John Patrick McEnroe Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional
tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball c ...
player. He was known for his shot-making and volleying skills, his rivalries with
Björn Borg and
Jimmy Connors, and his confrontational on-court behavior, which frequently landed him in trouble with umpires and tennis authorities.
McEnroe is the only male player in tennis history to hold the world No. 1 ranking in both
singles and
doubles simultaneously. Only one other male player,
Stefan Edberg
Stefan Bengt Edberg (; born 19 January 1966) is a Swedish former professional tennis player. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles between 19 ...
, ever attained No. 1 in both, although at different times. McEnroe finished his career with 77 singles titles on the ATP Tour and 78 doubles titles; this remains the
highest men's combined total of the
Open Era
The racket sport traditionally named lawn tennis, invented in Birmingham, England now commonly known simply as tennis, is the direct descendant of what is now denoted real tennis or royal tennis, which continues to be played today as a separate sp ...
. He is the only male player to win more than 70 titles in both the men's singles and the men's doubles categories. He also won 25 singles titles on the ATP Champions tour. He won seven
Grand Slam singles titles (four at the
US Open and three at
Wimbledon), nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles (five at Wimbledon and four at the US Open), and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title (at the
French Open
The French Open (french: Internationaux de France de tennis), also known as Roland-Garros (), is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, beginning in late May each year. The tournament and v ...
). His singles match record of 82–3 in 1984 remains the
best 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 records. Three of his winning singles year-end championships were at the
Masters Grand Prix
The ATP Finals is the season-ending championship of the ATP Tour. It is the most significant event in the annual ATP calendar after the four majors as it features the top-eight singles players and top-eight doubles teams based on their results th ...
(the ATP year-end event) and five were at the
World Championship Tennis (WCT) Finals, an event which ended in 1989. Since 2000, there has been only one year-end men's singles event, the ATP Finals (the new name for the Masters Grand Prix). He was named the
ATP Player of the Year and the
ITF World Champion three times each: 1981, 1983 and 1984.
McEnroe contributed to five
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is contested annually between teams from competing countries in a knock-out format. It is described by the orga ...
titles for the U.S. and later was team captain. He has stayed active in retirement, often competing in senior events on the
ATP Champions Tour
The ATP Champions Tour is a men's tennis tour intended for former tennis professionals, who have since retired from mainstream professional tennis touring (The ATP). The Tour brings together many of the greatest tennis players in history for nos ...
. He also works as a television commentator during majors tournaments.
Early life
McEnroe was born in
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
,
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
(present-day Germany), to American parents, John Patrick McEnroe and his wife Kay, ''née'' Tresham.
[McEnroe, with Kaplan, 2002, ''Serious'', pp. 17-18.] His father, the son of Irish immigrants, was at the time stationed with the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...
, famously revealing during a press conference in Belgium that his son 'John was made in Belgium but born in Germany.'
McEnroe's Irish paternal grandfather was from
Ballyjamesduff in
County Cavan
County Cavan ( ; gle, Contae an Chabháin) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Ulster and is part of the Border Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is based on the historic Gaelic territory of East Breffny (''Bréifn ...
and his grandmother was from
County Westmeath
"Noble above nobility"
, image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Ireland
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 =
, subdivis ...
.
When he was about nine months old, the family moved to the
Stewart Air Force Base
Stewart may refer to:
People
*Stewart (name), Scottish surname and given name
*Clan Stewart, a Scottish clan
*Clan Stewart of Appin, a Scottish clan
Places
Canada
*Stewart, British Columbia
*Stewart Township, Nipissing District, Ontario (histor ...
in
Newburgh, New York
Newburgh is a city in the U.S. state of New York, within Orange County. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area. Located north of New York City, ...
, when his father was transferred back to the US. After leaving the Air Force, McEnroe's father worked daytime as an advertising agent while attending
Fordham Law School
Fordham University School of Law is the law school of Fordham University. The school is located in Manhattan in New York City, and is one of eight ABA-approved law schools in that city. In 2013, 91% of the law school's first-time test tak ...
by night. In 1961, the family moved to the
Flushing neighborhood of the borough of
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
, then to
Douglaston, also in Queens, in 1963.
John has two younger brothers: Mark (born 1964) and former professional tennis player
Patrick (born 1966).
Growing up in Douglaston, McEnroe started playing tennis at the nearby Douglaston Club when he was eight. At nine, his parents enrolled him in the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association, and he soon started playing regional tournaments. He then began competing in national juniors tournaments, and at twelve – when he was ranked seventh in his age group – he joined the
Port Washington Tennis Academy on
Long Island, New York
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18t ...
. McEnroe attended
Trinity School in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
, graduating in 1977.
