What would you rate Mcenroe right now?

chrisdaniel

Semi-Pro
hhmmm

higher. He is still moving pretty good, his serve is really,really good still. And oh he is John Mcenroe one of the greatest players of all time. He played a pretty good match with Pete Sampras last year 6,3 6,4.... Could a 5.5 player do that??? I think he and any player in the all time greats are beyond ratings.
 

superman1

Legend
I don't know any 5.5's who could win an ATP doubles tournament.

He's a 7.0, beyond the system. Good enough to beat pros.
 

DNShade

Hall of Fame
I was watching him play recently and I was wondering what he would be rated. I would think a 5.5 but please correct me if I am wrong. :)

Unless you are joking...you cannot be serious. Wow. I read these posts sometimes and wonder if many people out here have actually stepped on to a tennis court.

And this obsession with people's "ratings".

John still routinely hits with and plays sets with top ATP players.

Consider yourself corrected.
 
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CEvertFan

Hall of Fame
LOL Just because he is past his prime doesn't mean he's now a 5.5 player.

Unbelieveable...:roll::roll::roll:
 
1

1970CRBase

Guest
Even if McEnroe was 85 years old, he would still not be a 5.5. Like a great pianist or world class violinist, even if they lose use of their fingers, that would not mean they would be on the level of beginners.
 
He just made the final of a senior event, taking out several younger players.

He also recently beat Philippoussis. Get real.
 

chiru

Professional
i think people somehow think that when you get old you can't play anymore. i just don't understand why people think that, probably because most ppl retire as they get older.

age affects specific things about you, your movement, agility, flexibility, and perhaps most significantly, your ability to recover. all these things take just a teeny bit away from your ablility to play, but thats enough to take you out of the contest for the very top level tourneys (GS's, masters tourneys, regular ATP tourneys are all super super super competitive level). that doesn't mean they all of a sudden go down to a 5.5 level. granted for us 5.5 is still pretty damn good (good enough to kill me 0 and 0) but that level is really really low compared to ATP level players.
 
if he is a 5.5 then what would you consider yourself? a negative 2.5?

most of the people on this board would still struggle to get a point of of him, get over yourself... he is a 7.0

still some of the best hands in the world which means if he is at the net consider the point lost unless you too are a 7.0 player
 

LttlElvis

Professional
I would consider him perhaps the best player ever at his age (49). You have to watch him live to appreciate what he does. His strokes are so efficient everything looks effortless. Watch him live and there is some incredible pace and unbelievable spin on the ball. USTA NTRP ratings are not even meant for players at this calliber. They are off the chart.

I think he, and just about all the guys in the Outback tour, would tear apart any Div I college player. They would still beat all the lower ranked players.
 

bluetrain4

G.O.A.T.
While I agree that the OP's post is wrong, I think I get his reasoning. If the top players today, Fed, Djokovic, etc. are 7.0s, and Mac, because of his age, and decreased movement, recovery, etc. really can't compete with those players, or even some lower ranked players, it would seem that he's a level lower.

But, while he is a level lower, he isn't a ratings point lower. The ratings have to encompass a broad swath of palyers, otherwise, No. 1 would have a different rating than No. 10. So, even though Mac, and several other former pros aren't going to come close to beating the top ATP players or winning ATP singles tourneys, they are still 7.0s.

This is not to say that this is true of all pros. Some pros don't keep on playing and lose their games, and thus, their ratings. But, these guys who were former champions, are in shape, and play all these exhibitions and seniors events, they are still 7.0s.
 

thor's hammer

Semi-Pro
Couple of things...

Some guy wrote an article in tennis magazine a few years ago about playing with McEnroe. (I think it was a writer who helped Mac write his autobiography.) He was a 4.5 player, and described how surprised he was at how much sting and consistent depth Mac had on his groundstrokes. ... He got whuppped good, natch. And I imagine mac was hardly trying.

Also, last summer I went to a Sampras/McEnroe exhibition with a guy who'd just graduated college and was a hair below playing on a good Div I tennis team. He was not that impressed with the level of play between Sampras and Mac until after their match when they played doubles with a couple of local college players, then it became very clear just what a very high level they'd been playing at.

The levels and layers of tennis quality are hard to fathom sometimes, even for people that have played and watched a lot of tennis!

I'm curious if anyone on this board has ever hit or played with McEnroe, anytime really, but particularly in the past few years. If so would love to read about the experience.
 
While I agree that the OP's post is wrong, I think I get his reasoning. If the top players today, Fed, Djokovic, etc. are 7.0s, and Mac, because of his age, and decreased movement, recovery, etc. really can't compete with those players, or even some lower ranked players, it would seem that he's a level lower.

