Former Grand Slam quarter-finalist suggests if John McEnroe would be competitive in today’s match

Over the next five years, McEnroe defeated Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl in Grand Slam finals, bringing his total to seven.

He also spent an impressive 170 weeks at world No. 1 in singles and 269 weeks at world No. 1 in doubles.

Few players can touch McEnroe’s legacy, but how would he have performed in today’s game?

In an exclusive interview with The Tennis Gazetteformer ATP pro Ronald Agenor answered this question.

Ronald Agenor believes John McEnroe would be one of the top three players on the ATP Tour today

The Haitian Agenor reached the 22nd career world ranking in 1989, after his participation in the quarter-finals of Roland-Garros.

Reflecting on how tennis has evolved over the years, Agenor ruefully admitted that the sport had “regressed” in one key area.

“For me, the technical level has regressed, compared to what the players can do on the pitch,” he said.

“I have always considered tennis to be an art; what players did with the ball in the 60s and 70s was absolutely extraordinary to me.

“It was all attack, attack, attack. I always admire the artists on the pitch, more than the physical players who try to dominate the other.

“I always like watching different styles of play, that’s what makes great players. They have their own way of playing tennis.

“I always say there’s more than one way to play, and watching older players play what you would call classic tennis is more fun to watch for me than it is for today’s players.”

Agenor believes several ATP Tour legends would be competitive in today’s match.

“For today’s players, I don’t see anyone coming close technically, in terms of what they can do with the ball, to Pete Sampras, for example, even Boris Becker or [John] McEnroe,” he said.

“There are so many great players, I think a player like McEnroe today would still be among the two or three best players in the world.”

The Haitian knows how good McEnroe was, having faced him twice during his career.

• 1985 Roland-Garros 1R – John McEnroe beats Ronald Agenor, 6-0, 6-2, 7-5
• 1986 Paris Open 2R – John McEnroe beats Ronald Agenor, 7-6, 6-3

If the seven-time Grand Slam winner played today, fans would likely see him take on the world’s two best players, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

The Spaniard and Italian have occupied a higher class on the ATP Tour since the start of 2024, winning all eight available Grand Slam titles.

Fans are divided on which player is better, as Agenor now gives his opinion.

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 points
• 2. Jannik Sinner – 10,000 points

“You can see that [Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz is the best players in the world,” Agenor said.

“However, I place 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 we’ve lost a lot of the art of the game. Alcaraz brings it every now and then,” he said.

“Sinner has a different way of playing, he boxes on the pitch, for me he is the best player in the world.

“I saw him play in practice at the Australian Open; he reminds me [Bjorn] Borg at the time.

While Alcaraz and Sinner will dominate tennis for years to come, the debate over which of the two is better will undoubtedly rage.

Fans are clamoring for a “third star” to join the fight, and it’s certainly interesting to wonder if McEnroe could have done the job if he had been born in a different era…