‘They shouldn't allow it' – John McEnroe calls for Wimbledon rule change live on BBC ahead of Anisimova vs Swiatek final
The seven-time Grand Slam champion is never afraid to make his feelings clear in his role as a pundit.
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And he did exactly that before the ladies' singles final on Centre Court.
Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova prepared to make the famous walk along the corridor and out on to the famous lawn to the packed 15,000 iconic stadium.
But the Polish star, 24, did so wearing her over-ear headphones.
Swiatek revealed she listens to classic rock bands before matches to psych herself up.
She said: "There's some AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones. So yeah, rock but not too hard.
"Everybody's asking me if I listen to that all the time. They keep buying me vinyl records and everything, and I'm like, 'Guys, if I listen to that all the time, I wouldn't be able to sleep.' So it's just pre-match, just to pump myself up."
However, McEnroe wants players to be forced to take in the moment and the atmosphere by having headphones banned when stepping out for a Wimbledon final.
The no-nonsense BBC pundit, 66, said: "They shouldn't allow them to wear AirPods or headphones because you have got to get them to enjoy this instead of playing some music.
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"Come on now, ladies!"
But despite McEnroe's protestations, it clearly did the trick for Swiatek.
She raced to a stunning 6-0 6-0 victory in just 57 minutes.
It was the first double-bagel Wimbledon ladies' singles final for 114 YEARS.
Swiatek picked up a £3million prize cheque for her brutal battering - which worked out as more than £52,000 per minute of the final.
Anisimova was allowed to go off court after match point to recompose herself.
She then sobbed into the microphone as the understandable emotion of the occasion took over.
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WIMBLEDON 2025 LIVE - FOLLOW ALL THE LATEST SCORES AND UPDATES FROM A THRILLING FORTNIGHT AT SW19
Unstoppable Swiatek said: 'It seems super surreal.
'I want to congratulate Amanda for an amazing two weeks. No matter what happened, you should be proud of the work you are doing.
'I hope we are going to play many more finals and in other tournaments. You have the game for that.
'For me, this was way too far to dream about. I feel like I'm already an experienced player after winning the Slams before. But I never expected this one. My team believed in me more than I did.
'This tournament is unique. And I was anxious of that.
'Walking around here, being on Centre Court felt like a huge pressure. This year I really enjoyed it and improved my game.
'I will always remember the opening of champagne bottles in-between serves – a sound that will keep me up at night. I will enjoy these moments.'
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