Clare Balding scolds John McEnroe as text to Wimbledon ace brought up - 'Why say that?'

Clare Balding called out John McEnroe after he made a cheeky remark about Mirra Andreeva's disappointing exit from the French Open earlier this year. The young Russian star has turned plenty of heads at Wimbledon this month.

However, she was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Belinda Bencic on Wednesday. Before her exit, Andreeva showed up to cheer on her coach, Conchita Martinez, who was participating in a legends' event at the All England Club. 

From the crowd, she waved a handmade sign reading: "Let's go! Top spin! You are golden." It's reported that Martinez had previously messaged "you are golden" to Andreeva before her own matches at Wimbledon. 

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This followed the 18-year-old's emotional collapse and subsequent loss to qualifier Lois Boisson at Roland Garros last month. McEnroe drew disapproval from his BBC colleagues after joking that Martinez should have sent the same message prior to the French Open. 

Presenter Balding, referencing the banner Andreeva had created, explained: "'You are golden,' that's what Conchita texted to Mirra at the beginning of these Championships, 'Just remember, you are golden. You can win this.'"

McEnroe then interjected: "Did she text her that before the French?" Balding, momentarily stunned by the comment, paused and replied: "Why are you saying that?" 

Fellow pundit Tracy Austin also took offense at McEnroe’s jab, exclaiming: "Oh, come on!" McEnroe tried to justify himself: "I don't mean to be a bummer here, I'm just saying..."

He then chuckled uncomfortably and finally said: "Forget it!" Austin, clearly ready to move past it, added: "Yeah, move on, next question."

Later, McEnroe offered praise for Andreeva and dismissed critics of her emotional on-court behaviour. Making fun of himself, he laughed and said: "Who can forgive a teenager for losing their head?"

Austin, seemingly over the earlier tension, replied with a playful nod to McEnroe's iconic past: "You cannot be serious?!"

The comment referenced McEnroe's famous 1981 Wimbledon outburst, when at age 22 he exploded over what he believed was a bad line call.

Bencic, who knocked Andreeva out in the last eight, will face four-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in the semis. Whoever wins will go on to the final of Wimbledon, where they'll meet either world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka or Amanda Anisimova.