“Sure could use Caitlin Clark” – John McEnroe’s brother Patrick laments Indiana star's absence as USA narrowly win Olympics women's basketball gold

John McEnroe's brother, Patrick, expressed disappointment over Caitlin Clark's absence from the Paris Olympics 2024 women's basketball team. The top overall pick in this year's WNBA draft, Clark captivated fans with her standout rookie season for the Indiana Fever. Her omission from the Olympic squad came as a surprise to many.

The USA women's basketball team edged past France to win the gold medal for the 10th time. The highly decorated USA team faced stiff competition from France, who fought tooth and nail as they were vying for their first-ever gold medal at the Olympics. The home team took the lead on multiple occasions but eventually succumbed to the 10-time champions, settling for the silver medal instead.

As the momentum of the match shifted from one side to the other, John McEnroe’s brother Patrick McEnroe took to X (formerly Twitter) and lamented not having Caitlin Clark on the team, suggesting her presence could have calmed their nerves.

"Gotta say what we are all thinking now…. We sure could use Caitlin right about now. That being said…. Let’s Go USA," he wrote.

Following Team USA's nail-biting gold medal victory, Patrick McEnroe expressed his delight on the win.

"Wow. USA gets it done," he wrote.

---

John McEnroe on playing against brother Patrick: "I couldn’t lose to my little brother"

John McEnroe laid bare his conflicted emotions over facing his younger brother Patrick in the final of the 1991 Volvo Open. In his book, 'You Cannot Be Serious', the former World No. 1 recounted his emotions at the time.

"A final was a different matter altogether. I thought, 'God, if I lose to Patrick, that’s it. I’m jumping off the Sears Tower.' I couldn’t lose to my little brother! Yet I felt bad about it, too. At that point I had won seventy-six tournaments, and Patrick hadn’t won any. I wanted the best for him—but not at my expense. I really didn’t know how to feel," John McEnroe wrote.

McEnroe recalled a fiercely contested match, with the score closely matched until he clinched a crucial break of serve in the third set. He also shared a humorous anecdote involving himself, his brother, and their father during a particularly tense moment when he was serving for the match.

"It was a well-played match, and he took the first set, 6–3. I won the second, 6–2, but the third was neck-and-neck until 3–3. Then I broke his serve. I was serving at match point when suddenly a phone rang at courtside," McEnroe wrote.

"That was when, for one of the few times in my life, I actually said something funny. I looked at my father, who was courtside. 'Dad, Mom’s on the phone.' Everybody laughed. Patrick laughed. 'Tell her I’ll be home soon,' he said. He was right—I served out the match," he added.

John McEnroe is a seven-time Grand Slam champion, having won Wimbledon thrice and the US Open four times.