John McEnroe

At 65 years old, John McEnroe has this physical status:

John Patrick McEnroe Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is an American retired tennis player.

He was known for his shot-making art and volleying skills, as well as his aggressive on-court conduct that often resulted in him in trouble with umpires and tennis officials. McEnroe completed his career with 77 singles and 78 doubles titles, his highest men's total figure of the Open Era.

He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, four at the US Open and three at Wimbledon, as well as nine men's Grand Slam doubles titles.

His single season match record, which was 82-3 in 1984, was the highest single season win rate of the Open Era. McEnroe also excelled at the year-end tournaments, winning eight singles and seven doubles titles, both of which are new records.

Three of his winning singles year-end championships were in the Masters Grand Prix (the ATP year-end championship) and five others were in the World Championship Tennis (WCT) Finals, which took place in 1989.

Since 2000, only one year-end men's singles tournament, ATP Finals, has been held (the new name for the Masters Grand Prix).

In 1981, 1983, 1984, and 1984, he was named ATP Player of the Year and the ITF World Champion three times each: 1981, 1983, and 1984. McEnroe won five Davis Cup titles in the United States and later became team captain.

He has been active in retirement, often competing in senior events on the ATP Champions Tour.

He has also worked as a television commentator in the majors.

Early life

McEnroe was born in Wiesbaden, West Germany, to American parents, John Patrick McEnroe and his wife Kay, née Tresham. During a press conference in Belgium, his father, the son of Irish immigrants, was at the time stationed with the United States Air Force, but born in Germany.' McEnroe's Irish paternal grandfather was from Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan, and his grandmother was from County Westmeath.

The family moved to the Stewart Air Force Base in Newburgh, New York, when his father was transferred back to the United States when he was nine months old. McEnroe's father worked daytime as an advertising agent while attending Fordham Law School by night, after leaving the Air Force. The family moved to Flushing, Queens, in 1961, and then to Douglaston, which was also in Queens, in 1963. Mark (born 1964) and Patrick (born 1966), two younger brothers.

McEnroe, a Douglaston boy, first started playing tennis at the Douglaston Club when he was eight years old. His parents registered him in the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association at the age of nine, and he began playing regional tournaments right away. He began competing in national juniors tournaments, and at twelve, when he ranked seventh in his age group – he joined the Port Washington Tennis Academy in Long Island, New York. McEnroe went to Trinity School in Manhattan, graduating in 1977.

Personal life

McEnroe was married to Academy Award winner Tatum O'Neal, the niece of actor Ryan O'Neal, from 1986 to 1994. Kevin, Sean, and Emily were three children. They were granted joint custody of the children after their divorce, but McEnroe was given sole custody due to O'Neal's heroin use in 1998.

McEnroe married rock singer Patty Smyth in 1997, and he and his two children, Anna and Ava, have two children. They live on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

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Career

McEnroe, an 18-year-old amateur in 1977, won both the mixed doubles and Junior singles titles at the French Open, partnering with Mary Carillo in the former. McEnroe continued on to the main draw after losing in the semifinals to Jimmy Connors in four sets. It was the best showing by a male qualifier at any major and a record set by an amateur in the Open era.

McEnroe was recruited by coach Dick Gould and enrolled Stanford University, where he led Stanford's 1978-to-an NCAA championship and also won the NCAA singles title. He joined the ATP Tour in 1978 and signed his first professional endorsement contract with Sergio Tacchini. He advanced to the semifinals at a major, this time the US Open, losing again to Connors. He went on to win five titles this year, including his first Masters Grand Prix and beating Arthur Ashe in straight sets, as well as Grand Prix events in Stockholm and Wembley. His late-season success enabled him to finish as the year's No. 125. 4 players are competing.

McEnroe and partner Peter Fleming won the Wimbledon men's doubles championship in 1979, followed by a triumph in the US Open doubles. McEnroe claimed the singles US Open title this week, his first major singles title. In the final, he defeated Vitas Gerulaitis in straight sets to become the youngest male champion of the US Open since Pancho Gonzales, who was also 20 years old in 1948. McEnroe defeated Björn Borg in four sets in the prestigious season-ending WCT Finals. McEnroe claimed 10 singles and 17 doubles titles last year for a total of 27 titles, one of the Open Era's highest ever finish, and tied for seventh place in singles world No. In the year-end rankings, the 3rd ranked No. 3 is ranked No. 3 in the year's rankings.