Career
As an 18-year-old amateur in 1977, McEnroe won both the
mixed doubles and Junior singles titles at the
French Open
The French Open (french: Internationaux de France de tennis), also known as Roland-Garros (), is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, beginning in late May each year. The tournament and v ...
partnering with
Mary Carillo
Mary Carillo (born March 15, 1957) is an American sportscaster and former professional tennis player. She is an analyst for '' Tennis on NBC'' and a reporter for NBC Olympic broadcasts.
Career
Tennis
Carillo played on the women's professional ...
in the former. McEnroe later progressed through the singles qualifying tournament at
Wimbledon and into the main draw, where he lost in the semifinals to
Jimmy Connors in four sets. It was the best performance by a male qualifier at any
major, and a record performance by an amateur in the
Open era
The racket sport traditionally named lawn tennis, invented in Birmingham, England now commonly known simply as tennis, is the direct descendant of what is now denoted real tennis or royal tennis, which continues to be played today as a separate sp ...
.
After Wimbledon, McEnroe was recruited by coach
Dick Gould and entered
Stanford University, where, in 1978, he led the Stanford team to an
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...
championship, and also won the NCAA singles title. Later in 1978, he joined the ATP tour and signed his first professional
endorsement Endorsement (alternatively spelled "indorsement") may refer to a:
* testimonial, a written or spoken statement promoting or advertising a product
* political endorsement, publicly declaring support for a candidate
* form added to an insurance po ...
deal, with
Sergio Tacchini. He again advanced to the semifinals at a major, this time the
US Open, losing again to Connors. Following which, he proceeded to win five titles that year, including his first
Masters Grand Prix
The ATP Finals is the season-ending championship of the ATP Tour. It is the most significant event in the annual ATP calendar after the four majors as it features the top-eight singles players and top-eight doubles teams based on their results th ...
, beating
Arthur Ashe in straight sets, as well as Grand Prix events at Stockholm and Wembley. His late-season success allowed him to finish as the year-end world No. 4 player.
1979–83

In 1979, McEnroe and partner
Peter Fleming won the
Wimbledon men's doubles title, followed shortly by a win in the
US Open doubles. That same week, McEnroe won the
singles US Open title, his first major singles title. He defeated his friend
Vitas Gerulaitis in straight-sets in the final to become the youngest male winner of the singles title at the US Open since
Pancho Gonzales, who was also 20 in
1948
Events January
* January 1
** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated.
** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect.
** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
. McEnroe also won the prestigious season-ending
WCT Finals, beating
Björn Borg in four sets. McEnroe won 10 singles and 17 doubles titles that year for a total of 27 titles, an Open Era record, finishing at singles world No. 3 in the year-end rankings.
At
Wimbledon in 1980, McEnroe reached the
singles final for the first time, where he faced
Björn Borg, who was gunning for his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title. At the start of the final, McEnroe was booed by the crowd as he entered
Centre Court
Centre Court is a tennis court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (also known as the All England Club) and is the main court used in The Championships at Wimbledon, the third annual Grand Slam event of the tennis calendar. It is ...
, following heated exchanges with officials during his semifinal victory over
Jimmy Connors. In a fourth-set tiebreaker that lasted 20 minutes, McEnroe saved five championship points and eventually won 18–16. McEnroe, however, could not break Borg's serve in the fifth set, which the Swede won 8–6. This match was called the best Wimbledon final by
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
's countdown show "Who's Number One?"
McEnroe exacted revenge two months later, beating Borg in the five-set final of the
1980 US Open. He was a finalist at the season-ending WCT Finals, and finished as the world No. 2 ranked player for the year: behind only Borg.

McEnroe remained controversial when he returned to
Wimbledon in 1981. Following his first-round match against
Tom Gullikson, McEnroe was fined U.S. $1,500 and came close to being ejected after he called umpire
Ted James "the pits of the world" and then swore at tournament referee
Fred Hoyles
Fred may refer to:
People
* Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name
Mononym
* Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French
* Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Rodr ...
. He also made famous the phrase "you cannot be serious", which years later became the title of
his autobiography
His or HIS may refer to:
Computing
* Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company
* Honeywell Information Systems
* Hybrid intelligent system
* Microsoft Host Integration Server
Education
* Hangzhou International School, in ...
, by shouting it after several umpires' calls during his matches. This behavior was in sharp contrast to that of his
now-rival Borg, who was painted by the press as an unflappable "Ice Man." However, in matches against Borg, McEnroe notably never lost his temper.
