Mac won’t surf the tennis influencer wave

The inadvertent OG of tennis influencers – John McEnroe – has not time for the current wave of social media types who were granted media credentials at the US Open to try and boost the sport among the Gen Z audience.

Mac, who sparked plenty of controversy during his career in the 1980s and 1990s, has spoken out on a podcast about his aversion to the concept of trying to spark tennis interest among an audience that barely knows of its existence.

 “It’s pretty obvious what my view is on social media from the fact that I’m not on it at all. People keep telling me you have to be on there to have a presence, to make sure people still care about you.”

Some of the more than 100 tennis novice influencers given media badges at the Open created minor disturbances at the Grand Slam, by filming with bright ring lights during the middle of matches, among other breeches of the sport’s etiquette.

“As for these people being at tennis matches and disturbing the players. I see why the US Open might have wanted to bring new people in our sport,” McEnroe said.

“But it can’t be helpful if you are trying to play a big match and you look up and someone is filming themselves with a ring light and making a lot of noise doing it.”