McEnroe reached the singles final for the first time in 1980, when he met Björn Borg, who was shooting for his fifth straight Wimbledon title. Following tense discussions with officials during McEnroe's semifinal victory over Jimmy Connors, the crowd booed him in Centre Court. McEnroe saved five championship points and eventually defeated 18–16 in a fourth-set tiebreaker that lasted 20 minutes. McEnroe, on the other hand, could not break Borg's service in the fifth set, which the Swede won 8–6. "Who's Number One" was the best Wimbledon final by ESPN's countdown show "Who's Number One?" says the match.

McEnroe exacted revenge two months later, defeating Borg in the 1980 US Open five-set final. He was a finalist in the season-ending WCT Finals and finished as the world No. 1. 2 ranked player for the year: behind only Borg.

When McEnroe returned to Wimbledon in 1981, it was still tense. McEnroe was fined U.S. $1,500 and came close to being ejected after he branded umpire Ted James "the pits of the world" and screamed at tournament referee Fred Hoyles following his first-round match against Tom Gullikson. He also used the expression "you cannot be serious" for years, which later became the subject of his autobiography, when many umpires' calls during his matches were yelled out. This behaviour was in direct contrast to his now-rival Borg, who had been portrayed by the media as an unflappable "Ice Man." McEnroe, on the other hand, never lost his temper in matches against Borg.

McEnroe defeated Borg in the Wimbledon men's singles final after the uproar and scathing from the British press (Ian Barnes of the Daily Express called him "SuperBrat"). McEnroe defeated McEnroe in four sets to snap the Swede's streak of 41 consecutive match victories at the All England Club this season. After the match (which took place on the United States' Independence Day), American TV commentator Bud Collins remarked, "Stick a feather in his cap and say it 'McEnroe-ni'! "I'm a fan of the book "A.M."

The scandal, on the other hand, did not end there. The All England Club did not award McEnroe honorary club membership in reaction to McEnroe's on-court outbursts during the Championships, an award traditionally reserved to singles champions after their first victory. McEnroe responded by not attending the traditional champions' dinner that evening. Since winning the championship again, McEnroe was eventually lauded.

In the final of the 1981 US Open, Borg and McEnroe met for the final time. McEnroe won in four sets in four sets, becoming the first man since the 1920s to win three straight US Open singles titles. Borg has never appeared in another major. McEnroe also won his second WCT Final, defeating Johan Kriek in straight sets and ending the year as the year's top-ranked player. He was named Associated Press Athlete of the Year, the second male tennis player to be honoured after Don Budge in the 1930s.

McEnroe lost only one set of Wimbledon 1982 in the final. However, he lost in the final to Connors, despite being a tiebreak from winning in the fourth set. He then fell in the semifinals at the US Open and was runner-up at the WCT Finals. He was able to keep No. ATP World No. 1 intact. Connors was named Player of the Year by the ATP and other tennis professionals at the end of the year, having won major tournaments in Philadelphia, Wembley, and Tokyo; but thanks to Connors' success at the two most important events of the year (Wimbledon and the US Open).

McEnroe won his fourth Wimbledon final in 1983, losing just one set en route, and he defeated unheralded Chris Lewis in straight sets for his second Wimbledon crown. He was disqualified in the fourth round of the US Open, his first appearance since 1977. He then appeared in the Australian Open for the first time, progressing to the semifinals before being disqualified in four sets by Mats Wilander. For the third time, he reached the WCT Finals for the third time, defeating Ivan Lendl in a thrilling five-setter. For the second time, he captured the Masters Grand Prix for the second time, defeating Lendl in straight sets. He has also won trophies at Philadelphia, Forest Hills, and Wembley, enabling him to win the year-end No. Once more, the 1st place in the Top 100 has been ranked.

McEnroe's best season came in 1984, when he set an 82–3 match record, the highest single-season win rate of the Open Era. He won 13 singles tournaments, including Wimbledon and the US Open, claiming the year-end No.. A1 rank: He also served on the winning US World Team Cup and runner-up Davis Cup teams.

McEnroe started the year off with a 42-match winning streak, winning his first six tournaments and reaching his first French Open final, where his opponent was Ivan Lendl. McEnroe defeated the first two sets in the first two sets, but Lendl's changes of using more topspin lobs and cross-court backhand passing shots, as well as McEnroe's exhaustion and temperamental outbursts, culminated in a humiliating five-set loss. McEnroe's autobiography said that this was his most painful loss, and that he's never really got over it.