After the controversy and criticism from the British press (Ian Barnes of the ''
Daily Express'' nicknamed him "SuperBrat"), McEnroe again reached the Wimbledon men's singles final against Borg. This time, McEnroe prevailed in four sets to end the Swede's run of 41 consecutive match victories at the
All England Club. American TV commentator
Bud Collins quipped after the match (which took place on the United States'
Independence Day), paraphrasing "
Yankee Doodle", "Stick a feather in his cap and call it 'McEnroe-ni'!".
The controversy, however, did not end there. In response to McEnroe's on-court outbursts during the Championships, the All England Club did not accord McEnroe honorary club membership, an honor normally given to singles champions after their first victory. McEnroe responded by not attending the traditional champions' dinner that evening. The honor was eventually accorded to McEnroe after he won the championship again.
Borg and McEnroe had their final confrontation in the final of the
1981 US Open. McEnroe won in four sets, becoming the first man since the 1920s to win three consecutive US Open singles titles. Borg never played another major. McEnroe also won his second
WCT Final, beating
Johan Kriek in straight sets and finished the year as the number one ranked player. He was named the
Associated Press Athlete of the Year, the second men's tennis player to receive the honor after
Don Budge
John Donald Budge (June 13, 1915 – January 26, 2000) was an American tennis player. He is most famous as the first tennis player — male or female, and still the only American male — to win the Grand Slam, and to win all four Grand Slam e ...
in the 1930s.
McEnroe lost only one set going into the final of
Wimbledon 1982. However, he lost to Connors in the final, despite being a tiebreak from victory at the end of 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 retain the ATP's world No. 1 ranking based on points at the end of the year, having won significant events at Philadelphia, Wembley, and Tokyo; but due to Connors's victories at the two most important events of the year (Wimbledon and the US Open), Connors was named the Player of the Year by the ATP and most other tennis authorities.
In 1983, McEnroe reached his fourth consecutive
Wimbledon final, dropping only one set en route, and swept aside the unheralded
Chris Lewis in straight sets for his second Wimbledon crown. At the
US Open, he was defeated in the fourth round, his earliest exit since 1977. He then played at the
Australian Open
The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. ...
for the first time, reaching the semifinals before being defeated in four sets by
Mats Wilander
Mats Arne Olof Wilander (; born 22 August 1964) is a Swedish former world No. 1 tennis player. From 1982 to 1988, he won seven major singles titles (three at the French Open, three at the Australian Open, and one at the US Open), and one majo ...
. He made the
WCT Final for the third time and beat
Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl (; born March 7, 1960) is a Czech–American former professional tennis player. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Lendl was ranked world No. 1 in singles for 270 weeks and won 94 singles titles. ...
in an epic five-setter. He took the
Masters Grand Prix
The ATP Finals is the season-ending championship of the ATP Tour. It is the most significant event in the annual ATP calendar after the four majors as it features the top-eight singles players and top-eight doubles teams based on their results th ...
title for the second time, again beating Lendl in straight sets. He also won prized events at Philadelphia, Forest Hills, and Wembley, enabling him to capture the year-end No. 1 ranking once again.
1984: best season
McEnroe's best season came in 1984, as he compiled an 82–3 match record that remains the
highest single-season win rate of the Open Era. He won a career-best 13 singles tournaments, including
Wimbledon and the
US Open, capturing the year-end No. 1 ranking. He also played on the winning US
World Team Cup
The World Team Cup was the international men's team championship of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). The inaugural edition of the tournament was contested in 1975 in Kingston, Jamaica and was called the Nations Cup. No tournamen ...
and runner-up
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is contested annually between teams from competing countries in a knock-out format. It is described by the orga ...
teams.
McEnroe began the year with a 42-match win streak, winning his first six tournaments and reaching his first
French Open
The French Open (french: Internationaux de France de tennis), also known as Roland-Garros (), is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, beginning in late May each year. The tournament and v ...
final, where his opponent was Ivan Lendl. McEnroe won the first two sets, but Lendl's adjustments of using more topspin lobs and cross-court backhand passing shots, as well as McEnroe's fatigue and temperamental outbursts, resulted in a demoralizing five-set loss. In his autobiography, McEnroe described this as his most bitter defeat and implied that he's never quite gotten over it.
He rebounded at Wimbledon, losing just one set en route to his third Wimbledon singles title. This included a straight-set rout over Jimmy Connors in the final. He then won his fourth US Open title, defeating Lendl in straight sets in the final, after defeating Connors in a five-set semifinal. He also won his fourth
WCT Final, defeating Connors in straight sets, and took his third
Masters Grand Prix
The ATP Finals is the season-ending championship of the ATP Tour. It is the most significant event in the annual ATP calendar after the four majors as it features the top-eight singles players and top-eight doubles teams based on their results th ...
, beating Lendl in straight sets. His combined record against the number 2 and 3 ranked players for the year, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl, respectively, was 11–1, only losing to Lendl at the French Open and going undefeated versus Connors in five matches.
