John McEnroe was not impressed with Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova as they prepared to walk out onto Centre Court for the Wimbledon final on Saturday afternoon
Tennis legend John McEnroe unleashed a volley of frustration aimed at Wimbledon stars Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova as they beamed onto Centre Court for their maiden SW19 showdown.
Despite the prestigious finals awaiting, McEnroe was less than impressed with the duo’s pre-match ritual involving music, during his stint on the BBC before moving to commentary duties.
Noticing both finalists opted for headphones, McEnroe couldn’t hide his discontent: Anisimova sported AirPods although she removed them before stepping onto the turf, whilst Swiatek donned larger headphones.
The retired pro served up his disapproval, forcefully suggesting a ban on such devices before finals.
McEnroe didn’t mince words, scrutinising the young players’ choice: “They shouldn’t allow them to wear airpods or headphones because you have got to get them to enjoy this instead of playing some music,” he declared. “Come on now ladies!”
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While some athletes find solace in tunes to mitigate match-day tension, with Swiatek herself admitting to turning to rock legends Guns N’ Roses and Led Zeppelin for pre-game morale – McEnroe appears sceptical about managing nerves with music, as per the Express.
Speaking about her pre-match ritual before the final, Swiatek said: “There’s some AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones. So yeah, rock but not too hard.”
Explaining why she listened to those particular bands, she added: “Everybody’s asking me if I listen to that all the time. They keep buying me vinyl records and everything, and I’m like, ‘Guys, if I listen to that all the time, I wouldn’t be able to sleep.’ So it’s just pre-match, just to pump myself up,”
“I try to treat every match the same way, and if I realise this is one of the most important matches of the season it stresses me out.
“So I just listen to music – Led Zeppelin, it really pumps me up – and use everything to help me.
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