John McEnroe has made no secret of Carlos Alcaraz being his favourite modern-day player, and he uses every opportunity he can to praise the Spaniard.
After all, in his eyes, his arrival came at the perfect time for men’s tennis, bridging the gap between this generation and the last in a way that few thought would ever be possible.
His upbeat and infectiously affable demeanour make him one of the most easily likeable stars in the sport, and has seen him win fans way beyond just the tennis world.
However, McEnroe insists his impact has actually been larger than just entertainment.
The American pundit actually thinks that Carlos Alcaraz has almost saved tennis, in his latest chat with Spanish outlet El Larguero.
John McEnroe has more positive words for Carlos Alcaraz after he wins in Japan
Asked about Spain’s outstanding current tennis export, John McEnroe began with a simple statement that is impossible to deny: “Carlos is incredible for tennis.”
As he has stated multiple times, he then named Alcaraz his favourite player to watch, before insisting: “He’s my favourite player to watch. Thank god that he came along after Rafa, Roger, Novak. There’d be a big void in the sport if he wasn’t there.”
Both he and Jannik Sinner have contributed to this easy transition away from the Big Three era, and McEnroe then credited them both for improving one another: “He’s also helped make Sinner a better player, and Sinner has helped make him a better player.
He concluded with a word on Alcaraz’s injury struggles this year, with the 23-year-old having returned with a title in Tokyo in just his second ATP Tour-level tournament back.
McEnroe added: “But I was getting very worried, when he missed the French [Open] and Wimbledon. Our sport wasn’t the same without him.
“Now I’m very happy to see him back; he’s just won a tournament, his hair looks great, so it’s all good. His tennis is coming back, and he sure looks great.”
That being said, McEnroe also recently pointed out a problem that could stop Alcaraz from reaching Roger Federer’s levels. His views on the young superstars are not completely blinded by his love for his play style.
Carlos Alcaraz must be the favourite to win his first Shanghai Masters
Alcaraz has historically underperformed during this period of the year, with the seven-time Grand Slam champion seemingly drained after a long and arduous campaign.
This year is completely different though, having been sidelined for five months due to a wrist injury, as McEnroe referenced.
He might not be physically refreshed, but the mental fatigue of a full campaign should, in theory, not be there this time around.
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Alcaraz has never won the Shanghai Masters, Paris Masters or the ATP Finals.
With Jannik Sinner having shut down his 2026 season, the world number three must now be considered the favourite for all three of these events.
