John McEnroe plays in a benefit for Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, California

John McEnroe turned 50 last February, although he may shush you if you mention it. The legendary tennis player was in Newport Beach recently to play World Team Tennis (WTT)—and he has a second home in Los Angeles—so he spends a lot of time around the southern California tennis scene. With the tennis world gearing up for the US Open in New York this September, he was asked how the game has changed since he was one of the world's top five players in the seventies and eighties.

"You can't play the same type of game in conditions where there's a lot poorer bounces, a lot smaller frames,” he answered. “Balls are even different. It wasn't that long, balls came out of a cardboard box” (instead of a cooler). “Strings are different. The synthetic gut, which allows more spin, but doesn't—you really have to take a big swing at it."

McEnroe feels that, as a result, today's players including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Roddick are the best the game's ever had, saying, "Physically they're in better shape and stronger than ever. They pay more attention to what they're eating, training, all that sort of stuff.

"The old days at Wimbledon, were similar to the match you saw a few weeks ago in the final,” he explained, referring to the “more old school” marathon match between Federer and Roddick. “Part of the reason was it was tougher having rallies because the court was so beat up, and conditions were hot and playing faster.

He elaborated, "At times you have to adapt to the situation. If you get a lot of bad bounces, we were taught to take the ball in the air, take a shorter backswing, because you couldn't afford to take a huge swing, you'd mis‑hit the ball. Now the courts are generally slower and there's generally a firmer bounce.”

It would be interesting to see today's players, perhaps in a made-for-TV event, playing under 1970’s conditions.

"Well, you're not gonna see it, so just dream about it. Worry about how Babe Ruth would fare against the top hitters of today," he responded, showing a little hint of his infamous temper. "But the bottom line is,