59-yr-old John McEnroe says he can still beat Serena Williams

The Williams sisters claimed they could beat any man in the top 200 back in the late 90s. Then, some dude ranked 205 or something said, "Bring it" and crushed them both with ease. Afterwards, he said that they would stand no chance against any man in the top 1000.

With that said, I think Serena is great and love watching her matches. I understand why she demands equal pay. She probably couldn't handle McEnroe though.

Men are obviously better than women! That’s why I like a nice stinky butthole.

To make it fair, Mac should have to use a wooden racquet.

Everyone actually should. Ban non-wood racquets.

Chair Umpire wrote:

Johnny Mac has great Natural Talent. It's not something that goes away with Age.

Agree w/talent but what about physical attributes?—?

This time, 56-year-old John McEnroe said he could beat Serena, even at his current age, but definitely 15 years ago which is when he claimed that presidential-favorite-in-his-own-mind Donald Trump offered the two some money to play a match.

Yes, it is funny to go back and re-read the so-called political experts (virtue signallers) from mid-2015 onward concerning re: Trump.

If they staged a match between McEnroe and Williams, I'd absolutely watch it.

I can't think of a single event in running where a 59 year old man could beat the best woman in the world. Tennis is a bit different because it is technique driven, but I'd put my money on Serena.

I play. I know someone who was once ranked in the top 300. I know lots of college players. College men hit with professional women all of the time and are instructed to go easy on them.

If you have ever hit against a quality woman player versus a man, the balls feel different. The shots men hit are super heavy. The women's balls carry more spin.

Serena could definitely not beat any man in the top 1000, and probably not even in the top 1500, which is about where the top boys in this country are.

YMMV wrote:

ketchup wrote:

The men's WC for age 60 is 53.88 and 11.7 for the 100m.

Tennis is a technique-driven sport, more like golf. .

Then a man shouldn't a huge inherent advantage, DUMMY.

get used to it.. wrote:

If you have ever hit (it) against a quality woman.... versus a man, the balls feel different.

Yes, I would imagine a man's balls feel different than a woman's. Tell us more "get used to it..."

Too east wrote:

49 low for 400m wins Olympic women’s gold. How many high school boys can run 49 low for 400?

That’s right a a shitte ton

When Paula ran her 2:15, how many Great British men ran faster in the marathon that year????

I think Serena would easily beat old man Mac. Remember, most tennis players are considered (with exceptions) over the hill in their mid 30's. 60? Puh-leaze.

Never Has, Never Will, Never Could wrote:

RE: 59-yr-old John McEnroe says he can still beat Serena Williams

What do you mean "still"? MacMouth has never beaten Serena, ever.

You cannot be literal, bro.

Would the best US women be #1 on your high school cross country team? Could the best women in the world win D3 championships? No....

I may be in a unique position to provide some insight on this matter as a former national team track athlete, and tennis coach at a major university:

First off, I would argue that comparing track and field times between genders to a hypothetical tennis match is far from prudent. Track and field times are more a product of absolute physical capacity, muscle endurance/twitch etc. than tennis, which requires more technical precision, guile, and strategy.

That said, age should certainly be considered in this scenario. Mac is almost 60, and though he still competes in senior events at a fairly high level, would be worn down during the course of a hard 3-set match with an elite opponent like Serena.

I've actually seen Mac play in person fairly recently; at an event in Coral Gables a few years ago, and have of course seen Serena play many times on television, including at the U.S. Open this year. Given that, here's my tale of the tape:

Power - Serena (without question, on both sides and serve).

Agility - Serena

Speed - Serena

Forehand - Serena

Backhand - Mac (probably)

Experience - Serena (though Mac has probably played more matches, we're talking at a competitive level).

