John McEnroe: Serena Williams' legacy will improve inclusivity in tennis for decades to come

John McEnroe praised the retiring Serena Williams and said he hoped her example would improve tennis’s inclusivity for decades to come.

A determined Williams could not hold back Ajla Tomljanović in what looked set to be her final competitive appearance on court.

Speaking to Eurosport, McEnroe remarked that the attention on Williams was so intense that “It was the Serena Open, now the US Open starts.”

The Grand Slam winner compared his own career to Williams,saying: “Serena handled it a lot different than I did, her career lasted a lot longer and her career was a lot bigger, obviously.

“Even though she’s an absolute legend and she’s the GOAT of GOATs, someone else will come along.”

He suggested that her impact will be felt for years to come, and hoped that the sport would use her example as inspiration to become more inclusive.

“The legacy is that someone from Compton, California, which is a tough neighbour, an African American girl - let’s not forget Venus - this story comes along once every 100 years,” he began.

“I’m praying that this opens the door for all people that a lot of whom can’t afford it, it’s the one percent. I hate to say this, I think it’s better in Europe and other parts of the world, but I don’t know how much better.

“Now all of a sudden people want psychologists, and they need cooks and they need this and other things. It’s gotten too pricey so I’m hoping that what Serena will represent that dreams can come true. This story is incredible. We will allow and hope more kids will be able to afford to play this great game and in 20 years we’ll see a lot more inclusivity.”

Reflecting on the defeat, McEnroe explained he thought the match represented the reason for why Williams is so highly regarded, but also that other interests are now more compelling to her.

“It caught up to her,” he said. “She’s 40 years old, she hasn't played too many matches. How many times can you dig into the well? You could see early in the third she was slowing things down. I think she, to me, ran out of gas a little bit.

“It’s safe to say Serena Williams has come from behind and won majors, I believe that’s happened on at least three occasions. Even at 5-1 when you felt like she was spent and saving match points, she’s so great. You still believe. You still think she can win it, and that’s why she'll be remembered as she is. She went out in style, she did everything she could. Have you ever seen a crowd give someone a standing ovation before she loses?

“She did leave the door open. It would be weird if she pulls a Tom Brady! These are superstars and even if you’re not, you’re entitled to change your mind. But this has been going on for years with Serena, she doesn’t want to play a lot of events. It’s that commitment, day after day, she wants a family, she’s a venture capitalist. She represents so many things besides tennis: women being paid and treated equally, women being able to express themselves on the court, to being treated the same way as guys.”