John really had his mojo working that day. A most impressive match by Johnny Mac, probably as well as he ever played. Boris looked shell-shocked by the end.
Loved both of the these players back in the day. A few things stand out now, watching this match. First is that Becker had a tremendous one-handed backhand. It seems to be the better side for him. I did not remember that. Secondly, McEnroe pushed way inside the court constantly. He is hitting ground strokes from the service line at times, even when he is not going to the net. He is hitting serve returns far inside the court. Its an ultra-aggressive approach - not sure anyone in modern tennis is this aggressive - maybe Fed was at times? But its so counter to, for example, Rafa stepping way back- sometimes almost to the wall, and then looping returns, because - especially on clay - he just wants to get to 50/50 - and then grind you to pieces. Lastly, what is really fun to watch here is the McEnroe is being super tactical and calculating. His "image" is histrionics and being brash, but here you see a person who is overmatched and is just thinking his way through - optimizing his advantage. If *this* McEnroe approach was in the early 1980s McEnroe body, he would have dominated the sport in a way that may have never be duplicated (although, he was already amazing - see 1984).
Absolutely agreed. In those latter years of Mac's career, he was, for the most part, calmer and more patient, which gave him very good results past age 30 in the big Grand Slams. And yes, had he kept that focus in his first comeback attempt after 1987, he would have won a couple of Slams, like the AO in 1990 which was his to take! However, in this match, he was more aggressive than in his prime in the mid 80s, stomping over Becker as if he had nothing to lose, totally relaxed, not throwing a single tantrum or complaint to the referee. That would've certainly made for a different McEnroe, however, one without the brash and passionate personality that made him unforgettably famous. Where we wanted to see him dominate was in the second half of the 1980s and perhaps into the early 90s. And no, not Federed, nor anyone else that played before or after McEnroe, was never this aggressive, and perhaps never will be.
43:30 Its amazing how much control and power john gets with his groundstrokes even though his grips are so open. I know i would never be able to get balls inside the court hitting like that haha
I remember this match very well! Mac really turned the clock back here, if he could have played a bit more like that in the latter part of his career I'm sure he'd have won another Slam
Completely agree. Such a shame he never again reached the standard of play he maintained in 84. No-one could have predicted that he would never win another slam after that year.
@@MW-od5wp yes the next year , you had wilander, edberg Becker, and a few Swedish players and lendl overpowering him ,I would like to find out ,if something changed from 1984 , like tennis balls etc in 1985.
@Kvbftng I don't think anything changed technology wise then. No doubt Lendl etc., we're improving. But given how dominant McEnroe was in 84, I think the biggest factor was that he was no longer playing at the same level. My hunch is that if he had continued to play at his 84 standard, he would definitely have beaten Becker in Wimbledon 85 and probably 86 as well. The bigger issue in his career is why he did not win more in 82 and 83. In these years, in my opinion, he underachieved.
@MW-od5wp I think Mac had a flawed temperament. And when he got involved with Tatum O'Neil and started a family he couldn't juggle family life with his tennis life. Physically I don't think he trained hard enough and didn't look after himself physically as well as he should have either. There were always rumours about him being on the coke as well, although that might be bullshit
I remember watching this match on TV not expecting McEnroe to beat Becker at that time in his career but hoping for a solid entertaining match, as it was custom when these two went at each other. Boy, was I wrong! It was like Mac had gone back in time to 1985, his last true dominant year when he was number one player in the world. It was superb, and in my opinion, the best match of that year's AO, another one being McEnroe vs. Sanchez in the very next round. Becker didn't know what train hit him that night. Unforgettable.
My two favourite players of all-time. They only played 10 times against each other, which isn't much in my opinion. H2h is 8-2 Boris and this is only one of the two times he lost against Mac. First one was their first match in 1985.
One of Becker's worst and most unexplainable losses. 1990 against Wilander, 1993 against Jarryd and this one. Becker's game had a lot of upside but he was very inconsistent. Either hot or cold. In contrast Lendl and Edberg rarely had any bad matches.