The year did not end without controversy. While playing and winning the tournament in Stockholm, McEnroe had an on-court outburst that soon became notorious. After questioning a call made by the chair umpire, McEnroe demanded, "Answer my question! The question, jerk!" McEnroe then slammed his racquet into a juice cart beside the court in anger, and the stadium crowd booed him. He was suspended for 3 weeks (21 days) for exceeding a $7,500 limit on fines that had been created because of his behavior.
As a result, he was disqualified from competing in the following week's significant Wembley (London) Indoor tournament, at which he was supposed to be the number one seed, with Connors and Lendl (the eventual winner) as the second and third seeds. During his suspension, he injured his left wrist in practice, causing him to withdraw from the
Australian Open
The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. ...
.
Taking time out
In 1985, having reached the semifinals at the French Open, McEnroe was beaten in straight sets by
Kevin Curren in the quarterfinals of
Wimbledon. He reached his last major singles final at the
US Open; this time, he was beaten in straight sets by Lendl. He did not advance past the quarterfinals at the WCT Finals or the Masters Grand Prix. He did win important events at Philadelphia (his fourth straight there), Canada (second straight) and Stockholm (second straight and fourth overall) and finished the year as the world No. 2 ranked player.
By 1986, the pressures of playing at the top had become too much for McEnroe, and he took a six-month break from the tour. It was during this sabbatical that on August 1, 1986, he married actress
Tatum O'Neal, with whom he had already had a son, Kevin (1986). They had two more children, Sean (1987) and Emily (1991), before divorcing in 1994. When McEnroe returned to the tour later in 1986, he won three ATP tournaments, but in 1987 he failed to win a title for the first time since turning professional. He took another seven-month break from the game following the
US Open, where he was suspended for two months and fined US$17,500 for misconduct and verbal abuse.
World No. 1 ranking
McEnroe became the top-ranked singles player in the world on March 3, 1980.
He was the top-ranked player on 14 separate occasions between 1980 and 1985 and finished the year ranked No. 1 four straight years from 1981 through 1984. He spent a total of 170 weeks at the top of the rankings.
Success in doubles

McEnroe's success in doubles lead to some writing that he might have been "the greatest doubles player of all time" and "possibly the greatest team player never to have played a team sport."
He ranked #1 in doubles for a combined 270 weeks. His powerful partnership with
Peter Fleming, saw them win 57 doubles titles, including four at Wimbledon and three at the US Open. Fleming was always modest about his own contribution to the partnership, once saying that "the best doubles partnership in the world is McEnroe and anybody."
McEnroe won a fourth US Open men's doubles title in 1989 with
Mark Woodforde, and a fifth Wimbledon men's doubles title in 1992 with
Michael Stich. He also won the 1977 French Open mixed doubles title with childhood friend
Mary Carillo
Mary Carillo (born March 15, 1957) is an American sportscaster and former professional tennis player. She is an analyst for '' Tennis on NBC'' and a reporter for NBC Olympic broadcasts.
Career
Tennis
Carillo played on the women's professional ...
.
Davis Cup
More than any other player in his era, McEnroe was responsible for reviving American interest in the
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is contested annually between teams from competing countries in a knock-out format. It is described by the orga ...
,
which had been shunned by Jimmy Connors and other leading U.S. players, and had not seen a top U.S. player regularly compete since
Arthur Ashe. Connors's refusal to play Davis Cup instead of lucrative exhibitions had been a source of enmity between him and Ashe. In
1978, McEnroe won two singles rubbers in the final as the U.S. captured the Cup for the first time since
1972, beating Great Britain in the final. McEnroe continued to be a mainstay of U.S. Davis Cup teams for the next 14 years, and was part of title-winning teams in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, and 1992. He set numerous U.S. Davis Cup records, including years played (12), ties (30), singles wins (41), and total wins in singles and doubles (59). He played both singles and doubles in 13 series, and he and
Peter Fleming won 14 of 15 Davis Cup doubles matches together.
An epic performance was McEnroe's 6-hour, 22-minute victory over
Mats Wilander
Mats Arne Olof Wilander (; born 22 August 1964) is a Swedish former world No. 1 tennis player. From 1982 to 1988, he won seven major singles titles (three at the French Open, three at the Australian Open, and one at the US Open), and one majo ...
in the deciding rubber of the quarterfinal win over Sweden in 1982, played in St. Louis, Missouri. McEnroe won the match, at the time the longest in Davis Cup history, 9–7, 6–2, 15–17, 3–6, 8–6. McEnroe nearly broke that record in a 6-hour, 20-minute Davis Cup loss to
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker (, ; born 22 November 1967) is a German former world No. 1 tennis player. Becker was successful from the start of his career, winning the Wimbledon Championships at the age of 17. He ultimately won six Grand Slam singles tit ...
five years later. Becker won that match, the second rubber in a 3–2 loss to West Germany in World Group Relegation play, 4–6, 15–13, 8–10, 6–2, 6–2.
