past experiences.

"You must be watching different tournament than me because I don't see many players having meltdowns at all and I know something about meltdowns given my past experience," McEnroe said.

"I've seen a couple players, obviously Nick Kyrgios comes to mind, having meltdowns on a pretty regular basis. But for the most part, tennis players are incredibly well behaved. I'd like to see a little bit more explosive temper, see the emotions, wear it on their sleeve," he added.