John McEnroe Praises Serena Williams Amid Retirement: 'She's Like Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan' (Exclusive)

etonline.com:

Serena Williams is "​evolving away from tennis," retired tennis legend John McEnroe is weighing in on the superstar's indelible legacy.The outspoken athlete recently chatted with ET's Kevin Frazier, while promoting his forthcoming Showtime documentary, and he reflected on Williams' retirement and final US Open.«I hope it goes well for her, but it doesn’t matter ultimately [because] she's an icon,» McEnroe said. «She's like Muhammad Ali, in a way, and Michael Jordan, Billie Jean King, Tom Brady.

I mean, she's up with the all-time athletes, whether she wins a match or she wins the tournament.»«I mean, she's won so much, [and] she seems to be in a great place and that’s what matters,» he added. «Hopefully she'll be able to sort of inspire more kids to play the sport of tennis in the future.»McEnroe's praise comes nearly five years after the tennis star found himself in hot water over remarks he made about Williams that many critics felt were sexist.

McEnroe said in several interviews in 2017 that he felt Williams wouldn't be able to compete against nearly any professional males players.

The tennis pro stood by the controversial remarks at the time. He later told CBS This Morning «she's the greatest player, female player, that's ever lived.»Williams penned a first-person account regarding her decision to step back from the sport for September 2022 issue, which was published earlier this month. «I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me,» she wrote. «A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm.