“ESPN needs to get rid of Chris Evert & John McEnroe ASAP, they’re so bad” – Fans frustrated by American duo’s ‘insufferable’ US Open 2024 commentary
Chris Evert and John McEnroe have once again come under fire for their commentary at the 2024 US Open, with tennis fans calling for their removal from the broadcast. The American tennis legends have frequently faced criticism for their controversial statements, particularly at Grand Slam events.
Frustration with Chris Evert and John McEnroe’s commentary has been mounting over the course of the season. At the French Open, McEnroe faced backlash for making a remark about Iga Swiatek “throwing on a little makeup,” as well as his apparent lack of knowledge about players ranked outside the top 10.
The issue persisted at Wimbledon, as the seven-time Major champion was lambasted for his shocking “ignorance” and lack of insight during the women’s final. During the same title clash, Chris Evert was accused of being “racist” due to her repeated mispronunciation of Jasmine Paolini’s name without any attempt to correct herself.
Their controversial commentary has continued to fuel fans’ frustration at the US Open. McEnroe was called out “badmouthing” Jannik Sinner and questioning the ITIA’s ruling in the Italian’s doping controversy.Evert, meanwhile, was denounced for suggesting that Karolina Muchova “plays like a guy,” for her perceived “racist” comment about Naomi Osaka’s outfit, and for being “painfully biased” towards Coco Gauff during her fourth-round loss to Emma Navarro.
The latest controversy emerged during the semifinals of the US Open, when Chris Evert suggested that Aryna Sabalenka’s 6-3, 7-6(2) win over Emma Navarro was the best women’s match of the tournament.
Tennis legend and beloved ESPN commentator Chris Evert said Sabalenka-Navarro was the best women’s match of the #USOpen. do you agree? pic.twitter.com/R5u8wP4bGC
— Christian’s Court (@christianscourt) September 6, 2024
The comment was the final straw for many fans, who argued that there were several better matches that took place during the Major. As such, fans called for Chris Evert’s removal from the broadcast and demanded John McEnroe’s dismissal as well.
“ESPN needs to get rid of Chris Evert and John McEnroe ASAP, they’re so bad, lack knowledge about tennis outside of slams, and do not offer much insight at all,” one fan posted.
“Evert, McEnroe and Drysdale need to ride off into the sunset together. ESPN has way better commentators on the bench. Ones who actually add value instead of serving up empty cliche after cliche,” another fan chimed in.
“Chrissie just says any damn thing. I need her gone from the booth just like the McEnroes,” said another.
Fans continued to complain about the “insufferable” commentary and the apparent subpar tennis analysis from the ESPN commentary crew, including Evert and McEnroe.
“This is my regularly scheduled tweet to complain about how insufferable the ESPN tennis broadcast crew is at the grand slams. That’s it. That’s the tweet,” one fan commented.
“With this quality of tennis analysis ESPN might as well put Stephen A Smith and Pat McAfee in the booth,” another fan wrote.
