McEnroe is right, of course, but … who cares?

Exactly. Post-truth world.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/06/27/serena-williams-vs-john-mcenroe-its-game-set-match-serena-with-a-nude-vanity-fair-cover-to-boot/

Garcia-Navarro asked why McEnroe would qualify statement by calling Williams the best female player in the world.
“Oh!” McEnroe replied. “Uh, she’s not, you mean, the best player in the world, period?”
“Yeah, the best tennis player in the world,” Garcia-Navarro said. “You know, why say female player?”
“Well, because if she was in, if she played the men’s circuit she’d be like 700 in the world,” McEnroe said. ”