McEnroe also helped the U.S. win the
World Team Cup
The World Team Cup was the international men's team championship of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). The inaugural edition of the tournament was contested in 1975 in Kingston, Jamaica and was called the Nations Cup. No tournamen ...
in 1984 and 1985, in both cases defeating
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
in the final.
Final years on the tour
McEnroe struggled to regain his form after his 1986 sabbatical. He lost three times at majors to
Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl (; born March 7, 1960) is a Czech–American former professional tennis player. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Lendl was ranked world No. 1 in singles for 270 weeks and won 94 singles titles. ...
, losing straight-set quarterfinals at both the
1987 US Open and the
1989 Australian Open, and a long four-set match, played over two days, in the fourth round of the
1988 French Open
The 1988 French Open was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor clay courts at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. The tournament was held from 23 May until 5 June. It was the 92nd staging of the French Open, and the second Grand ...
. Rumors of
drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...
had begun during his second sabbatical. McEnroe denied them at the time, but later acknowledged he had used
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...
during his career in a 2000 interview, although he denied that the drug affected his play.
McEnroe had multiple notable victories in the final years of his career. In the 1988 French Open, McEnroe beat 16-year-old
Michael Chang
Michael Te-pei Chang (born February 22, 1972) is an American former professional tennis player and coach. He is the youngest man in history to win a singles major, winning the 1989 French Open at 17 years and 109 days old. Chang won a total o ...
6–0, 6–3, 6–1 in the third round; Chang went on to win the title the next year. In 1989, McEnroe won a record fifth title at the
World Championship Tennis Finals (the championship tournament of the WCT tour, which was being staged for the last time), defeating top-ranked Lendl in the semifinals. At
Wimbledon, he defeated Mats Wilander in a four-set quarterfinal before losing to
Stefan Edberg
Stefan Bengt Edberg (; born 19 January 1966) is a Swedish former professional tennis player. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles between 19 ...
in the semifinals. He won the RCA Championships in
Indianapolis and reached the final of the
Canadian Open, where he lost to Lendl. He also won both of his singles rubbers in the quarterfinal
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is contested annually between teams from competing countries in a knock-out format. It is described by the orga ...
tie with Sweden.
Controversy was never far from McEnroe, however; in his fourth-round match against
Mikael Pernfors at the
1990 Australian Open, McEnroe was ejected from the tournament for swearing at the umpire, supervisor, and referee.
He was warned by the umpire for intimidating a lineswoman, and then docked a point for smashing a racket. McEnroe was apparently unaware that a new Code of Conduct, which had been introduced just before the tournament, meant that a third code violation would lead not to the deduction of a game but instead in immediate disqualification. He was also fined $6,500 for the incidents.
Later that year, McEnroe reached the semifinals of the
US Open, losing to the eventual champion
Pete Sampras in four sets. He also won the
Davidoff Swiss Indoors in
Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS) ...
, defeating
Goran Ivanišević in a five-set final. The last time McEnroe was ranked in the world's top ten was on October 22, 1990; his end-of-year singles ranking was 13th.
In 1991, McEnroe won the last edition of the Volvo Tennis-Chicago tournament by defeating his brother
Patrick in the final. He won both of his singles rubbers in the quarterfinal Davis Cup tie with Spain. He reached the fourth round at Wimbledon (losing to Edberg) and the third round at the US Open (losing to Chang in a five-set night match). His end-of-year singles ranking was No. 28.
In 1992, McEnroe defeated third-ranked and defending champion
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker (, ; born 22 November 1967) is a German former world No. 1 tennis player. Becker was successful from the start of his career, winning the Wimbledon Championships at the age of 17. He ultimately won six Grand Slam singles tit ...
in the third round of the
Australian Open
The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. ...
6–4, 6–3, 7–5 before a sell-out crowd. In the fourth round, McEnroe needed 4 hours 42 minutes to defeat ninth-ranked
Emilio Sánchez 8–6 in the fifth set. He lost to
Wayne Ferreira in the quarterfinals. At
Wimbledon, McEnroe reached the semifinals where he lost in straight sets to the 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, 7–6, 3–6, 7–6, 19–17. At the end of the year, he teamed with Pete Sampras to win the doubles rubber in the Davis Cup final, where the U.S. defeated Switzerland 3–1.
McEnroe retired from the professional tour at the end of 1992. He ended his singles career ranked world No. 20. He played in one tournament in 1994 as a wildcard at the
Rotterdam Open, losing in the first round. This was his last singles match on the ATP Tour.
