Mac tells court ace Serena: Jor one of the best!
JOHN McENROE has compared “icon” Serena Williams to Michael Jordan as she prepares for her potential last dance at Wimbledon.
The 23-time singles Grand Slam winner will return to action for the first time in nearly a year to play doubles in Eastbourne this week.
The American superstar will then make her latest – and perhaps final – bid to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slams after accepting a Wimbledon wildcard into the singles.
She has not won a Major since becoming a mother in 2017.
NBA legend Jordan’s final season with the Chicago
Bulls was chronicled in Netflix series
The Last Dance.
And playing Wimbledon and the US Open this summer could prove the final chance for Williams, 40, to make more history.
She limped out of SW19 in tears last year after twisting her ankle in the first round and has not played competitively since.
“Serena’s obviously been trying to get that one to tie Margaret Court and win that first one since she had a kid,” said BBC commentator and three-time Wimbledon singles champion McEnroe.
“She’s up there with
Michael Jordan and the all-time great icons.”
There is no doubting the sporting and cultural impact she has made. But the world No.1,208’s current condition is a mystery.
McEnroe (below) added: “I haven’t seen her, no one has seen anyone really. And so now we’re finally getting to Wimbledon.
“What happened last year, you hate to see someone like Serena go out like that.”
Williams has twice played in Eastbourne – in 1998 and 2011 – and will sharpen her grasscourt skills with Ons Jabeur.
“I am still over the moon with the news,” said the Tunisian world No.4. “I am really lucky that she picked me and hopefully we will make a great team.”
Eugenie Bouchard – finalist in 2014 – has pulled out of Wimbledon because there are no ranking points on offer.
And former world No.1 Naomi Osaka has also withdrawn with an Achilles injury.
Japan’s four-times Grand Slam champion suffered the injury in Madrid, forcing her to miss the WTA 1000 in Rome in the lead-up to the French Open.
John McEnroe is part of the BBC’s Wimbledon 2022 line-up. Catch all the action across BBC TV,
radio and online from June 27.