He recovered at Wimbledon, losing just one set on his way to his third Wimbledon singles title. Jimmy Connors was defeated in the final by a straight set victory. After beating Connors in a five-set semifinal, he claimed his fourth US Open title, defeating Lendl in straight sets in the final. He won his fourth WCT Final, defeating Connors in straight sets, and his third Masters Grand Prix victory, defeating Lendl in straight sets. Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl, respectively, had an 11-1, losing to Lendl at the French Open and going undefeated versus Connors in five matches.

The year did not come to an end without controversy. McEnroe had an on-court outburst that soon became well-known while playing and winning the tournament in Stockholm. McEnroe screamed after being questioned about a call made by the chair umpire, "Answer my question!" asked the chair umpire.

The question, jerk!"

McEnroe converted his ranting into a juice cart outside the courthouse, and the stadium audience booed him. He was banned for three weeks (21 days) for breaching a $7,500 fine that had been ordered due to his conduct. He was disqualified from competing in the Wembley (London) Indoor tournament next week, with Connors and Lendl (the eventual winner) as the second and third seeds, respectively. During his suspension, he injured his left wrist in practice, causing him to withdraw from the Australian Open.

McEnroe was defeated in straight sets by Kevin Curren in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 1985, having reached the semifinals at the French Open. He reached his last major singles final at the US Open; this time, Lendl defeated him in straight sets. At the WCT Finals or Masters Grand Prix, he did not progress to the quarterfinals. He won important events in Philadelphia (his fourth straight appearance), Canada (second straight) and Stockholm (second straight and fourth overall) and ended the year as the world No. 1 winner. 2nd ranked player.

McEnroe's playing at the top had become too much for him by 1986, and he took a six-month break from the tour. It was during this sabbatical that he married actress Tatum O'Neal, with whom he had already had a son, Kevin (1986). Before divorcing in 1994, they had two more children, Sean (1987) and Emily (1991). When McEnroe returned to action in 1986, he had won three ATP tournaments, but he lost a championship for the first time since being a pro. Following the US Open, he took a seven-month break from the sport, where he was banned for two months and fined US$17,500 for misconduct and verbal abuse.

On March 3, 1980, McEnroe became the world's highest-ranked singles player. He appeared on 14 occasions between 1980 and 1985, winning the year No. 14 on the year. From 1981 to 1984, there have been four years in a row. He appeared in the top of the charts for the first time in history.

McEnroe's doubles success lead to others' remarking that he may have been "the best doubles player of all time" and "probably the best team player never to have played a single team sport." He debuted as the top-ranked doubles in the United Kingdom for a total of 270 weeks. His long-time friendship with Peter Fleming saw them win 57 doubles titles, four at Wimbledon and three at the US Open, with four of them winning 57, including four at Wimbledon and three at the US Open. Fleming maintained his modesty regarding his own contribution to the alliance, once boasting that "the best doubles relationship in the world is McEnroe and anyone." McEnroe won his fourth US Open men's doubles title in 1989 with Mark Woodforde, as well as his fifth Wimbledon men's doubles title in 1992 with Michael Stich. He shared the French Open mixed doubles title with childhood friend Mary Carillo in 1977.

McEnroe was responsible for reviving American interest in the Davis Cup, which had been shunned by Jimmy Connors and other top U.S. players, and had not seen a top U.S. player play regularly since Arthur Ashe. Connors' decision not to participate in Davis Cup instead of lucrative exhibitions had been a point of enmity between him and Ashe. In 1978, McEnroe won two single rubbers in the final, the first time since 1972, defeating Great Britain in the final. McEnroe was a mainstay of U.S. Davis Cup teams for the next 14 years, and he was a member of championship-winning teams in 1978, 1979, 1982, and 1992. He set several U.S. Davis Cup records, including years as a player (12), ties (30), singles wins (41), and overall champions in singles and doubles (59). He competed in singles and doubles in 13 series, and Peter Fleming and Peter Fleming won 14 of 15 Davis Cup doubles matches together.

McEnroe's 6-hour, 22-minute triumph over Mats Wilander in the quarterfinals of the 1984 victory over Sweden, who was based in St. Louis, Missouri, was an epic display. McEnroe was victor of the match, 9–7, 6–2, 15–17, 8–6. McEnroe just missed out on a 6-hour, 20-minute Davis Cup defeat to Boris Becker five years ago. Becker dominated the match, the second rubber in a 3–2 loss to West Germany in World Group Relegation play, 4–13, 8–2, 6–2.

