John McEnroe took a sharp swipe at Novak Djokovic during the Serb's fourth-round match at Wimbledon on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Commentating alongside Tim Henman on Center Court, McEnroe grew visibly frustrated as Djokovic's toilet break stretched past five minutes between sets.

What did John McEnroe say about Djokovic's break?

"Pretty extended break here for Novak," McEnroe said on air. "Where did he go, all the way back to the locker room?"

He then turned to Henman and reflected on his own era. "When men were men, we didn't have any breaks. You couldn't change your clothes; you couldn't even go to the bathroom."

McEnroe did note that players in his day could sit on a chair during changeovers — a luxury Wimbledon only introduced in 1974. "'77 was my first year," he said, just missing the chairless years.

How did the match unfold?

Djokovic faced Roman Safiullin in the opening match on Center Court. The Serb trailed 2-5 in the first set and stared down two set points. He saved both, then won the tiebreak 7-6(6) after just over an hour.

He took his break right after. Safiullin then took his own toilet break after losing the second set 6-3. As the pause hit seven minutes, McEnroe erupted again.

"Is there a rule about how much time you can take? I know it's like a broken record discussing this, but, I mean, my goodness," McEnroe said.

Why does John McEnroe care about Wimbledon delays?

McEnroe has been hammering the tournament's slow play all week. On Court 1 and Center Court, players in the final match of the day wait while the roof closes for darkness. They get a brief warm-up. The seven-time Grand Slam champion called the whole situation "outrageous."

He questioned why players walk all the way back to the locker room instead of using the changing room near the stairs. "We're just changing his clothes," he said.

What's the rule on toilet breaks at Wimbledon?

Players get up to two toilet breaks in best-of-five-set matches. Each break is limited to three minutes. If a player changes clothes, they get an extra two minutes. The time to leave and return to court doesn't count.

Djokovic had already beaten Wu Yibing, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Arthur Rinderknech to reach the fourth round. His match against Safiullin was his fourth career meeting with the Russian.

McEnroe made clear he thinks the modern game has gone soft. His comments will likely stir debate among fans who remember the no-frills tennis of the 1970s and 80s.