Serve - Serena

Lateral movement - Serena

Volleying/Net play - Draw

Mental fortitude - Mac

Grit - Draw

Intangibles - Serena

Quite frankly, if Serena's serve was on point, she'd hit him off the court. Plain and simple. There's no way in hell with good placement Mac would have a chance on her serve. He's 59 years old, slow, lacks flexibility and reaction time. Should the pressure of the match get to Serena a bit, she could get yippy on the serve, which could make for a more competitive match. Serena takes the match 6-3, 6-4.

Now the matter of Pete Sampras (age 47) vs. Serena:

Pete still moves well, bombs the serve upwards around 130mph (not bad for an old man), and has the soft touch of a pediatric nurse around the net. THAT would be a match worth seeing... though I still can't fathom a scenario where Serena takes a set off him. No way no how. She might not even see 70% of his serves (which by no coincidence is roughly the percentage he's served at in recent matches). Serena might get a sniff on a few service games, but no way in hell she breaks him. Pete, on the other hand, is accustomed to seeing 130mph serves on the seniors circuit, from guys like Philipoussis and Ivanisevic, and still lays wallopings on them. He STILL to this day has one of the best forehands in the world, and would give Serena serious problems should she give him the ability to hit it consistently.

Pete wins easily, 6-1, 6-1.

Thoughts?

get used to it.. wrote:

I play. I know someone who was once ranked in the top 300. I know lots of college players. College men hit with professional women all of the time and are instructed to go easy on them.

If you have ever hit against a quality woman player versus a man, the balls feel different. The shots men hit are super heavy. The women's balls carry more spin.

Serena could definitely not beat any man in the top 1000, and probably not even in the top 1500, which is about where the top boys in this country are.

For everyone saying Serena could not beat any man in the top 1000, they are probably right - but they are also missing the point. How many men in the top 1000 are over 50, let alone near 60? I'm willing to bet there are none.

Take T&F as a more familiar example. There are probably 200 high school boys in the US that could beat Jenny Simpson in a mile and most D1 middle distance runners could. But no 60-year old could even come close. A 60 year-old man could not even make the US women's trials in any event. I don't think people are taking into account how much men decline physically after age 50.

Or take golf. No one over age 50 has ever won a major and the oldest person to win on the tour was 52. And there is a big difference between 52 and 59 or 60. Just ask any older master's runner (I am one of them).

For those that think McEnroe could still beat one of the top women in the world today, at what age do you think he would be too old - 65, 70, 80?

You either didn't know or just plain forgot wrote:

The Overexplainer wrote:

I live across the country from him and that is why I forgot.

Huh? Your memory works based on proximity?

Lol, no, but his memory is influenced by frequency of speaking with his brother, which reasonably would be reduced by a country separating them. Metamessage, call your siblings more often. Keep the love alive ;)

This one time, in Berverly Hills, I was in this French designers clothing store...and in walked the sisters Williams.

They were obviously on some time off and were bubbly, enjoying some non competive shopping time.

#Girbaud

Chair Umpire wrote:

Johnny Mac has great Natural Talent. It's not something that goes away with Age.

Actually it does. How else do you explain that the world's #1 has never been a 60 year-old?

Compared to 20 year-olds, 60 year-olds lack quickness, speed, strength, flexibility . . . all components of natural talent.

Well Actually wrote:

Chair Umpire wrote:

Johnny Mac has great Natural Talent. It's not something that goes away with Age.

Actually it does. How else do you explain that the world's #1 has never been a 60 year-old?

Compared to 20 year-olds, 60 year-olds lack quickness, speed, strength, flexibility . . . all components of natural talent.

Those are natural athletic talent.

I'm talking about natural tennis talent.

Large-scale ping-pong wrote:

Those are natural athletic talent.

I'm talking about natural tennis talent.

"Natural Talent" is an LRC-memephrase to mean "of the "correct" ethnicity to dominate in a given sport"... E.g., East Africans are naturally talented in distance, West Africans are naturally talented in sprints, to say nothing of race vis-a-vis positions in football, etc.