Susan Perkins, a staff member at the US Open who was on the receiving end of “hurtful” remarks from John McEnroe, has hit back at the American tennis icon. McEnroe, known for his outspoken commentary when behind the microphone, recently faced criticism for his comments during the US Open men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
One disgruntled fan took to social media to vent their frustration, stating: “Wish McEnroe would shut up with his chatter and musings and let us watch the tennis game.” The match concluded with Alcaraz triumphing at Flushing Meadows, avenging his Wimbledon final loss to Sinner earlier in the summer.
However, it was an incident earlier in the tournament that caused further controversy. During the quarterfinal match between Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz, which Djokovic won, McEnroe made comments about an older staff member live on-air after she delivered restrung rackets to the players.
The ESPN commentator quipped: “Thank you, grandma”, as she handed over the rackets, adding: “Good time for her age group.”
These remarks were widely criticised on social media as disrespectful and dismissive towards the staff member, now identified as Susan Perkins.
In a candid interview with Sportskeeda, Perkins expressed her disappointment at McEnroe’s “hurtful” remarks. “I would like to tell John McEnroe that his comments such as ‘good time for her age group’ and ‘grandma’ felt dismissive and hurtful rather than humorous,” Perkins stated.
“I was simply doing my job delivering a restrung racket to a player. His job is to comment on the players, not other people working on the court.
“It is one thing to jest, it’s another to stereotype someone based on age. I’ve worked at the US Open for years and spent that time supporting the sport with pride and professionalism, yet those comments made me feel invisible and mocked.”
Perkins was so distressed by the incident that she confessed she didn’t want to step onto the court again, fearing McEnroe might make another derogatory remark.
She added: “I have worked as a court attendant for the last 20 years, starting when my own children were ball persons. I enjoy the sport of tennis and give up my two weeks vacation in August to work there. I have loved every minute of this up until this year.
“After McEnroe’s comments, I did not even want to go out onto the court, afraid that he might say more derogatory things about me. I was constantly looking up into the ESPN booth.
“In addition, I am a professional woman who works as a therapist during the year. I was embarrassed to return back to work after the tournament, worried what people would say after hearing what was said about me on the court. This has greatly affected my ability to do my job, both on and off the court.”