After
Steffi Graf won the
1999 French Open
The 1999 French Open was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor clay courts at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. The tournament was held from 24 May until 6 June. It was the 103rd staging of the French Open, and the second Gr ...
, McEnroe suggested to her that they play
mixed doubles at Wimbledon. She agreed, and they went on to reach the semifinals, but withdrew at that stage because Graf had reached the
singles final, and preferred to focus on that tournament.
After retirement from the tour

After retiring, McEnroe pursued his post-tour goal of becoming a working musician. He had learned to play guitar with the help of friends like
Eddie Van Halen
Edward Lodewijk Van Halen ( , ; January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he co-founded along ...
and
Eric Clapton. During his divorce, McEnroe formed The Johnny Smyth Band with himself as lead singer and guitarist, began writing songs, and played small gigs in cities where he played with the senior tour. Although
Lars Ulrich complimented his "natural instinct for music", a bar owner where McEnroe's band played said that "he couldn't sing to save his life." The band toured for two years, but McEnroe suddenly quit in 1997 just before finishing his first album.
In 1997, McEnroe's wife, singer-songwriter
Patty Smyth
Patricia Smyth (born June 26, 1957) is an American singer and songwriter. She first came into national attention with the rock band Scandal and went on to record and perform as a solo artist. Her distinctive voice and new wave image gained br ...
, told him, "In future only one of us will be working away from home on a music tour and it ain't gonna be you!"
McEnroe was inducted into the
International Tennis Hall of Fame
The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It honors both players and other contributors to the sport of tennis. The complex, the former Newport Casino, includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an ind ...
in 1999. He is now a
sports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real-time commentary of a game or event, usually during a live broadcast, traditionally delivered in the historical present tense. Radio wa ...
providing commentary for American television networks such as
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
, CBS, NBC, and
USA at the
US Open, the
Australian Open
The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. ...
, and various ATP tournaments, as well as at
Wimbledon for the
BBC in the UK.

McEnroe became the U.S. Davis Cup captain in September 1999. His team barely escaped defeat in their first two outings in 2000, beating
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
and the Czech Republic in tight 3–2 encounters. They were then defeated 5–0 by Spain in the semifinals. McEnroe resigned in November 2000 after 14 months as captain, citing frustration with the Davis Cup schedule and format as two of his primary reasons. His brother Patrick took over the job.
In 2002, McEnroe played himself in ''
Mr. Deeds'' and again in 2008 in ''
You Don't Mess with the Zohan''. McEnroe played himself in the 2004 movie ''
Wimbledon''. In July 2004, McEnroe began a
CNBC
CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk sh ...
talk show titled ''
McEnroe McEnroe may refer to:
*McEnroe (surname)
* ''McEnroe'' (talk show), 2004 chat show hosted by the tennis player
*Mcenroe (rapper), stage name of Rod Bailey, Canadian rapper
*John McEnroe, tennis player
See also
*McInroe
Kinna McInroe (born Apri ...
''. The show, however, was unsuccessful, twice earning a 0.0
Nielsen rating, and was canceled within five months. In 2002, he hosted the American game show ''
The Chair'' on
ABC as well as the British version on
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's Flagship (broadcasting), flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News ...
, but this venture also was unsuccessful.
In 2004, McEnroe said that during much of his career he had unwittingly taken
steroids. He said that he had been administered these drugs without his knowledge, stating: "For six years I was unaware I was being given a form of steroid of the legal kind they used to give horses until they decided it was too strong even for horses."
McEnroe is active in philanthropy and tennis development. For years he has co-chaired the
City Parks Foundation's annual CityParks Tennis fundraiser. The charitable benefit raises crucial funds for New York City's largest municipal youth tennis programs. He collects American
contemporary art
Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic co ...
, and opened a
gallery in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
in 1993.
McEnroe still plays regularly on the
ATP Champions Tour
The ATP Champions Tour is a men's tennis tour intended for former tennis professionals, who have since retired from mainstream professional tennis touring (The ATP). The Tour brings together many of the greatest tennis players in history for nos ...
. One victory came at the Jean-Luc Lagardere Trophy in Paris in 2010, where he defeated Guy Forget in the final. Playing on the Champions Tour allows him to continue his most iconic rivalries with old adversaries Ivan Lendl and Björn Borg. His last and 26th win (a record for the ATP Champions Tour) was his 2016 win at Stockholm against Thomas Muster.
In charity events and
World Team Tennis, he has beaten many top players, including
Mardy Fish and
Mark Philippoussis.