The “limousine liberal” as Ivan Lendl referred to him, was very hot and cold! Boris could beat anybody on his day, however he was horribly inconsistent! If only he played the same way to what he demonstrated during the 1996 ATP Masters (Hannover) or 1996 Grand Slam Cup (Munich) on this night in Melbourne! Boris was in a form slump during this section of his career, with his marriage in my opinion being detrimental to good quality tennis from him!
@@jeremycostello4007 well he won 6 Slams. I agree he should have won 10 at least with his talent but there are many super talented guys out there, who have won zero.
@@peterhammer4644It was a tough era he played in though wasn't it. McEnroe, Connors, Lendl, Wilander, Noah, Leconte, Cash, Mecir, Edberg, Stich, Agassi and Sampras. Hard to win Majors with that lot to beat.
@@peterhammer4644Boris admitted that he lost his desire for Tennis during the early 1990s! I get what you’re typing, it’s just that he did little in the big tournaments after Wimbledon 1991 until his come back during Wimbledon 1995! Unless it was the indoor European Masters during those years, he was going nowhere!
The Australian open was so different back then the top players mostly avoided first travelling the long distance , and it's was nearer to Christmas than it is now and also two Australia in the same year. I think McEnroe would of had maybe 4-6 Australia when it was on grass and maybe ,13-14 grand slam instead of 7
Surprised here, Mac hitting more penitrating shots here with the grafite raquet with the 'new' power hitters..I.E. Lendl, Becker, Sampres. He still 'had it' into early 90's. I don't get it..maybe a mentally thing? Robert at 69.
That's because 2003-2024 has been the weakest era in tennis history (on the men's side). There is no competition whatsoever. Having essentially only three players good enough to win major titles is just laughable. In Grand Slams, the tournament for the "Big 3" didn't really start before the semifinals, when they faced each other. It's like women's tennis in the 1980s, when Navratilova and Evert won everything.
@@thb1091 I quit watching tennis around the early 1990s. When I came back for a couple of matches around 2008/9 I was shocked how much the game had detoriated. I rarely sit through a whole match nowadays, it's just too one-dimensional for me. Once in a while I enjoy a nice women's doubles match (like Hingis' 'third career", for example), but other than that, I prefer rewatching older matches (80s for men's and late 90s/ early 2000s for women's). What about you?
@@fundhund62 Intrigued by 80s being your favourite era for men's and late-90s/early-00s being your favourite for women's, very different styles between the 2 eras. I personally feel that both tours have regressed over the last 30+ years.
Becker et Leconte fantastique 2 géants du génie ❤ c'est pas les guignols d'aujourd'hui 👎👎👎 et Mac sans plus trop énervé pour rien il surjoue . Dany 54 ans
I think it was an overpainted Völkl Racket. Puma was never a manufacturer of tennisrackets. They had just put the puma logo on a Völkl at Beckers beginning
They don’t take risks? They hit the ball significantly harder than these players. That in itself is a risk, that as well as the fact they are a lot faster so it has to be a winner
@@GodTennisThey can do it because of the modern rackets. Try hitting harder with a tiny 85' frame and land it on the court. Nowadays they don't risk at all.
@@masters.1000 It is still a risk because they still have to control the ball and put enough spin to keep it in. Hence why they do hit the ball harder but not at full power all the time
@@GodTennisToday's tennis is much more of a baseline grind than this type of tennis. Compare almost every match between Djokovic v Nadal and that acclaimed, spectacular feast of all-court, relentlessly attacking tennis between Becker v Sampras at the 1996 ATP Masters Final in Hanover and the contrast in styles of play is stark and there for all to see.
