Follow us on Google Discover John McEnroe enjoyed a legendary tennis career, picking up Grand Slam titles during the 1970s and 1980s.
The outspoken American broke through to win his first major at the 1979 US Open, defeating his countryman Vitas Gerulaitis in the final.
Over the next five years, McEnroe beat the likes of Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, and Ivan Lendl in Grand Slam finals, taking his tally to seven.
Photo by Tony Duffy/Allsport/Getty Images
He also spent an impressive 170 weeks ranked number one in the world in singles and 269 weeks as number one in doubles.
Few players can touch McEnroe’s legacy, but how would he have performed in today’s game?
During an exclusive interview with The Tennis Gazette, former ATP pro Ronald Agenor answered that question.
Ronald Agenor believes John McEnroe would be a top-three player on the ATP Tour today
Haiti’s Agenor reached a career-high ranking of 22nd in the world in 1989, following his run to the quarterfinals of the French Open.
Reflecting on how tennis has changed over the years, Agenor regretfully admitted that the sport has ‘regressed’ in one key area.
“For me, the technical level has regressed, in terms of what players can do on the court,” he said.
“I always took tennis as an art; what players were doing with the ball in the ’60s and ’70s was absolutely extraordinary to me.
Photo by Stu Forster/Allsport/Getty Images
“Everything was attacking, attacking, attacking. I’m always admiring artists on the court, more than physical players who try to overpower the other one.
“I always like to watch different styles of games, that’s what makes great players. They have their own way of playing tennis.
“I always say there is more than one way to play the game, and watching older players playing what you would call classic tennis is more fun for me to watch than the players today.”
Agenor believes several ATP Tour legends would be competitive in today’s game.
“For the players today, I don’t see anyone coming close technically, in terms of what they can do with the ball to Pete Sampras, for instance, even Boris Becker or [John] McEnroe,” he said.
“There are so many great players, I think a player like McEnroe today would still be in the top two or three best players in the world.”
The Haitian knows just how good McEnroe was, having played him twice during his career.
1985 French Open 1R – John McEnroe defeated Ronald Agenor, 6-0, 6-2, 7-51986 Paris Open 2R – John McEnroe defeated Ronald Agenor, 7-6, 6-3
If the seven-time Grand Slam winner was playing today, fans would likely see him face off against the world’s top two players, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
The Spaniard and Italian have been a class above on the ATP Tour since the beginning of 2024, winning all eight available Grand Slam titles.
Grand SlamWinnerRunner-Up2024 Australian OpenJannik SinnerDaniil Medvedev2024 French OpenCarlos AlcarazAlexander Zverev2024 WimbledonCarlos AlcarazNovak Djokovic2024 US OpenJannik SinnerTaylor Fritz2025 Australian OpenJannik SinnerAlexander Zverev2025 French OpenCarlos AlcarazJannik Sinner2025 WimbledonJannik SinnerCarlos Alcaraz2025 US OpenCarlos AlcarazJannik SinnerThe last eight men’s Grand Slam finals
Fans have been split over which player is the greatest, as Agenor now weighs in with his thoughts.
Jannik Sinner is the ‘best player in the world’ – Ronald Agenor
The 60-year-old believes the Italian is the best player alive, despite being ranked number two in the world.
1. Carlos Alcaraz – 11,340 points2. Jannik Sinner – 10,000 points
“You can see that [Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz are the best players in the world,” said Agenor.
“However, I put Sinner on a higher note than Alcaraz, even though Alcaraz won the last tournament.”
Agenor took the time to point out the differences in the way Alcaraz and Sinner play tennis.
“I think the art of the game, we’ve lost a lot of it. Alcaraz brings it from time to time,” he said.
“Sinner has a different way of playing, he’s boxing on the court, to me, he is the best player in the world.
“I watched him play in practice at the Australian Open; he reminds me of [Bjorn] Borg back in the day.”
With Alcaraz and Sinner set to dominate tennis for years, the debate over which of the two is best will undoubtedly rage on.
Fans have been clamoring for a ‘third star’ to join the fight, and it’s certainly interesting to wonder whether McEnroe could have done the job, had he been born in a different era…