John McEnroe and Jim Courier traveled to the Dominican Republic on Friday, November 7, to promote tennis in the Caribbean with an exhibition at Casa de Campo’s La Terraza Tennis Club. A 7,000 -acre resort situated in La Romana on the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic, Casa de Campo is a destination for celebrity guests including Bill Clinton, LeBron James, Beyoncé, and Bill Gates. Best known for its 90 holes of golf designed by Pete Dye, Casa de Campo is in the process of developing a tennis program of equal stature to its golf facilities that were recently named Golf Resort of the Year by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators.

In a press conference prior to the exhibition, McEnroe and Courier spoke about the Dominican Republic’s No. 1 player, Victor Estrella, and his contribution to raising the profile of tennis in the country. “To see him get into the top 100 [in March 2014] for the first time at 34 years of age is really something special,” Courier said. “I’m sure it’s very inspiring for all the young players here in this country to see that someone from the Dominican Republic can make it into the big time playing on the big stages. It’s impressive. I got to see him play a little at the US Open. You can tell that he’s a hard-working guy and he loves the game.”

Before the singles match, three local players had the opportunity to participate in a doubles clinic with the American legends. Casa de Campo runs a program for the kids who serve as ball boys for resort guests, offering training and scholarships with the condition that the players keep up their grades and practice every day. Three annual tournaments raise money to pay for college tuition, books, and supplies.

Joining McEnroe and Courier on the court was Pedro Nolasco, a 20-year-old who trained at La Terraza since age eight and is now ranked No. 4 in the Dominican Republic. Another participant, Francisco Concepcion, also grew up training at Casa de Campo and is now a pro at La Romana Country Club. Former WTA player Joelle Schad, the Dominican Republic’s Fed Cup captain, took a turn as well. She earned the silver medal at the 1991 Pan American Games (losing to Pam Shriver) and played for her country in the 1996 Olympics.

After the doubles clinic, McEnroe and Courier faced off in front of the crowd of about 200 hotel guests, villa owners, and locals, dazzling them with flashy shots and delighting them with quips and showmanship. John McEnroe knew what the crowd wanted, and he gave it to them by employing his usual entertaining antics and allowing his temper to flare. Yelling “¡cállate!” at the chair umpire drew the biggest reaction, and he threw his racquet down in disgust a few times after committing unforced errors. At a critical point in the best-of-eight games set, McEnroe demanded that the courtside cameraman get out of his line of vision, bellowing “And turn off your cell phone!”

Courier addressed the crowd with deadpan one-liners throughout the match. “You know what they say about the eyes – they’re the second thing to go on a man,” he intoned after McEnroe decided not to swing at a lob that dropped just inside the lines.

After leading for most of the set, Courier allowed McEnroe to edge the score back to 7-7, forcing a tiebreak to determine the winner. Showing his clay court prowess, Courier ran away with the tiebreak and gave up just one point to take it 8-1. “It feels really good to beat John McEnroe,” he said after the match. Both players stuck around to take photos with the fans that swarmed the court.

At a dinner following the event, both men spoke to the crowd about their desire to keep tennis alive in the United States. “We’re here to tell you that we’re going to do everything we can to save the sport of tennis in the next 10 years,” McEnroe said. He explained that the cost of playing tennis is too high, and it needs to become more affordable and accessible. He noted, however, that equal prize money for women in tennis attracts top female athletes.

They also reminisced about their “dream team” in the 1992 Davis Cup:  McEnroe, Courier, Andre Agassi, and Pete Sampras. McEnroe spoke about how the team offered him crucial support while he was going through a divorce, and Courier shared that McEnroe gave a rousing speech in the locker room to inspire the team. He also remembered that McEnroe nearly got himself ejected from the tie after an intense argument over the coin toss. Their show of respect for each other and their former teammates offered a warm conclusion to the event.