John McEnroe identifies what tennis players do now which was totally ‘unheard’ of when he was playing

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John McEnroe enjoyed an illustrious career, but he like many others is well aware of just how much the game has changed since his playing days.

Again like many others in tennis, McEnroe has kept himself busy and importantly in touch with the sport since retiring.

The American has captained the Team World Laver Cup team from the competition’s beginnings, with his seven-year spell having just come to an end.

McEnroe says the Laver Cup players will love Andre Agassi, with the latter replacing the former at the next edition in 2025.

The former has also turned to commentary since his retirement, having won seven Grand Slam titles as a player.

John McEnroe makes ‘unheard of’ ball spin claim

McEnroe won four US Open titles and three Wimbledon titles, with the American having reached number one in the world rankings.

But he has now analysed just how different his era was compared to the modern game, with McEnroe sharing his thoughts on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast.

“The similarity is the mentality,” he said. “That will, that drive, that willingness to dig deeper and if necessary slightly adjust what you are thinking or what you are doing.

READ MORE: Why Jimmy Connors once stormed off court and refused to play against John McEnroe during fiery match between the pair

“I love watching the great guys play because you can see them thinking. I don’t know why little guys – I’m 5’11” and three quarters – here is one record I won’t ever lose; I am the last ever guy to win a major with a wooden racket.

“Now you see guys who are 6’6″, a lot of guys actually, and you look at what has happened and the rackets, they have the technology where there is 40 per cent more power than there used to be.

“The strings have the ability to put on spin which was unheard of when we played. The way they hit the ball, they taught us a completely different way. Occasionally they show old matches and it looks like we are in slow motion, it’s like this is sad.

“But that is probably the biggest change in terms of the obvious, it’s the quickness of the game. But it doesn’t change the fact that you need that first explosive step. It’s become more athletic.”

How tall are modern stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz?

Generating ball spin has become a crucial part of success in the modern game, with mastering that technique often a key difference between winning and losing.

The margins of success have become so narrow in the modern game that players will do anything to get ahead, and working on that approach can be very useful.

READ MORE: John McEnroe says what every other top player is now doing because of Carlos Alcaraz

But height does play a role, with today’s world-class stars in Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz standing at 6’3″ and 6’0″ respectively, while Reilly Opelka is a massive 6’11”.

Ability does, however, still often make the biggest difference, with McEnroe having labelled Alcaraz ‘unique’ after seeing him up close at the Laver Cup.

Technology doesn’t look like slowing down anytime soon, however, meaning more and more technical aspects similar to ball spin will likely be analysed and utilised by players as the years go on.