I remember this match ; watching live on tv Knowing both the players games fairly well at tbe stages they were both at , i couldnt help but think , from the get go , Becker perhaps deliberatly let the match slip. Its as if , on several key points , he didnt much care. Perhaps he knew MacEnroe was very near his end in the pro game - and wanted to send him out with a gift ?? Mac played well sure , but Becker looked at 60% most the way tbrough
Where is the *serve and volley* ?? John McEnroe played the game beautifully, but Boris Becker did not serve and volley. If you do not play your game and McEnroe does not shout at empires, then you are facing *SUPER-MAC* instead of *ANGRY-MAC* .... Despite his age, McEnroe was still one of the best players in the World...so the result of this match was never in doubt...
@@snickaren111 no, other than my memory. I specifically recall going to work the next day and telling my co-worker that Mac beat Becker, and her responding with yeah, but Becker was injured, and I recall already having that knowledge. I also just went on to the Talk Tennis forum, and one of the posters referenced a "leg injury" that Boris had going into the match, and I believe that was it. I don't think it was bad enough that it was made an issue (if you're on the court, "you're not injured...") but if one were to simply look at the results, something clearly appears amiss, i.e., of their combined six matches played before and after the AO, Boris won TWELVE of the 13 sets.
@@uncletony6210 I see, tnx! Sometimes people wright comments out of thin air, but this proves(to me at least) that Becker wasn't 100% fit that day. But let's not take anything away from Mac, hes volleys and passing shots had almost an "1984-ish" Mac-quality to them. Maybe even a full healthy Becker would have difficulties beating him that day. We never know. Upsets are exciting anyway, they tend to stay in our memories. 🙂
John really had his mojo working that day. A most impressive match by Johnny Mac, probably as well as he ever played. Boris looked shell-shocked by the end.
Thanks for another full ATP match from the past
I remember watching this back in the day. Thanks you.
Loved both of the these players back in the day. A few things stand out now, watching this match. First is that Becker had a tremendous one-handed backhand. It seems to be the better side for him. I did not remember that. Secondly, McEnroe pushed way inside the court constantly. He is hitting ground strokes from the service line at times, even when he is not going to the net. He is hitting serve returns far inside the court. Its an ultra-aggressive approach - not sure anyone in modern tennis is this aggressive - maybe Fed was at times? But its so counter to, for example, Rafa stepping way back- sometimes almost to the wall, and then looping returns, because - especially on clay - he just wants to get to 50/50 - and then grind you to pieces. Lastly, what is really fun to watch here is the McEnroe is being super tactical and calculating. His "image" is histrionics and being brash, but here you see a person who is overmatched and is just thinking his way through - optimizing his advantage. If *this* McEnroe approach was in the early 1980s McEnroe body, he would have dominated the sport in a way that may have never be duplicated (although, he was already amazing - see 1984).
Absolutely agreed. In those latter years of Mac's career, he was, for the most part, calmer and more patient, which gave him very good results past age 30 in the big Grand Slams. And yes, had he kept that focus in his first comeback attempt after 1987, he would have won a couple of Slams, like the AO in 1990 which was his to take! However, in this match, he was more aggressive than in his prime in the mid 80s, stomping over Becker as if he had nothing to lose, totally relaxed, not throwing a single tantrum or complaint to the referee. That would've certainly made for a different McEnroe, however, one without the brash and passionate personality that made him unforgettably famous. Where we wanted to see him dominate was in the second half of the 1980s and perhaps into the early 90s. And no, not Federed, nor anyone else that played before or after McEnroe, was never this aggressive, and perhaps never will be.
incredible Mac! He has more skill and brains than the whole generation from 2005-2025
Mac had a great 92'. What a career!
Nice to see those matches. A lot of netplay, S/V and taking the balls very very early. Very little UE.
That's so different to today's tennis.
The slow courts killed the serve and volley game. As an old school tennis fan, it was my favorite strategy.
@@RafaelSaleactually it was the slow balls
And nowadays the sweet spot of the racket is so large, you can throw missiles or block very easily...
43:30 Its amazing how much control and power john gets with his groundstrokes even though his grips are so open.
I know i would never be able to get balls inside the court hitting like that haha
this was a superb match from McEnroe. I was disappointed to see boris lose, but Mac deserved to win this
A superb presentation of an amazing match! Thank you!
