John McEnroe found himself on the wrong side of a prediction when he firmly dismissed BBC commentator Clare Balding's suggestion that Iga Swiatek could dominate Amanda Anisimova in the Wimbledon women's final.
The American tennis legend was so confident that Balding's forecast of a quick victory wouldn't materialise that he made an unusual culinary pledge. McEnroe promised to eat pasta with strawberries if Swiatek repeated her semi-final dominance against his compatriot.
His bold rejection came after Balding observed that Swiatek's near-perfect tennis against Belinda Bencic in the last four could lead to another swift victory.
But McEnroe was adamant that the final would be "completely different" and declared: "That ain't gonna happen."
John McEnroe found himself on the wrong side of a prediction when he firmly dismissed BBC commentator Clare Balding's suggestion that Iga Swiatek could dominate Amanda Anisimova in the Wimbledon women's final
BBC
What transpired on Saturday proved McEnroe spectacularly wrong. Swiatek delivered a historic 6-0, 6-0 victory, the first double bagel in a Wimbledon final for more than a century.
The Polish player's performance was even more dominant than her 6-2, 6-0 semi-final triumph that had prompted Balding's prediction.
At 24, Swiatek secured her first title at SW19 and moved closer to completing a career Grand Slam, needing only an Australian Open crown to complete the set.
JUST IN: Carlos Alcaraz reveals why he will never be friends with Jannik Sinner ahead of Wimbledon final
John McEnroe thought Amanda Anisimova would put up more of a fight during Saturday's Wimbledon final clash
PAAnisimova appeared completely overwhelmed by the occasion of her first major final. Her performance was a stark contrast to her semi-final display when she defeated world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
The exchange between the commentators occurred just before Saturday's final began.
Balding had noted Swiatek's semi-final performance, saying: "And that match against Bencic, she [Swiatek] just didn't put a foot wrong. I mean, that was near-perfect tennis. And if she plays like that [against Anisimova], this could be over very quickly."
McEnroe immediately interjected with his forceful disagreement. "Totally different matchup. Completely different," the three-time Wimbledon champion responded. "That ain't gonna happen. If that happens, I'll eat one of those pastas!"
His reference was to Swiatek's unusual dietary choice at the tournament. The Polish player had been enjoying pasta with strawberries, a combination that had become a talking point at SW19.
Swiatek had championed the unconventional pasta and strawberries combination earlier in the tournament, inviting sceptics to sample the unusual mix.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Balding couldn't resist a playful jab at McEnroe after his bold declaration, quipping: "The pasta with strawberry and yoghurt awaits!"
Meanwhile, Swiatek was delighted after securing her place in Wimbledon history.
"It seems super surreal," she said on court after her stunning triumph.
Iga Swiatek produced a dominant display in the Wimbledon final on Saturday
Getty“I want to congratulate Amanda for an amazing two weeks. No matter what happened, you should be proud of the work you are doing.
“I hope we are going to play many more finals and in other tournaments. You have the game for that.
“For me, this was way too far to dream about. I feel like I’m already an experienced player after winning the Slams before. But I never expected this one. My team believed in me more than I did."