John McEnroe blasts BBC commentator and says Wimbledon bosses 'won't be happy'
Reed made the comment while commentating on British No.1 Jack Draper's first-round victory over Sebastian Baez on Tuesday.
Draper, seeded fourth in the men's singles, saw his victory secured in the third set as Baez retired from the No.1 Court match due to injury problems.
The Brit was leading 6-2 6-2 2-1 when world No.38 Baez retired – but even before the injury – Draper was in firm control and barely broke a sweat.
Draper's dominant performance led to Reed describing the clash as a 'practice match', which appeared to irk American tennis legend McEnroe.
'I don't think the All England Club will be too happy with you saying this first-round match on Court 1 is practice,' McEnroe, who is also working for the BBC this year, bluntly told Reed.
Reed then seemed to try and save face and replied: 'You know what I mean.'
Wimbledon always strive to ensure Centre Court and No.1 Court matches are of the highest quality given they are the two biggest courts in SW19.
Draper, speaking after his win over Baez, said: 'I wanted to play a bit longer in all honesty. I felt I was getting my tennis together.
'Obviously it is no way to win like that and I wish Sebastian the best in his recovery.'
Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula revealed at this year's Championships that she believes men's tennis should be reduced from five sets to three sets.
Draper was quizzed for his thoughts on a possible rule change in his post-match press conference on Tuesday and said: 'I think my personal opinion is that the Grand Slams, it's amazing that it's five sets.
'That's the prestige to a Grand Slam. It's almost a different sport. That's why it's so amazing to win one, because it's the ultimate challenge as a tennis player. I think, yeah, they can be very long. More Trending
'I think, as a fan of tennis, the ups and downs of a five-set match, obviously only happens four times a year in the Grand Slams, yeah, it's tough for the guys sometimes playing so long.
'At the same time, I think if we lose the five sets, we lose the kind of prestige of the Grand Slams.
'For me, I think maybe a couple years ago if you asked me do you want to get rid of the five sets, I'd be like sign for it within an hour.
'I think now I understand the importance of just how amazing it is to be able to play. If you're going to win one, it's like the ultimate challenge.'
MORE: Wimbledon 2025 prize money round-by-round
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