Amazing returns of serve by McEnroe. Even off Becker's 1st serve.
I remember this match very well! Mac really turned the clock back here, if he could have played a bit more like that in the latter part of his career I'm sure he'd have won another Slam
@@mddistribution30 I agree if he had played,85% it would of got him in semis and final , because of his variety of shots.but his level dropped
Completely agree. Such a shame he never again reached the standard of play he maintained in 84. No-one could have predicted that he would never win another slam after that year.
@@MW-od5wp yes the next year , you had wilander, edberg Becker, and a few Swedish players and lendl overpowering him ,I would like to find out ,if something changed from 1984 , like tennis balls etc in 1985.
@Kvbftng I don't think anything changed technology wise then. No doubt Lendl etc., we're improving. But given how dominant McEnroe was in 84, I think the biggest factor was that he was no longer playing at the same level. My hunch is that if he had continued to play at his 84 standard, he would definitely have beaten Becker in Wimbledon 85 and probably 86 as well. The bigger issue in his career is why he did not win more in 82 and 83. In these years, in my opinion, he underachieved.
@MW-od5wp I think Mac had a flawed temperament. And when he got involved with Tatum O'Neil and started a family he couldn't juggle family life with his tennis life. Physically I don't think he trained hard enough and didn't look after himself physically as well as he should have either. There were always rumours about him being on the coke as well, although that might be bullshit
Good win, Mac.
Two of my favourite players. Underdog win against the odds. Johnny Mac being brave again. Beautiful
His passing shots were particularly good in this match. Particularly the forehand down the line.
Much more fun to watch than monotonous bashing nowadays
Come on man.
you mean like the Wimbledon finals in 2024? go away old man and yell at the clouds.
@@davidr2802 go away YOU !!! you did not play at this time !
@@dpelaure6894 sub par athletes serving and volleying with rallies ending in 2-3 shots all day. Snooze fest
@sawgames8623 it's 1992 goof
I remember watching this match on TV not expecting McEnroe to beat Becker at that time in his career but hoping for a solid entertaining match, as it was custom when these two went at each other. Boy, was I wrong! It was like Mac had gone back in time to 1985, his last true dominant year when he was number one player in the world. It was superb, and in my opinion, the best match of that year's AO, another one being McEnroe vs. Sanchez in the very next round. Becker didn't know what train hit him that night. Unforgettable.
My two favourite players of all-time. They only played 10 times against each other, which isn't much in my opinion. H2h is 8-2 Boris and this is only one of the two times he lost against Mac. First one was their first match in 1985.
Rolling Back da Years..
i remember the score board graphic with green ball, i loved it as a kid :)
One of the Mac's last hoorays. Amazing victory.
Cannot see such shots nowadays
Which shots?
@@GodTennis staying close to the net and backhand offensive shot
@@nvraman Backhand offensive shot? Do you not watch Djokovic, Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev, Medvedev or most players?
@@nvramanThe fact that McEnroe was getting passed left and right is probably why they aren’t staying as close to the net
@@GodTennis both these guys had much more touch and feel to the ball than any of those names you mentioned.
Cannot wait! 🙂
One of Becker's worst and most unexplainable losses. 1990 against Wilander, 1993 against Jarryd and this one. Becker's game had a lot of upside but he was very inconsistent. Either hot or cold. In contrast Lendl and Edberg rarely had any bad matches.
The “limousine liberal” as Ivan Lendl referred to him, was very hot and cold! Boris could beat anybody on his day, however he was horribly inconsistent! If only he played the same way to what he demonstrated during the 1996 ATP Masters (Hannover) or 1996 Grand Slam Cup (Munich) on this night in Melbourne! Boris was in a form slump during this section of his career, with his marriage in my opinion being detrimental to good quality tennis from him!
@@jeremycostello4007 well he won 6 Slams. I agree he should have won 10 at least with his talent but there are many super talented guys out there, who have won zero.
