Johnny Mac thinks Roger Federer has at least one more Major in him.
McEnroe, the three-time Wimbledon champion, says Federer will win his 17th career Grand Slam singles title when Wimbledon starts Monday.
“I’m picking him to win this year at Wimbledon,” McEnroe told the New York Post. “To me, Wimbledon is the best chance.”
Federer, who turns 31 Aug. 8, hasn’t won a Grand Slam singles title since the 2010 Australian Open and has appeared in only one final in his last nine Majors, losing to Rafael Nadal in the 2011 French Open final.
Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic have combined to win 28 of the last 29 Majors and 30 of the last 32.
Yet the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry has supplanted the Nadal-Federer rivalry as the supreme one in the men’s game.
Nadal and Djokovic have battled in each of the last four Grand Slam finals, with Nadal finally breaking through and winning his seventh French Open crown earlier this month after Djokovic had beaten the Spaniard in the finals of Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open.
“I feel like I’m at eye level with them,” Federer said last week. “I’m not missing much to win a Grand Slam again. I know many doubt that. But I don’t.”
Grass would appear to be the most likely surface for Federer to win on since he can capitalize with his serve and attacking game on the quick, low-bouncing grass.
He has a pretty good draw, with a potential semifinal matchup against top-seeded Djokovic looming.
That would be their sixth semifinal in the last eight Grand Slams. Djokovic leads them 4-1.
Federer opens against Albert Ramos of Spain.
Nadal and No. 4 Andy Murray are on track to meet in the other semifinal.
Yet Federer lost last week on that same surface to former world No. 2 Tommy Haas in the final of the Gerry Weber Open in Germany.
Still, the crowd in London figures to be behind Federer, the No. 3 seed, and McEnroe says the Swiss needs to take advantage.
“He’s a lot better athlete than he’s given credit for,” McEnroe said. “People are pulling for him, so he can use the crowd to his favor. He doesn’t show much on the court, and he might be losing out on something he can use.”
(The AP contributed)
