Former ATP No. 1 John McEnroe and his brother Patrick McEnroe are in the East African nation of Tanzania, where they encountered a gravely disturbing incident.
Dubbed the "World's First Serengeti Tennis Match," the Epic Tanzania Tour kicked off at the start of December and will last a week in one of the world's most iconic game parks. The McEnroe brothers are in Tanzania to explore untouched African safari and promote tennis.
The McEnroe brothers are amongst the most prominent siblings in tennis and have both enjoyed successful playing careers. Both have transitioned to become respected pundits due to their insightful tennis knowledge.
On December 5, the two brothers squared off in a 10-game pro set in front of aspiring young tennis players, government officials, dignitaries, and tourists. But disaster struck when a snake slithered onto the freshly minted court in the middle of roaming wildlife.
John McEnroe led his younger brother 7-4 when that chilling moment happened, but there were no reported injuries, and the Tanzanian wildlife authorities took care of the snake. The match was later abandoned as rain started to pour heavily.
As reported by Randy Walker, the match was classified as a "Did Not Finish" in terms of the result, and the McEnroe brothers shared the trophies during the photo session at the end of the day.
The Tour still has one more day of exploration. On Thursday, there will be a visit to the Maasai Cultural Village, of which the inhabitants are pastoralists, where tennis clinics will be provided to the local children, and then a sunset game drive at the park will follow.
The expedition has been positively received in Tanzania, but the Tour has come under fire from Human Rights Watch because of conflict over the lucrative land in the Nothern region of Tanzania in which the Maasai have staunchly refused to leave from a government-led eviction to conserve wildlife.
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