The Commissioner: Australia's plight proves we need climate action now

ByCarrie Dunn

Updated 20/01/2020 at 16:48 GMT

The self-appointed Commissioner of Tennis John McEnroe returns for the Australian Open, and answers the question - should the tournament have been played at all?

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John McEnroe says that against the backdrop of the devastation wreaked by the bushfires in Australia, tennis needs to ask itself some searching questions about its environmental impact.

"We need climate action now!" the Commissioner declares.

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And the world of tennis has to tackle this issue, especially when you think about the amount of travelling that it involves - but we are all responsible.

Although the first day of qualifying was played in smog - "a big fiasco", according to McEnroe, who says that organisers should have acknowledged the problems faced by players and spectators - the air quality has since increased.

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And instead of health issues, that creates a moral issue, says the Commissioner, who asks:

Can we play a Grand Slam when the country is burning at its core?

"Tennis is entertainment," he adds. "You can’t ask people to stop living, to stop having fun despite the tragedy. Or can you?"

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