In 2007, McEnroe received the
Philippe Chatrier Award (the
ITF's highest accolade) for his contributions to tennis both on and off the court. Later that year, he also appeared on the NBC comedy ''
30 Rock
''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', ta ...
'' as the host of a game show called "Gold Case" in which he uttered his famous line "You cannot be serious!" when a taping went awry. McEnroe also appeared on the HBO comedy ''
Curb Your Enthusiasm''.
In 2009, McEnroe appeared on ''30 Rock'' again, 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."

In 2010, he founded the
John McEnroe Tennis Academy
The John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) is a tennis academy founded by tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe in New York City. The Academy was founded in September 2010, on a 20-court (10 deco turf, 10 clay courts) $18 million tennis complex, designed ...
on
Randall's Island in New York City.
In 2012, McEnroe, commentating for ESPN, heavily criticized Australian tennis player
Bernard Tomic for "
tanking" against
Andy Roddick
Andrew Stephen Roddick (born 30 August 1982) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. He is a major champion, having won the 2003 US Open. Roddick reached four other major finals ( Wimbledon in 2004, 2005, and 2009, and the US Open ...
at the
US Open. However, Tomic was cleared of any wrongdoing, saying that he was "simply overwhelmed by the occasion" (this was the first time that he had played at
Arthur Ashe Stadium).
McEnroe was part of
Milos Raonic's coaching team from May to August 2016.
In addition to his other commentary roles, McEnroe was a central figure for Australian television network
Nine's coverage of the 2019/2020
Australian Open
The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. ...
.
Return to the tour
McEnroe returned to the
ATP
ATP may refer to:
Companies and organizations
* Association of Tennis Professionals, men's professional tennis governing body
* American Technical Publishers, employee-owned publishing company
* ', a Danish pension
* Armenia Tree Project, non ...
Tour in 2006 to play two doubles tournaments. In his first tournament, he teamed with
Jonas Björkman
Jonas Lars Björkman (; born 23 March 1972) is a Swedish former professional tennis player. He is a former world No. 1 in doubles, and also a former world No. 4 in singles. Björkman retired from professional tennis after competing at the 2008 T ...
to win the title at the
SAP Open in San Jose. This was McEnroe's 78th doubles title (No. 5 in history) and his first title since capturing the
Paris Indoor doubles title in November 1992 with his brother Patrick. The win meant that McEnroe had won doubles titles in four different decades.
In his second tournament, McEnroe and Björkman lost in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Stockholm.
McEnroe won the over-45 legends doubles competition at the French Open in 2012. He was partnered with his brother Patrick. They beat Guy Forget and Henri Leconte 7–6, 6–3. McEnroe and his brother Patrick won again at the 2014 French Open in the over-45 legends doubles competition. They beat Andres Gomez and Mark Woodforde 4–6, 7–5, 1–0 (10–7).
Personal life
McEnroe was married to Academy Award winner
Tatum O'Neal, the daughter of actor
Ryan O'Neal
Ryan O'Neal (born April 20, 1941) is an American actor and former boxer. He trained as an amateur boxer before beginning his career in acting in 1960. In 1964, he landed the role of Rodney Harrington on the ABC nighttime soap opera '' Peyton Pla ...
, from 1986 to 1994. They had three children, Kevin, Sean and Emily. After their divorce, they were awarded joint custody of the children, but in 1998 McEnroe was awarded sole custody due to O'Neal's addiction to heroin.
In 1997, McEnroe married rock singer
Patty Smyth
Patricia Smyth (born June 26, 1957) is an American singer and songwriter. She first came into national attention with the rock band Scandal and went on to record and perform as a solo artist. Her distinctive voice and new wave image gained br ...
, with whom he has two daughters, Anna and Ava.
They live on Manhattan's
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West ...
.
Career statistics
Singles performance timeline
Records
*These records were attained in the
Open Era
The racket sport traditionally named lawn tennis, invented in Birmingham, England now commonly known simply as tennis, is the direct descendant of what is now denoted real tennis or royal tennis, which continues to be played today as a separate sp ...
of tennis.
Legacy
McEnroe's achievements have led many to consider him among the greatest tennis players in history.
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
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is contested annually between teams from competing countries in a knock-out format. It is described by the orga ...
Commitment Award
In popular culture

American hip-hop trio
House of Pain mentions McEnroe ("I'll serve your ass like John McEnroe.") in "
Jump Around".
McEnroe's fiery temper has led to him being parodied in popular culture:
*In 1982, British impressionist
Roger Kitter and
Kaplan Kaye, under the name of "The Brat", recorded the single ''
Chalk Dust - The Umpire Strikes Back
"Chalk Dust – The Umpire Strikes Back" is a 1982 novelty song credited to The Brat and performed by British comedians Kaplan Kaye and Roger Kitter. The song satirises tennis champion John McEnroe who was notorious for his temper tantrums. It rea ...
