John McEnroe throws classic tantrum at Pickleball Slam

John McEnroe, infamous for his angry on-court outbursts, threw a classic tantrum at the recently concluded Pickleball Slam event, venting his frustration at a foot fault call from the umpire.

McEnroe joined tennis greats Andre Agassi, Michael Chang, and Andy Roddick at the Slam event, held on Sunday (April 2) at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

McEnroe paired up with Chang in the doubles match. Halfway through the first set, McEnroe was called out for a foot fault while returning his shot. The American was repeatedly spotted guilty of the same from there on, much to his frustration.

Playing for game point in the second set, McEnroe was at it again and his error provoked him to act out. The former World No. 1 slammed his paddle to the floor and walked off the court to take some time to cool down and get himself together.

Taking to social media on Monday (April 3), the event organizers posted a clip showing McEnroe's rage up-close.

"Ever wondered what a “McEnroe Meltdown” looks like up close?," the post was captioned.

McEnroe's fault at such a crucial juncture did not prove to be costly in the end, as the duo eventually won the set 23-21. However, McEnroe and Chang lost the doubles match to Roddick and Agassi, 15-21, 23-21, 10-12.

Meanwhile in the singles matches, McEnroe beat Agassi (15-13, 16-14) and Roddick outclassed Chang (15-10, 15-10).

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John McEnroe revealed that he does not enjoy playing pickleball

John McEnroe at the 2022 Laver Cup

Despite his participation in the Slam event, John McEnroe is clear about his dislike for the sport. The American blatantly stated that he does not enjoy playing pickleball and claimed that the $ 1 million purse was the influential factor for his participation at the event.

"This came to us like, 'What you're going to throw some money at us?' Okay," McEnroe said as per Miami Herald.

The American thinks of pickleball as an "equalizer" when amongst friends, maintaining that tennis is his game after all.

"No, I don’t enjoy it. Tennis is my game. But it’s something I’ve been enjoying with friends because it’s sort of an equalizer. You can learn and pick it up and be reasonably good at it," he added.

John McEnroe even stated that people opining about the paddle sport becoming the fastest growing sport makes him nauseous.

"I don’t look at pickleball like, 'Oh my God this is great!' If I hear one more time that pickleball is the fastest-growing sport I’m gonna throw up. I look at like, there’s the NFL and then there’s arena football. It’s hard to imagine something small like pickleball being great on TV," the American opined.

However, other players from the Slam event, including Agassi and Roddick, have expressed genuine interest in the sport, highlighting its physical health benefits.