@@peterhammer4644It was a tough era he played in though wasn't it. McEnroe, Connors, Lendl, Wilander, Noah, Leconte, Cash, Mecir, Edberg, Stich, Agassi and Sampras. Hard to win Majors with that lot to beat.
That reflected his character.
@@peterhammer4644Boris admitted that he lost his desire for Tennis during the early 1990s! I get what you’re typing, it’s just that he did little in the big tournaments after Wimbledon 1991 until his come back during Wimbledon 1995! Unless it was the indoor European Masters during those years, he was going nowhere!
The Australian open was so different back then the top players mostly avoided first travelling the long distance , and it's was nearer to Christmas than it is now and also two Australia in the same year. I think McEnroe would of had maybe 4-6 Australia when it was on grass and maybe ,13-14 grand slam instead of 7
MÄC on Fire
Surprised here, Mac hitting more penitrating shots here with the grafite raquet with the 'new' power hitters..I.E. Lendl, Becker, Sampres. He still 'had it' into early 90's. I don't get it..maybe a mentally thing? Robert at 69.
I can't remember the last time we had a great match in a slam before the quarterfinals.
That's because 2003-2024 has been the weakest era in tennis history (on the men's side).
There is no competition whatsoever.
Having essentially only three players good enough to win major titles is just laughable.
In Grand Slams, the tournament for the "Big 3" didn't really start before the semifinals, when they faced each other.
It's like women's tennis in the 1980s, when Navratilova and Evert won everything.
@@fundhund62 How do you feel about the game itself, competition level aside (on both the men's and women's sides)?
@@thb1091 I quit watching tennis around the early 1990s. When I came back for a couple of matches around 2008/9 I was shocked how much the game had detoriated.
I rarely sit through a whole match nowadays, it's just too one-dimensional for me.
Once in a while I enjoy a nice women's doubles match (like Hingis' 'third career", for example), but other than that, I prefer rewatching older matches (80s for men's and late 90s/ early 2000s for women's).
What about you?
@@fundhund62 Intrigued by 80s being your favourite era for men's and late-90s/early-00s being your favourite for women's, very different styles between the 2 eras. I personally feel that both tours have regressed over the last 30+ years.
About six months after this match. Wimbledon 1992 second round McEnroe v Cash.
For somebody who could not rally effectively from the baseline, McEnroe had a pretty good career.
Lol
As well as Mac obviously played here, there’s a reason why Boris had an 8-2 H2H over him……just too much power for him to handle!!
The whole crowd were cheering for john McEnroe. Wow I really ever heard a crowd cheering for super mac.
The Aussies are a rowdy bunch, so it makes sense.
Becker spielt mit Pulli- unglaublich
Becker et Leconte fantastique 2 géants du génie ❤ c'est pas les guignols d'aujourd'hui 👎👎👎 et Mac sans plus trop énervé pour rien il surjoue . Dany 54 ans
Aussie women are not asking, BORIS- will you marry me please 😂
Peccato per Boris....ma grande mc
What Raquet Boris is using
An Estusa racket that was a replica of the old Puma rackets he used.
@@blake7871 I wonder if it still had the bolt in the grip to adjust length.
@@jdoesmath2065 That’s a great question. I'm not sure, but I’m going to figure it out because now i wanna know.
I think it was an overpainted Völkl Racket. Puma was never a manufacturer of tennisrackets. They had just put the puma logo on a Völkl at Beckers beginning
a shit one 16:53
Who ended up winning and runner up that year?
First Ace
Present players don't take risks I feel no defensive shots.
Hello, how are you doing?
They don’t take risks? They hit the ball significantly harder than these players. That in itself is a risk, that as well as the fact they are a lot faster so it has to be a winner
@@GodTennisThey can do it because of the modern rackets. Try hitting harder with a tiny 85' frame and land it on the court.
Nowadays they don't risk at all.
