56-year-old John McEnroe thinks he can beat Serena Williams
Let’s just keep this a dream match instead of actually making it happen.
John McEnroe appeared on Wednesday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, talking about why doubles matches aren’t as good or important as singles matches. At some point, Kimmel brought up a question about who would win between him and Serena Williams, who is currently trying to achieve a calendar Grand Slam, and who McEnroe has practiced with on a tennis court before.
Of course, McEnroe said he would defeat her:
McEnroe: “My daughters are over there. I think it’s mixed, they think I’d probably lose to Serena. I believe that I could still take her.”
Kimmel: “You do? And why hasn’t this happened?”
M: “Fifteen years ago, Donald Trump, who seems to be in the news a little b--”
K: “He’s going to be our president soon.” [audience laughs]
M: “Gonna be our president in about a year. He made an offer, which, you know I felt, like, was not enough, and I think he was humoring the two of us. And Serena - she’s got a lot to lose by losing to an old fart like myself. And I got a lot to lose, because if I lose to, God forbid, a woman, then I’m not allowed in any men’s locker room for the next 15 years, or possibly the end of my life. So that’s part of why it’s intriguing.”
Eventually, he equated this dream match to Pacquiao-Mayweather, and Kimmel had the idea of having a double billing of a rematch between the two boxers, and then a tennis match between McEnroe and Williams.
To which McEnroe replied, after mishearing Kimmel saying he’d like to see a boxing match between him and Serena:
“I don’t think I could take her in the ring.”
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SB Nation presents: Don’t underestimate Serena Williams’ greatness
