John McEnroe Praises TNT's French Open Coverage

John McEnroe praises TNT's French Open coverage as a shot in the arm for the sport. He worked with TNT Sports, which has the entire rights to the French Open, a change from previous splits.

What happened at the French Open?

TNT's coverage included the early-tournament MacZone whiparound show, hosted by John McEnroe and his brother Patrick. The show allowed for coverage of lesser-hyped matches that turned out to be dramatic. John McEnroe had been pushing for this type of coverage, inspired by the success of other alternate broadcasts like the ManningCast.

Why it matters for John McEnroe

John McEnroe thinks TNT's approach is great for tennis, making it easier and better for the viewer. He likes the network's emphasis on personality, citing Charles Barkley and the Inside The NBA team as examples. TNT's coverage is a sharp change from previous years, when networks like NBC and ESPN only covered part of the day.

What comes next for TNT's tennis coverage?

John McEnroe hopes to see more of this type of coverage in the future, possibly even on ESPN. He thinks the MacZone whiparound show captures the energy of a Slam more than anything previously. The show's success could lead to more innovative coverage of tennis tournaments. John McEnroe also noted the impact of technology on the sport, particularly the speed of current rackets. As of the French Open, John McEnroe observed that the sport is being helped by technology more than ever before. The speed of the rackets is allowing players to hit with more power and accuracy.