In 1984 and 1985, McEnroe helped the United States win the World Team Cup, defeating Czechoslovakia in the final.

After his 1986 sabbatical, McEnroe failed to recover his form. In the fourth round of the 1988 French Open, he lost three times at majors to Ivan Lendl, losing in straight sets at both the 1987 US Open and the 1989 Australian Open, as well as a long four-set match that lasted over two days. During his second sabbatical, rumors of heroin use had risen. At the time, McEnroe denied them but later admitted that cocaine was used during his career in a 2000 interview, but that it didn't have an effect on his play.

McEnroe had many notable victories in the final years of his career. McEnroe beat 16-year-old Michael Chang 6–0, 6–3, 6–1 in the third round of the 1988 French Open, 1988; Chang went on to win the title the next year. McEnroe won his fifth title at the World Championship Tennis Finals in 1989 (the WCT tour's championship tournament, which was being staged for the final time) defeating top-ranked Lendl in the semifinals. He defeated Mats Wilander in a four-set quarterfinal before losing to Stefan Edberg in the semifinals at Wimbledon. He won the RCA Championships in Indianapolis and advanced to the Canadian Open final, where he lost to Lendl. In the quarterfinal Davis Cup tie against Sweden, he also won both of his singles rubbers.

McEnroe's controversy was never far from McEnroe's at the 1990 Australian Open, but he was barred from the tournament for swearing at the umpire, boss, and referee. The umpire warned a lineswoman of coercion, and he was then suspended a point for smashing a racket. McEnroe was apparently unaware that a new Code of Conduct, which had been released just before the tournament, would result in not the cancellation of a game but rather in immediate disqualification. He was also fined $6,500 for the occurrences.

McEnroe defeated eventual champion Pete Sampras in four sets later this year. He also won the Davidoff Swiss Indoors in Basel, defeating Goran Ivanievi in a five-set final. McEnroe was ranked in the world's top ten the year ago on October 22, 1990; his end-of-year singles ranking was 13th.

McEnroe won the last edition of the Volvo Tennis-Chicago tournament in 1991 by defeating his brother Patrick in the final. In the quarterfinal Davis Cup match against Spain, he won both of his singles rubbers. He reached the fourth round of the Wimbledon competition (losing to Edberg) and the third round of the US Open (losing in a five-set night match to Chang). His end-of-year singles ranking was No. 104. 28.

McEnroe defeated third-ranked and defending champion Boris Becker in the third round of the Australian Open 6–4, 6–3, 7–5 in 1992, a sell-out audience. McEnroe defeated ninth-ranked Emilio Sánchez 8–6 in the fourth round of the fourth round. In the quarterfinals, he lost to Wayne Ferreira. McEnroe reached the semifinals at Wimbledon, where he lost in straight sets to eventual champion Andre Agassi. McEnroe also teamed with Michael Stich to win his fifth Wimbledon men's doubles title in a record-length 5-hour-1-minute final, which the pair won 5–7, 3–6, 19–18. In the Davis Cup final, where the United States defeated Switzerland 3-1, he teamed with Pete Sampras to win the doubles rubber.

At the end of 1992, McEnroe retired from the career tour. He completed his singles career at No. 1 in the world No.. 20. He appeared in one tournament at the Rotterdam Open in 1994, losing in the first round. This was his last singles match on the ATP Tour.

McEnroe suggested to her that they play mixed doubles at Wimbledon after Steffi Graf won the 1999 French Open Championships. She agreed, and the team went on to qualify for the semifinals, but Graf missed out on this stage because she was still in the singles final and was determined to concentrate on the tournament.

McEnroe, a post-tourist, set out to be a working musician after retiring. He had to learn to play guitar with the support of others like Eddie Van Halen and Eric Clapton. McEnroe, a musician and guitarist, started writing songs and appeared in small gigs in towns where he appeared on the senior tour. Despite Lars Ulrich's praises of his "natural talent for music," a bar owner where McEnroe's band performed said, "he couldn't sing to save his life." McEnroe appeared on for two years, but they were forced to leave in 1997 right before completing his first album. "In the future, only one of us will be working away from home on a music tour, and it is not going to be you," McEnroe's wife, singer-songwriter Patty Smyth told him.

