Madhavan picks John McEnroe for biopic, backs Zverev to win US Open 2026

NEW YORK: R Madhavan, courtside at the US Open and clearly having the time of his life, has made his pick for who deserves the Hollywood treatment: John McEnroe. “The fun of them all,” said Madhavan, calling the mercurial American “fully movie material,” a verdict few tennis watchers would dispute given McEnroe’s legendary on-court tantrums and off-court charisma.

The actor was in New York to watch Alexander Zverev, one of his favourite players, cruise into the men’s singles semi-finals. Madhavan traced his love for the sport back to childhood in Jamshedpur, where his father’s weekend tennis sessions left a lasting impression. He recalled his father’s rare, unguarded happiness on court, joking that his dad would likely be prouder of his US Open trip than any of his film achievements.

On the tournament itself, Madhavan reckons the US Open has a swagger all its own, crediting its relaxed, stylish energy compared to other Grand Slams. He confessed to missing the epic five-set battle between Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton, but was full of praise for Shelton’s fight, predicting an American finalist as a result. His title pick, though, bucks the home crowd’s hopes: Zverev to go all the way.

Pressed on the greatest of all time, Madhavan crowned Roger Federer for his temperament and elegance, while reserving special admiration for Zverev’s openness about managing diabetes on tour, calling it a boost for public perception of the condition.

As for his dream co-star in a tennis biopic, Madhavan named Steffi Graf, recalling a viral moment when a fan proposed to her mid-match and she shot back asking about his bank balance, a comeback he rated as pure comic gold.

Fans can catch the real drama unfold when Zverev takes on Karen Khachanov and Shelton faces Frances Tiafoe in the men’s singles semi-finals, live from September 12, 12:30 am onwards, on JioHotstar and the Star Sports Network.