Just like every tennis fan watching this year’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, John McEnroe is keen to find out whether Andy Murray or Novak Djokovic will leave The O2 in London as the year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.
Speaking from the ATP Champions Tour event in Seoul, former World No. 1 McEnroe said he was impressed with how Murray and Djokovic have set themselves apart with their outstanding seasons. McEnroe also found it fitting that the season-ending championships will determine who finishes 2016 at the top of men’s professional tennis.
It will be the sixth time since 2001 that the World No. 1 spot will be decided at the year-end championship. But the last time the No. 1 spot changed hands at the season-ending finale was in 2001.
“If you had told me before Wimbledon that we’d be in this position, I’d have been amazed,” McEnroe told ATPChampionsTour.com. “It’s good for tennis. No. 1 coming down to the [Barclays] ATP World Tour Finals adds a little excitement. It’s not about who finishes first, but who gets there at the end.”
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The ever-popular player and commentator was also hopeful that four-time defending champion Djokovic will be able to reproduce his top form at The O2. But even an astute observer of the game like McEnroe found it difficult to predict who would win if he faces Murray in the championship match.
“Novak has a good record against Andy, but they haven’t played since Roland Garros and I’m very surprised that Novak has tailed off. He’s had some on and off-court issues, but he’s clearly capable of putting those aside and pulling it together here,” said McEnroe. “Maybe this will focus him. I’d like to see them play and it would be interesting for (the World No. 1 ranking) to come down to that one match.”
Although the battle for the top spot in the Emirates ATP Rankings is the biggest storyline of the tournament, McEnroe said the other six singles competitors can’t be counted out as contenders to be the last man standing in London.
“I’m guessing that there’s some pressure on both of those guys, so that opens the door for the other players,” said McEnroe. “Stan Wawrinka has had moments of brilliance, enough to easily make himself a Hall of Famer. I still think that Milos Raonic can win a major title. It will be interesting to see who can step up.”