John McEnroe did not beat around the bush about Félix Auger-Aliassime. The head coach of the World team at the next Laver Cup holds the Quebecer in very high esteem. In his opinion, his impact on tennis could be similar to that of Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods on their respective sport. Nothing less.
In the interview, McEnroe is exactly as we imagine him. Energetic, loud, eloquent and lively. The 64-year-old sits in the locker room of his tennis academy in New York wearing the poppy red Team World jacket at the Laver Cup.
This will be his fifth appearance as the team’s head coach. He will once again face his eternal rival, Björn Borg.
PHOTO KIN CHEUNG, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Félix Auger-Aliassime and John McEnroe at a press conference during the Laver Cup last September
The event will take place on Canadian soil, from September 22 to 24, in Vancouver. Only one player has been announced so far. Félix Auger-Aliassime’s ninth racket in the world.
“Félix was our player par excellence last year,” he said, visibly excited to talk about it, sitting back on his bench.
In England, last fall, the Quebecer had Novak Djokovic in singles and the duo of Andy Murray and Matteo Berrettini with his partner Jack Sock in doubles. He allowed the World team to win the first title in its history. “He really made the difference for us,” McEnroe continued.
A model in the making
If it came to the idea of Auger-Aliassime to distribute a newsletter or set up a fan club, McEnroe would undoubtedly be one of the first to register. He admires the professionalism, maturity and intelligence of the young player.
I think he will win a major tournament in the next 18 months. He showed everyone in the fall who was boss.
John McEnroe
According to him, FAA could have already won one, but three obstacles called Djokovic, Nadal and Federer made it more difficult for him.
Now Auger-Aliassime is a global star. More importantly, he makes a good impression wherever he goes. “It will be immense”, maintains the winner of seven major tournaments in singles and ten in doubles.
In this regard, the left-hander was not necessarily talking about his potential on the pitch, but rather his ability to rally as many people as possible around the same cause. Around the same sport.
Our sport does not offer enough opportunities. I would love to see the next Michael Jordan or LeBron James play tennis, and Felix does that incredibly well. He comes from an immigrant family [par son père], he grew up as a young black man, he knows he can make a difference in Canada. Imagine if he earns more! A bit like Tiger Woods, who has I don’t know how many majors.
John McEnroe
For a decade, McEnroe has been trying, with his academy, to “make the sport more accessible, open and affordable”.
“We need to open our doors to the best young people, whether they are white, black, yellow or any other color,” he said. And Félix Auger-Aliassime could be part of the solution.
Shapovalov still has to learn
PHOTO MARTIN KEEP, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Denis Shapovalov
Besides being blonde and playing left-handed, McEnroe and Denis Shapovalov share certain traits.
On the court, both are emotional, even angry. Sometimes their attitude can interfere with their abilities and overshadow their talent.
This is why the legend of American tennis recognizes himself, to a certain extent, in the Canadian. “Denis has immense talent, he’s a good boy, he works hard. »
However, he will have to be careful, because “sometimes he plays like a chicken without a head, he specifies. Sometimes it’s hard to know what we’re going to get from him.
However, “it’s so hard to play against this kind of player. It could be an advantage for him. It just needs to be consistent over the long term.”
If Shapovalov ever wants to win a major title, he will inevitably have to come through long five-set matches. McEnroe is convinced of the Canadian’s potential and he believes in his chances of triumphing in a Grand Slam tournament one day or another.
Only one advice remains: “He must put some things in his mind and avoid fighting himself.” That’s what matters, and that’s why the best are the best. »
For “Super Brat”, there is no doubt that Shapovalov “can be in the top 10 “.
More than hockey players
Last summer, the great Billie Jean King entrusted The Press that she was impressed with Tennis Canada’s development system. According to her, all nations would benefit from drawing inspiration from the Canadian federation.
PHOTO CARL RECINE, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Billie Jean King
For his part, McEnroe struggles to identify how the approach of the Canadian and American programs differs.
Canada, however, surprised the whole world with the blossoming of all its talents, he admits: “Félix and Denis have long been ranked higher than any other American player. Bianca Andreescu won the US Open. I was like, “Wait a minute. I thought Canada just made hockey players!” Canada was better than us [les États-Unis] in tennis lately. We were all wondering what was going on up there. »
The current era has nothing to do with his. Previously, facing a Canadian player was to ensure direct access to the next round. From now on, they are feared: “In my time, I hoped to play against a Canadian. This is no longer the case today. »