- Grand Slam champ appeared on TV with comedian Andy Lee
- Australian Open version of Channel Nine’s show The Hundred
- McEnroe predicted how surveyed fans feel about Kyrgios
Grand Slam great John McEnroe has left TV star Andy Lee in stitches as he explained why he believes Australians think Nick Kyrgios is ‘a bit of a d**k’ during a TV appearance on Wednesday.
The 64-year-old tennis legend was appearing on a special Australian Open edition of Channel Nine’s The Hundred game show, which sees contestants try to guess how 100 surveyed people have answered random questions.
Lee hosted the segment, which also featured comedian Mike Goldstein, and the topic soon turned to Kyrgios.
McEnroe (pictured with Nick Kyrgios and his sister Halimah at this year’s Australian Open) cracked up comedian Andy Lee as he clarified why he thinks Aussies believe the tennis bad boy from down under is a ‘bit of a d**k’
The Grand Slam legend was competing against comedian Mike Goldstein (pictured together) on the Australian Open edition of Nine’s game show The Hundred
‘When it comes to Nick Kyrgios, do Australians think he’s a hero, or a bit of a d**k?’ Lee asked.
McEnroe chose the latter, while Goldstein went with the hero option.
Asked to clarify his choice, the four-time US Open champion said, ‘I think that’s sort of what he wants to be, actually.
‘He is also extremely talented and could be a hero, as well.
‘It would be nice if he was both. Like, I know something about that.’
That last remark left Lee and Goldstein in fits of laughter and was an obvious reference to McEnroe’s famous reputation as one of tennis’s most controversial figures.
Nicknamed ‘Superbrat’ during his playing heyday, he’s become synonymous with the phrase, ‘You cannot be serious!’ after he yelled it at umpires on a regular basis when he didn’t like their calls.
Host Andy Lee (pictured) lost it when McEnroe compared himself to Kyrgios – with both stars known for being exceptionally talented, but also exceptionally volatile on the court
McEnroe (pictured with Carlos Alcaraz) has been a regular at the Australian Open in his role as a leading commentator
McEnroe went so far with his on-court antics that an English newspaper branded him ‘the most vain, ill-tempered, petulant loudmouth that the game of tennis has ever known’.
Kyrgios has in many ways replaced the American as the super-talented bad boy of the pro tour, becoming notorious for outbursts at officials and even crowd members, such as his accusation that a spectator at Wimbledon had ‘700 drinks’ when he played Novak Djokovic in the 2022 men’s final.
Lee went on to reveal that 55 per cent of the Aussies surveyed agreed with McEnroe, while 45 per cent regard Kyrgios as a hero.
That made McEnroe the winner of that edition of The Hundred, which is being aired before the day’s play begins at 11am AEST during the Open.