“John McEnroe kicked me off, I don’t talk to him much”- When Marcelo Rios believed he was removed from Champions Tour by American for being too good
Marcelo Rios’ experience with John McEnroe on the Champions Tour turned sour due to the perception that Rios was too dominant and young for the circuit, which typically featured older, retired players. In 2006, Rios, then 30, consistently won against other former professionals, leading McEnroe, who helped organize the tour, to reportedly exclude him.
McEnroe, almost two decades Rios’ senior, believed the tour should have an age cutoff around 35 to maintain credibility, as it was originally designed for players past their peak years. However, Rios interpreted this as McEnroe being upset over his success, feeling that his competitiveness on the tour was unfairly curtailed simply for excelling.
Since then, Rios has had limited interaction with McEnroe and hasn’t fully reconciled with him. Rios mentioned in interviews that he felt his success on the tour provoked McEnroe’s response, leading to a lasting sense of friction between them. Although he doesn’t dislike McEnroe personally, he remains bothered by McEnroe’s frequent references to Rios’ lack of a Grand Slam title, which Rios feels are unnecessary.
