John McEnroe’s comments on BBC TV broadcast draw attention

Britain’s Emma Raducanu receive medical attention during the women’s singles fourth round match against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic on day seven of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Monday, July 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Britain’s Emma Raducanu receive medical attention during the women’s singles fourth round match against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic on day seven of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Monday, July 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Former tennis star John McEnroe’s reaction on the BBC’s broadcast to British teenager Emma Raducanu’s mid-match retirement at Wimbledon has put him in the spotlight.

McEnroe, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, appears as an analyst on the host country’s television coverage at the All England Club.

The 18-year-old Raducanu stopped playing while trailing in the second set of her fourth-round match against Ajla Tomljanovic on Monday night. Raducanu was visited by a trainer, then left the court for a medical timeout. Eventually, the chair umpire announced the 338th-ranked Raducanu would not continue because of a health issue, but did not specify why.

McEnroe told viewers “it appears it got a bit too much, which is understandable,” for Raducanu. He then made a reference to Naomi Osaka, the four-time major champion who pulled out of the previous Grand Slam tournament, the French Open, and also missed Wimbledon because she said she needed a mental health break.

More than two hours later, the All England Club said Raducanu had “difficulty breathing.”

“I can’t imagine being in her shoes, at 18, playing a fourth round in your home country. It’s something I can’t even imagine,” Tomljanovic said, when asked about McEnroe’s comments. “For him to say that, it’s definitely harsh.”

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