Retired tennis star John McEnroe has come under fire for saying Sunday on NPR that Serena Williams would be ranked about 700th in men's tennis, and for saying Tuesday on "CBS This Morning" that he would not apologize for his comments.
McEnroe stated his opinion on Sunday while he was praising Williams as the "best female player ever, no question." NPR host Lulu Garcia-Navarro pressed McEnroe to explain why he called Serena Williams the best female player ever.
"If she played the men's circuit she'd be like 700 in the world," McEnroe said Sunday. He went on to praise Williams as "an incredible player," and said that she could beat some male pros.
Critics all over the media lambasted McEnroe for his comments, and Williams herself criticized him on Twitter for invading her "privacy."
Dear John, I adore and respect you but please please keep me out of your statements that are not factually based.
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) June 26, 2017
I've never played anyone ranked "there" nor do I have time. Respect me and my privacy as I'm trying to have a baby. Good day sir
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) June 26, 2017
McEnroe said Tuesday on "CBS This Morning" that he was not trying to stoke controversy with his statement, but he refused to recant. He praised Williams repeatedly, just as he did in the original NPR interview.
McEnroe proposed letting women compete with men as a way to answer this frequently asked question and "solve the problem."
"I'm sure the men would be all for this: The men and women play together, and then we don't have to guess," he said.
The hosts pressed McEnroe about why he answered Garcia-Navarro's question in the first place.
"It wasn't necessary," McEnroe said. "I didn't know it would create controversy."
Host Charlie Rose refused to answer how he thought Williams would be ranked on the men's tour.
"Nobody can prove this," Rose said, seconds after McEnroe proposed a system for proving how well women would do against men.
Male and female pro players have competed against each other in the past. The only time a woman won was when Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs, when Riggs was 26 years older than King. Riggs has been accused of losing on purpose in order to win back gambling money.