@@masters.1000 It is still a risk because they still have to control the ball and put enough spin to keep it in. Hence why they do hit the ball harder but not at full power all the time
@@GodTennisToday's tennis is much more of a baseline grind than this type of tennis. Compare almost every match between Djokovic v Nadal and that acclaimed, spectacular feast of all-court, relentlessly attacking tennis between Becker v Sampras at the 1996 ATP Masters Final in Hanover and the contrast in styles of play is stark and there for all to see.
Du lourd très lourd puissant chefs d'œuvre absolu immense du grand art du génie ❤ c'est pas les robots d'aujourd'hui à vomir 👎👎👎. Dany 54 ans
A slower Mac in every way beat BB. More talent
Their head to head record was 8-2 in favour of Becker.
@@johnp515 yeah against Mac's best.
A great era after old school wooden racquet serve and golly and todays bash fest..
16:53🤔
McEnroe is sweating, Temperate Australia
Edberg did too indoors, boreal Sweden
I remember this match ; watching live on tv
Knowing both the players games fairly well at tbe stages they were both at , i couldnt help but think , from the get go , Becker perhaps deliberatly let the match slip. Its as if , on several key points , he didnt much care. Perhaps he knew MacEnroe was very near his end in the pro game - and wanted to send him out with a gift ??
Mac played well sure , but Becker looked at 60% most the way tbrough
Where is the *serve and volley* ?? John McEnroe played the game beautifully, but Boris Becker did not serve and volley. If you do not play your game and McEnroe does not shout at empires, then you are facing *SUPER-MAC* instead of *ANGRY-MAC* .... Despite his age, McEnroe was still one of the best players in the World...so the result of this match was never in doubt...
Does it say in the rulebook that you must serve & volley?
@@seltaeb9691No, but Becker was a serve and volley player. It’s very unusual to not see him coming in on his first serve.
Tennis in a tank top.
I miss the old cute UI...
Gawd..the the ball boy at 7:10 looks like a 25 year old face wise, something akin to 1930's/40's kid actors. I'm aghast as at 69 I pass for mid 50's.
The Aussie Open is completely charmless
I‘m sure every woman has the same opinion about You 😂
What ever you say Shannon Doherty
@@vinceventura2393 you were so offended that you engaged in an ad hominem attack. I guess I was right.
I think that’s changed
@@davidr2802 I bet you’ve never been
No Aces till now. Request Goran Ivanesivic game of aces
It’s a different style of tennis
yeah, its better than the ball bashing nowadays.
@@peterhammer4644Lightyears better.
Странный год для Бориса. Как ни хвали Макинроя - он уже был для Бориса проходным соперником. Матч сонного медведя
Who wears short shorts?
We wear short shorts
He never won the AO.
Relax. Becker was injured.
You sure? Do you have any source for that statement?
@@snickaren111 no, other than my memory. I specifically recall going to work the next day and telling my co-worker that Mac beat Becker, and her responding with yeah, but Becker was injured, and I recall already having that knowledge. I also just went on to the Talk Tennis forum, and one of the posters referenced a "leg injury" that Boris had going into the match, and I believe that was it. I don't think it was bad enough that it was made an issue (if you're on the court, "you're not injured...") but if one were to simply look at the results, something clearly appears amiss, i.e., of their combined six matches played before and after the AO, Boris won TWELVE of the 13 sets.
@@uncletony6210 I see, tnx! Sometimes people wright comments out of thin air, but this proves(to me at least) that Becker wasn't 100% fit that day. But let's not take anything away from Mac, hes volleys and passing shots had almost an "1984-ish" Mac-quality to them. Maybe even a full healthy Becker would have difficulties beating him that day. We never know. Upsets are exciting anyway, they tend to stay in our memories. 🙂
@@snickaren111 Mac played great, no doubt.
@@snickaren111 Mac was injured as well. Leave well enough alone. Mac won this one fair and square.
Look how much time they take between points. Yawnnnnn
What a ugly forehand from McEnroe 😂
Maybe to you. I liked it, it's what worked for his play style. Did you see the score?
^
McEnroe should have been permanently banned from the Australian. He's such a jerk.
lol okay boomer