In 1999, McEnroe was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. At the US Open, CBS, NBC, NBC, and USA, he is now a sports commentator who broadcasts commentary for American television networks, such as ESPN, CBS, NBC, and the United States. He has appeared on ESPN, CBS, NBC, and USA at the US Open, the Australian Open, and several ATP tournaments, as well as in Wimbledon for the BBC in the United Kingdom.

In September 1999, McEnroe became the US Davis Cup captain. His team barely survived in their first two outings in 2000, defeating Zimbabwe and the Czech Republic in close 3–2 matches. In the semifinals, they were then defeated 5–0 by Spain. McEnroe resigned after 14 months as captain in November 2000, citing annoyance with the Davis Cup's timing and format as two of his primary reasons. Patrick, Patrick's brother, took over the job.

McEnroe played himself in Mr. In 2008, Deeds and then again in You Don't Mess with the Zohan. McEnroe appeared in Wimbledon, a 2004 film. McEnroe, a CNBC talk show, debuted in July 2004. Despite being rated at 0.0 percent by two Nielsen ratings, the show was still struggling and was cancelled within five months. In 2002, he hosted The Chair on ABC and the BBC One's British version, but the effort was also unsuccessful.

McEnroe admitted that he had unwittingly taken steroids during a large portion of his career. "I was unaware I was being given a form of steroid of the legal variety that was used to treat horses for six years before they decided it was too heavy even for horses," he said.

McEnroe is a philanthropy and tennis champion who is involved in philanthropy and tennis. For years, he has co-chaired the annual CityParks Tennis fundraiser. The charitable contribution helps New York City's largest municipal youth tennis programs. He has collected American contemporary art and opened a gallery in Manhattan in 1993.

McEnroe also plays on the ATP Champions Tour regularly. In 2010, Jean-Luc Lagardere Trophy in Paris, where he defeated Guy Forget in the final. Playing on the Champions Tour helps him to revisit his most legendary rivalries, including fellow players Ivan Lendl and Björn Borg. His last and 26th victory (a record for the ATP Champions Tour) came at Stockholm over Thomas Muster in 2016.

He has defeated many top players, including Mardy Fish and Mark Philippoussis, in charity tournaments and World Team Tennis.

McEnroe received the Philippe Chatrier Award (the ITF's highest award) in 2007 for his contributions to tennis, both on and off the court. He appeared on NBC comedy 30 Rock as the host of a game show called "Gold Case" later this year, in which he uttered his famous phrase, "You cannot be serious." When a taping went wrong, it was awry. McEnroe appeared on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm as a character.

McEnroe appeared on 30 Rock in the episode "Gavin Volure," where the title character, a mysterious, reclusive businessman (played by Steve Martin), invites him to dinner because he bridges the worlds of "art collecting and yelling."

On Randall's Island in New York City, he established the John McEnroe Tennis Academy in 2010.

McEnroe, a journalist for ESPN, has sluggishly chastised Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic for "tanking" against Andy Roddick at the US Open in 2012. Tomic was not guilty of any wrongdoing, saying he was "simply overwhelmed by the occasion" (this was the first time he had played at Arthur Ashe Stadium).

McEnroe served with Milos Raonic's coaching staff from May to August 2016.

McEnroe, in addition to his other commentary appearances, was a central figure in Nine's coverage of the 2019/2020 Australian Open.

McEnroe, who played two doubles tournaments on the ATP Tour in 2006, returned to the ATP Tour in 2006. He and Jonas Björkman won the SAP Open in San Jose's first tournament. This was McEnroe's 78th doubles title (No. 78). He claimed his first title since winning the Paris Indoor doubles title in November 1992 with his brother Patrick. McEnroe had won doubles titles in four separate decades, as a result of his victory.

McEnroe and Björkman failed in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Stockholm, losing in his second tournament.

In 2012, McEnroe won the French Open doubles competition for the over-45 crowd. He was partnered with his brother Patrick and was partnered. They defeated Guy Forget and Henri Leconte 7–6, 6–3. In the over-45 legends doubles tournament, McEnroe and his brother Patrick won again at the 2014 French Open. They defeated Andres Gomez and Mark Woodforde 4–6, 7–5, 1–0 (10–7).

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Professional awards

• ITF World Champion:1981, 1983, 1984
• ATP player of the year: 1981, 1983, 1984
• ATP most improved player: 1978
• World Number 1 Male Player
• Davis Cup Commitment Award