But, while he is a level lower, he isn't a ratings point lower. The ratings have to encompass a broad swath of palyers, otherwise, No. 1 would have a different rating than No. 10. So, even though Mac, and several other former pros aren't going to come close to beating the top ATP players or winning ATP singles tourneys, they are still 7.0s.

This is not to say that this is true of all pros. Some pros don't keep on playing and lose their games, and thus, their ratings. But, these guys who were former champions, are in shape, and play all these exhibitions and seniors events, they are still 7.0s.

That makes sense except that the OP has no reasoning/logic and just posted an arbitrary number. I see what you are saying though, as you actually looked at it logically.

At any rate the USTA defines a 7.0 as a "world class player" and I think it is hard to argue Mac doesnt fit that criteria.

To give some perspective on how wrong the OP was, consider this. I am a 3.5 player. I had a hit with a guy who is a tennis pro, 5.5 level. I was able to win a few points on that person (given he wasnt trying his hardest). If i played Mac(even if he only hit second serves and played at the baseline the entire time) I dont think I would have a chance in hell at winning a point barring an unforced error.

The OP is plain wrong, although your logic as to why one may call mac a "5.5" does make sense, I just doubt the OP thought of it that way.
 

Moose Malloy

G.O.A.T.
Man, this topic never dies. Guess the only way some of you will believe Mac is not a 5.5 is if he beats one 6-0,6-0(which I bet would happen)

What a strange sport, so many obssessed with 'ratings.' I wonder what level John Stockton would be considered if he played rec leagues.

so, was Mac 5.5 when he won that atp doubles title in '06?
 

raiden031

Legend
Man, this topic never dies. Guess the only way some of you will believe Mac is not a 5.5 is if he beats one 6-0,6-0(which I bet would happen)

What a strange sport, so many obssessed with 'ratings.' I wonder what level John Stockton would be considered if he played rec leagues.

so, was Mac 5.5 when he won that atp doubles title in '06?

Wayne Odesnik beat a 5.5 player 6-3, 7-6 in some USTA tournament and he's technically a 7.0.
 

drakulie

Talk Tennis Guru
About two years ago, I saw an ex ATP player, who was barely a top 50 player back in the 70's.

He played a 5.0 who was in the top 5 in Florida for 5.0's. This guy could easily play 5.5 if he wanted to.

The ex-pro beat him 6-0, 6-0. He hardly even tried.

You people seriously need to play an ex atp player to know what it really is like to play these guys. They barely make mistakes, there preparation, footwork, and shots are unbelievable. It's like they are playing a differnent sport all-together.

Saw Andy Lake last year at the clay court championships. Lake reached an ATP 1000 ranking at one point. He was beating 5.0's 6-0, 6-0 soundly throughout the tourney. It wasn't until he started playing other ex atp players that he started losing games.
 

TennisDawg

Hall of Fame
John Mcenroe is an old man, 5.5.
In doubles still a 7.0 because he doesn't have to sprint.

Right, that old man beat Mark Philloposus a few months ago. More recently, reached the finals of a seniors tournament before getting beat by Todd Martin. Others in that draw included Michael Pernfors, Jimmy Arias and Jim Courier. Think these guys are also 5.5??
Seriously, if you think Mac is a 5.5 than you'd better include these other guys in 5.5s also. The average recreational player has no idea what it takes to play at that level even at Macs advanced age with detoriated skills.
 

superman1

Legend
That chart is meaningless. All of this ratings stuff is nonsense. So Federer is the same rating as the guy ranked #400?

McEnroe can beat pros within the top 400. There are plenty of guys in that range who Mac could completely throw off their game, because they've just never seen anyone play like that and give them absolutely zero rhythm.
 

bluegrasser

Hall of Fame
John Mcenroe is an old man, 5.5.
In doubles still a 7.0 because he doesn't have to sprint.

Yea, an old man who could kick your fanny righthanded - you have no clue how good Mac still is, if you played a few games with him on court you'd quickly change your mind junior.
 

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
McEnroe's playing at my hospital's fund raiser this July and one of my colleagues who's dealing with him watched him play a guy (don't know the name) ranked in the top 10 collegiate rankings recently. Mac won 0 and 2.
 

hoodjem

G.O.A.T.
It appears that most of us, according to that chart, are 3.5 players.

Oh well, I'd better go hit the practice courts.
 

helloworld

Hall of Fame
I'm a 5.0 player, and I will lose to John Mcenroe 0 and 0. He still has that legendary serve and godlike touch at the net. It's very simple. Anyone who plays competitive tennis will know this. Ask any 5.0 or 5.5 player and they'll say the same thing.
 
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