John McEnroe appeared on BBC Two's Wimbledon coverage on Tuesday wearing an all-black outfit, explaining that he was 'mourning' the United States' 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the round of 16 of the World Cup. The 67-year-old former tennis champion joined host Isa Guha and fellow pundit Tracy Austin to preview the all-American Centre Court quarter-final between Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff.
McEnroe's Mourning Attire
McEnroe sported a black overshirt over a black t-shirt despite the hot weather at the All England Club. The outfit contrasted with his previous day's choice of an Oasis t-shirt, which he wore after England beat Mexico to reach the quarter-finals. When Guha asked about the change, McEnroe replied: 'Well that was for England. This is black in mourning for our US team which bombed out.'
The USA's World Cup exit came in Seattle, where Belgium secured a heavy 4-1 victory. Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, with Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku adding further goals. Lukaku made a point of mocking Donald Trump after his stoppage-time goal.
McEnroe's Reaction to the Defeat
McEnroe said he was disappointed to wake up in London and see the scoreline. 'I fortunately didn't stay up to watch it cause I wanted to get prepped for this and get ready and do a couple of hours of studying this morning,' he told Guha and Austin. Austin laughed and interjected: 'Oh yeah right!'
McEnroe continued: 'But you know it was sort of disappointing to look and see 4-1 Belgium. Back to the drawing board.' He then drew a parallel to tennis, saying: 'It reminds me, we need someone to win a major on the men's side. It's been 23 years since [Andy] Roddick won [the US Open]. We're pushing, we're praying. Taylor Fritz has a shot this year, absolutely!'
Other Wimbledon Coverage
Earlier in the broadcast, McEnroe quipped about his punctuality. After Guha introduced the coverage, McEnroe said: 'Good morning by the way!' Austin replied: 'Good morning Johnny Mac! He just got here 10 seconds ago. He always knows when to show up. How do you do that?' McEnroe responded: 'You know, it's been about 35 years. I like being on time though. I hate being late.'
The all-American quarter-final between Pegula and Gauff was the main focus of the day's play, with McEnroe and Austin providing expert analysis alongside Guha.
