Knighted with the Legion of Honor, McEnroe expects a wide-open tournament

On Wednesday, John McEnroe was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor by French President Emmanuel Macron. Honored for his career, but also for his involvement in the world of tennis, the American champion confessed his gratitude: "As you know, yes, I'm proud of my career, even if you always think you could have done other things. What I'm most proud of, as a person, is how far I've come to get to this point where, at 65, after everything that's happened on the sporting front, and having been involved for almost fifty years in tennis, to be rewarded in this way makes me think that maybe I've done something right.

There have been ups and downs, as in everyone's life, but I've overcome a lot. Being with my second wife of almost 30 years was like a second chance. Having children and learning life's lessons, like everyone else, made me grow. I've always tried to do things, even when they didn't work out.

I'm happy to still be involved in tennis. My academy, my commentating duties, still playing tennis, because I love it, all these things have given me a lot, thanks to what I've achieved in my career on the courts."

Asked about the future of the Roland Garros tournament, he, too, explained that it was one of the most open editions we've seen in a long time: "I can see that it hasn't been this open for over 20 years already. There should be quite a few players saying 'finally!' Because it's a bit like what I experienced when Björn (Borg) won all those French Opens, even if I arrived a little later. It was almost impossible to beat him on clay, which of course became the case with Rafa a little later. An unusual situation. So, in a way, it's really exciting. And the men's draw is more unpredictable than the women's tournament. If Iga Swiatek doesn't win, there are only one or two of them who can succeed her."