NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Patrick McEnroe attends Charity Day 2025 Hosted by Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund at BGC Group on September 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald)
In the wake of the University of Arkansas dropping men’s and women’s tennis, Patrick McEnroe is calling on American colleges and universities to cap the number of international players on their rosters.
Speaking Saturday on his “Holding Court with Patrick McEnroe" show on SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio, McEnroe cited statistics that “Division 1 tennis is now the most international major sport in college athletics, roughly 64% international on the men's side, 61% on the women's side.”
“So yeah, I think it’s time, everyone, time for the NCAA, time for conferences, time for lawmakers, if necessary, there has to be a cap on the number of international players in American college tennis,” said McEnroe, an ESPN tennis analyst and former U.S. Davis Cup captain. “A cap, a real rule that says American universities have a responsibility to also develop American players, because if we don’t do it, who’s going to do it?”
He added: “And if American college tennis doesn’t serve, at least in part, American tennis, then don’t be shocked that more of the athletic directors decide we don’t need this. It’s not a revenue maker for universities. Arkansas might be the headline today, but this is much bigger than Arkansas. This is about the future of college tennis, and likely the future of college sports. This is about American opportunity. This is about whether we still believe college tennis is a ladder for our kids, maybe not just in tennis, but in life, or whether we're okay watching that ladder get pulled up one rung at a time.”
Arkansas, which competes in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference, this week announced it was dropping men’s and women’s tennis effective after this season due to financial constraints and the need to reallocate resources to remain competitive in the SEC. The move will save a reported $2.5 million and comes in response to the evolving nature of college athletics, including Name, Image and Likeness and the House settlement.
"The landscape of college athletics continues to evolve, requiring us to make challenging choices as we balance competitive opportunities, resources and the long-term sustainability of our department," Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek said in a statement Friday. "Ultimately, we concluded that we are unable to provide the level of support necessary for our tennis programs to consistently compete in the SEC and nationally at the standard our student-athletes, coaches, alumni and supporters deserve."
McEnroe said he was motivated to call for a cap on international players after watching the SEC and ACC championships on tennis, where only three of a total 24 players on court were American-born.
He pointed out that the last American man who attended college and went on to win a Grand Slam singles title was his older brother John, himself a big advocate of college tennis.
PALO ALTO, CA - APRIL 14: John McEnroe of Stanford University hits a forehand during an NCAA singles tennis match against Cal played at Stanford University on April 14, 1978 in Palo Alto, California. McEnroe was a college freshman at the time. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)
After attending Stanford University and winning the 1978 NCAA singles title, John McEnroe went on to win seven Grand Slam singles titles, with his final major victory coming at the 1984 U.S. Open.
Patrick McEnroe stressed that his position on a cap is “not anti-international.”
“I played with international players,” he said. "I’ve played against them. I’ve coached them. I’ve watched them, particularly in the last 20 years, make college tennis stronger. The level is much better. They bring quality, they bring culture, they bring competitiveness, toughness.
“For the most part, they’re great team players. But here’s the truth that nobody really wants to talk about. American college tennis cannot become a global finishing school while American juniors are standing outside the gate.”
He added: "This has become a survival issue because when athletic departments look at tennis and they ask, as they obviously did in Arkansas…why are we funding this? We better have a better answer than, ‘Well, we’re a great opportunity for everyone from everywhere except here.’ That answer…is not going to save programs.
"So today I’m asking the question, what exactly is American college tennis for? And if you’re a fan of other sports, you may end up putting that sport into that same question, because tennis is at the top of the list the overall amount of players around in mid 60s[%], and all of D-1 tennis in the mid 60s are international players. That’s the highest of any sport, but it’s coming up in other sports this sports as well.
“Is it there to create American players? Is it there to create opportunity for American kids and their families? Is it part of the American tennis pathway? What exactly is the pathway? Because here are the numbers, everyone. Two decades ago, incoming D-1 tennis freshmen were roughly 70% American. Now it’s closer to 40%.”
This article was originally published on Forbes.com