John McEnroe found himself in a fiery exchange with a BBC Radio 5 Live caller earlier today over Wimbledon’s decision to hand Serena Williams a wildcard entry.
The tennis legend clashed with a Scottish caller named Bill, who argued passionately that a British woman should have been given the spot instead of the American great.
It’s fair to say things got pretty heated between the pair during the on-air debate.
Bill wasn’t holding back, questioning whether Williams truly deserved the wildcard given she’s already enjoyed an incredible career at the top of the game.
John McEnroe clashed with a tennis fan over BBC radio in a heated discussion
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The caller’s frustration stemmed from Arthur Fery’s remarkable journey at SW19 this year.
Bill pointed to the 23-year-old’s success as proof that British players can thrive when given the chance, arguing: “This was life-changing for Arthur Fery, it could have been life-changing for another British player!”
He pushed his point further, suggesting: “What would have happened if Roger Federer had got the wildcard Arthur Fery got? We’d never have heard of Arthur Fery and his career and his life changing.”
It’s clear Bill felt strongly that homegrown talent deserved every possible opportunity to shine on the grass courts.
McEnroe wasn’t having any of it though, firing back with some hard numbers.
Serena Williams was given a wildcard entry at Wimbledon but lost in the first round to Maya Joint
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He told Bill: “Tell that to the BBC and their ratings when she played! The highest rating they ever had on a Tuesday. Let’s be real now.”
The American then posed a pointed question to his caller: “What you’re saying is if Roger Federer came back to play, we should give it to a British wildcard instead of Roger Federer?”
McEnroe also noted that Wimbledon had already handed out six or seven wildcards to British players this year.
When Bill insisted they could have given one more, McEnroe shot back: “Whoever the 600 guy was, he’d take it from!”
Fery’s run has been nothing short of historic, making him just the second men’s wildcard ever to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals.
Arthur Fery has reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon, making history as the first British wildcard to do so
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The only other player to achieve this feat was Goran Ivanisevic back in 2001, who went on to win the whole thing.
The young Brit defeated Flavio Cobolli in straight sets on Wednesday and now faces French Open champion Alexander Zverev for a spot in the final.
Williams, on the other hand, saw her comeback cut short rather dramatically.
She lost in three sets to Maya Joint in the first round, her first singles match in four years, before withdrawing from the doubles with a knee injury.
