John McEnroe refused to be drawn on a live on-air question regarding Serena Williams' potential retirement following her three-set loss to Maya Joint at Wimbledon. When quizzed on whether the returning 44-year-old had just played her final singles match, McEnroe was unwilling to offer an opinion.
Williams' Poignant Exit from Centre Court
As Williams departed Centre Court, she gave a lengthy wave to the crowd in what could have been a farewell gesture — though it may only be a brief goodbye, as she could yet feature in doubles alongside sister Venus. It was nonetheless a poignant moment for a player who had made her return to professional tennis nearly four years after walking away.
When pressed on whether Williams might call it a day for good, McEnroe responded: "You think I know? Come on, don't ask me a question that's unanswerable."
McEnroe Interjects During Fellow Pundit's Response
The same question was directed at American pundit Tracy Austin, prompting McEnroe to cut in, saying: "I never thought that she would come back in the first place, but go ahead Tracy..." Austin offered: "I think we have got to celebrate Maya Joint now and celebrate Serena coming back."
Joint then stepped up to the podium to deliver her speech, cutting short Austin's carefully worded response, as she shared her feelings on defeating one of the greatest tennis players the world has ever seen.
Joint's Emotional Reaction to Victory
"I don't know what to say right now," Joint said in her on-court interview. "Wow. I don't know what just happened to be honest. I didn't get much sleep last night. I was up til like 2am just thinking about it. Walking out... I forgot the warm-up. I don't know what happened. My legs weren't moving."
"I don't know how I got a pretty good start in the match. She has such an aura. She's such a legend. This court has so many huge names that have played on it. I've been dreaming about this moment since I was a little kid. This is pretty crazy."
Joint on Facing Williams
When quizzed about the most challenging aspect of facing an icon of Williams' stature, Joint responded: "I think just trying to come out on court and play a match against her. Just the start was very nerve-wracking. Then trying to finish out the match as well. She definitely lifted her level. She played some really great tennis there."
