John McEnroe makes 'tarnishing legacy' comment about Rafael Nadal after suffering decline
John McEnroe has given his verdict on Rafael Nadal's eventual retirement.
John McEnroe has had his say on the future of Rafael Nadal’s career after the Spaniard played what may have been his final French Open.
The 14-time champion at Roland Garros lost to Alexander Zverev in the opening round and admitted that he didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to keep playing, with the Olympics currently in his sights.
McEnroe has now addressed whether Nadal would be “tarnishing his legacy” by continuing to play as he brought up his own “decline”.
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Nadal requested not to have a farewell ceremony at this year’s French Open, hinting that it may not be his last appearance at the tournament. After he lost in the first round, he told the crowd: “I don’t know [if] it’s gonna be the last time that I'm gonna be here in front of all of you, honestly I’m not 100 per cent sure. But if it’s the last time I enjoy it, no?”
The 38-year-old’s future mostly relies on his body and whether it can hold up after spending the better part of two years sidelined by injuries. And if he does play on, he may never return to the very top of the game.
But McEnroe believes that it doesn’t matter, claiming Nadal has every right to retire whenever he wants. “Rafa is a total class act, and because of his success and the way he is as a person, and what he brings to tennis, no one should be telling him what to do,” the American told Eurosport.
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The seven-time Grand Slam champion also thought that playing on wouldn’t stain the former world No. 1’s reputation. He continued: “I don't think it's going to hurt his legacy if he played another year and didn't do as well.
“He's one of the [top] two or three to me. You're looking at the three greatest players that ever lived, with Rafa, Novak, and Roger. He brought tennis up to another level.” Comparing Nadal’s situation with Andy Murray and the end of his own career, McEnroe admitted that he suffered a decline before hanging up his racket.
“No athlete wants to go out when the body gives out,” he added. “That's just the way it is. Look at Andy Murray. He's been trying to get it right. There are a lot of players. For me, personally, it was a decline over a period of years.
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“You could argue that a lot of players, including myself, when it doesn't appear that you're capable of winning a Major, should stop. But that's up to him. He's got a legacy that will never be forgotten or tarnished, in my opinion.”
For now, the 65-year-old is happy to hear that Nadal still has the passion to keep playing. “I don't think the fact that he still loves to play and wants to compete is a bad thing. That's a good thing," he explained.
"The fact that he still wants to do it, even though his body has made it really difficult the last two years, shows you how much he loves tennis, and that's an incredible thing to me."
