John McEnroe declined to speculate on whether Serena Williams had competed in her final singles match following her departure from Wimbledon on Tuesday evening.
The American tennis legend, working as a BBC pundit, was pressed by commentator Nick Mullins after Williams fell to Australian Maya Joint in three sets.
"You think I know? Don't ask me a question that's unanswerable," McEnroe responded when Mullins enquired whether the 44-year-old would return next year at 45.
Mullins acknowledged receiving disapproving glances from his fellow commentator, remarking: "We're just speculating, John, don't look at me like that. It's what we do, it's our job."
Fellow American pundit Tracy Austin was similarly hesitant to engage with questions about Williams' future in the sport.
McEnroe interjected before Austin could respond fully, stating: "I wouldn't have thought she would have come back in the first place but you go ahead, Tracy."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- Man Utd open door to Marcus Rashford return as fresh talks change everything
- Luke Littler baffled by Thomas Tuchel decision as England and DR Congo clash looms
- 'I returned Jannik Sinner's serve at Wimbledon thanks to an AI robot'
Austin opted for a more measured approach, suggesting the moment called for appreciation rather than speculation.
"She's 44 and she won seven majors before Maya Joint was even born. It was incredible for her to put herself out there again," Austin observed.
"I think we need to celebrate Maya Joint now and celebrate Serena Williams coming back at 44."
Williams made her return to SW19 nearly four years after stepping away from professional tennis, accepting wildcard entries from the All England Club.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion displayed moments of her former brilliance on Centre Court but ultimately succumbed 3-6, 7-6, 3-6 to the 20-year-old Australian in a dramatic first-round encounter.
Joint had endured a difficult run of form heading into the Championships, having lost 11 consecutive games prior to Tuesday's match.
Williams declined to speak with media following her exit but issued a brief statement expressing gratitude for the occasion.
"It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here," she said. "The atmosphere was amazing."
Joint spoke of her disbelief at defeating one of tennis's all-time greats, admitting she had barely slept the night before their Centre Court clash.
"I was up until 2am just thinking about it," the Australian revealed. "Walking out, I forgot the warm-up, my legs weren't moving."
She described Williams as possessing an unmistakable "aura" and called the victory a childhood dream realised.
"I don't know what just happened to be honest," Joint added. "This is pretty crazy."
Williams may yet feature again at this year's Championships, with the sisters scheduled to compete in doubles on Thursday against Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio.
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
from GB News https://ift.tt/WUeQ16f
via IFTTT
Thank you for your message!