'It’s bizarre but fitting,' John McEnroe heaps praise on ‘Hall of Famers’ Andy Murray, Stanislas Wawrinka ahead of French Open clash

Tennis legend John McEnroe has heaped praise on Stanislas Wawrinka and Andy Murray ahead of their titanic clash in the first round of the French Open. The pair will be locking horns in Sunday’s night session.

The famous former left-handed tennis player spoke to Eurosport about this match-up. The American lauded both veterans for their ability to return to the sport despite their injuries.

It’s crazy and fitting that these two veterans, who’ve struggled with injuries, have to face each other in the first round. They probably looked at the draw and thought, ‘I don’t want to play a top guy first round,’ and then saw each other’s names. John McEnroe said via Eurosport

Undoubtedly, This match will be one of the most viewed in this year’s French Open alongside the first-round clash between Alexander Zverev and Rafael Nadal. It will also be the pair’s first clash in almost two years. Their last match was in Cincinnati 2022, where Murray edged Wawrinka 7-5 in the decider.

Although the former World No. 1 leads their head-to-head 13-9, the Swiss player has been on the ascendancy on clay, winning five of their six encounters. The pair have played three times at Roland Garros, with the 2015 champion winning twice.

It’s bizarre but fitting. How much longer are they going to play? Murray wants to play the Olympics, but who knows. Wawrinka’s future is also uncertain. I hope it’s a great match because these are two first-ballot Hall of Famers who have brought so much to the sport, even if they don’t get the recognition they deserve because of the other top guys. Hopefully, it will be a good one. John McEnroe added

How will Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray be remembered as tennis players?

In an era dominated by the Big 3 (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic), there are few players who can boast about winning multiple majors. However, Stanislas Wawrinka and Andy Murray have done more than just that.