The Shadow
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – In his era, John McEnroe traveled the world playing tennis.
And his current gig as a television analyst for both CBS and NBC Sports takes the 53-year-old to the biggest tournaments in the world.
But in September, McEnroe will join fellow Hall of Famer Pete Sampras in a place neither have visited.
The wild and wonderful state of West Virginia, and specifically, The Greenbrier.
The first-ever Greenbrier Champions Tennis Classic will pit the two former world No. 1s in an exhibition match at 1 p.m., on Saturday, September 22 on the resort’s outdoor clay courts.
The match will be followed by a round-robin pro-am at 3:45 p.m.
“To see some place I haven’t been to and don’t know much about, I look forward to that,” said McEnroe in a Friday media teleconference. “I know I’ve got my hands full with Pete to put it mildly.”
Sampras, 40, grew up watching McEnroe on the court.
“To play against John, to hang out with John is always fun for me,” Sampras said. “We get to talk about the game and what’s going on in our lives. And I’m a big golf fan and I’ve seen the resort on television. So I’m looking forward to going.”
The pair have combined for 21 Grand Slam titles.
Sampras spent more than seven years ranked No. 1 on the ATP World Tour and won 14 Grand Slam’s, including seven Wimbledons and five U.S. Opens.
McEnroe, tennis’ bad boy of the 1980s, won four U.S. Open championships and three Wimbledons. McEnroe also was an accomplished doubles player, winning nine men’s doubles Grand Slams.
The tennis legends last met in Las Vegas last October with Sampras winning 6-4.
While billed as a exhibition, McEnroe said that once the two are on the court, the competitive fire comes back quickly.
“I know ultimately you want to put on a good show,” McEnroe said. “I don’t show up and want to be like the whippin’ boy or show up to lose. Once you get out there, you definitely get competitive – that’s what never goes away. You hope that both of us are sort of on to a degree, hopefully Pete a little less than me so that this can be a good match.”
The clay courts of The Greenbrier is not the favorite surface of either of the champions.
But McEnroe did team with his brother, Patrick, to win an over-45 legends double title on the red clay of the French Open this summer.
“Obviously, clay courts, I think, for both of us have been our most difficult surface,” said McEnroe.
The match will be held rain or shine, with inclement weather moving the festivities to the resort’s indoor facility.
“This event fits with our vision for The Greenbrier resort,” said Greenbrier president Jeff Kmiec. “We’re offering tennis fans a chance to see two of the best ever, in a setting unlike any other.”
Reserved seating is now available for $50 per seat.
“Building on the success of the star-studded Greenbrier Classic, we are thrilled to be able to bring the biggest names in tennis to our extraordinary facilities at The Greenbrier this fall,” said Jim Justice, chairman and owner of The Greenbrier.
For more information on the The Greenbrier Champions Tennis Classic, to purchase tickets or for details about box seat options, call 855-239-7531.
