NEW YORK — John McEnroe says he won’t work with Canada’s Milos Raonic during the U.S. Open "for Milos’ sake, for ESPN and my sake."
McEnroe was brought on as a coaching consultant to the Canadian before Wimbledon, where he also serves as a TV commentator. He did not call any of Raonic’s matches for ESPN until the final, when he was asked to provide insight into his player instead of the typical analysis.
ESPN executive Jamie Reynolds had said before the U.S. Open that he was still comfortable with that arrangement as long as the network was transparent about the relationships. But McEnroe said on a conference call Friday that "it’s best that we stop right now doing what we’re doing."
"It will just make life easier for everyone," he added, noting that "I like to think I have a good relationship with the other players."
The seven-time major champ is leaving open the possibility he could work with Raonic or another top player during the off-season, but just not during a major.
McEnroe spent some time this week with Raonic, who he calls "a great kid."
The 25-year-old Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., reached his first major final at Wimbledon. He’s seeded fifth at the U.S. Open, which starts Monday.
Raonic already had two main coaches in 1998 French Open champion Carlos Moya and Ricardo Piatti.