'' in which Kitter parodied McEnroe losing his temper during a match. The single reached the UK Top 20 and was a Top 10 hit in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
and
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...
.
*His bursts of rage were parodied in the satirical British programme ''
Spitting Image'', on which he and wife Tatum frequently screamed and threw things at each other.
*Another parody was in the satirical British programme ''
Not the Nine O'Clock News'', portrayed by
Griff Rhys Jones
Griffith Rhys Jones (born 16 November 1953) is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, and television presenter. He starred in a number of television series with his comedy partner, Mel Smith. Rhys Jones came to national attention in the 1980s for ...
, showing him as a boy arguing with his parents over breakfast.
*Punk band
End of a Year
Self Defense Family (shortened to Self Defense and previously known as End of a Year) are an American rock band with members from across the United States and England. The band has released six full-length albums and several EPs and splits. Thei ...
references his famous temper in the song "McEnroe".
*He mocked himself in a
PETA ad promoting spay and neuter, by launching into one of his famous tirades when challenged about his decision to have his dog fixed.
* Sir
Ian McKellen used McEnroe as a model when playing Coriolanus for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1984.
* In the 1980s he appeared in a commercial for
R. White's Lemonade in the UK.
* In 2006, McEnroe appeared in a television advert campaign for
National Car Rental, expressing one of his outbursts, saying "Any Car? You cannot be serious!" The following year, McEnroe appeared in an advertisement for
Telstra
Telstra Group Limited is an Australian telecommunications company that builds and operates telecommunications networks and markets voice, mobile, internet access, pay television and other products and services. It is a member of the S&P/ASX ...
in Australia.
* In late 2013, he starred in a television commercial campaign for the UK based gadget insurance company Protect Your Bubble. In the TV adverts, he emulated his on-court outbursts.
* In 2014 he appeared as a guitarist on the
solo debut album of
Chrissie Hynde, lead singer of
The Pretenders
Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Fa ...
.
* McEnroe was portrayed by
Shia LaBeouf in the Swedish biopic ''
Borg vs McEnroe
''Borg vs McEnroe'' ( sv, Borg, fi, Borg/McEnroe) is a 2017 biographical sports drama film focusing on the famous professional rivalry between tennis players Björn Borg and John McEnroe at the 1980 Wimbledon Championships, culminating in their ...
'', which was released in 2017 depicting
their rivalry and in particular the
1980 Wimbledon final.
* In a 2021 ad for
DirecTV,
Serena Williams is seen as
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as being ...
, battling machines that fire tennis balls at mall patrons. One of them is McEnroe, who has a drink spilled on him by a tennis ball; he of course responds, "You cannot be serious!"
Television and film appearances
See also
*
MacCAM, an
instant replay system used by CBS and other networks, named after McEnroe.
*
World number 1 male tennis player rankings.
*
Tennis male players statistics.
*
List of Grand Slam men's singles champions
*
Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame
*
Borg-McEnroe rivalry
*
Lendl–McEnroe rivalry
The Lendl–McEnroe rivalry was a tennis rivalry between Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe, who met in 36 matches between 1980 and 1992. Their head-to-head is 21–15, favoring Lendl. It is one of the most notable tennis rivalries of the Open Era. The ...
*
Connors-McEnroe rivalry
*
Tennis records of All Time – Men's singles
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball co ...
*
Tennis records of the Open Era – Men's singles
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
Video
*''The Wimbledon Collection – Legends of Wimbledon – John McEnroe'' Standing Room Only, DVD Release Date: September 21, 2004, Run Time: 52 minutes, ASIN: B0002HOD9U
*''The Wimbledon Collection – The Classic Match – Borg vs. McEnroe 1981 Final'' Standing Room Only, DVD Release Date: September 21, 2004, Run Time: 210 minutes, ASIN: B0002HODAE
*''The Wimbledon Collection – The Classic Match – Borg vs. McEnroe 1980 Final'' Standing Room Only, DVD Release Date: September 21, 2004, Run Time: 240 minutes; ASIN: B0002HOEK8
*''Charlie Rose with John McEnroe (February 4, 1999)'' Charlie Rose, DVD Release Date: September 18, 2006, ASIN: B000IU3342
External links
*
*
*
*
Official Wimbledon website profileBBC profileJohn McEnroe's ESPN Bio*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McEnroe, John
1959 births
Living people
American expatriate sportspeople in Germany
American male tennis players
American people of Irish descent
American sportspeople in doping cases
American television talk show hosts
American tennis coaches
ATP number 1 ranked doubles tennis players
ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players
BBC sports presenters and reporters
Buckley Country Day School alumni
CNBC people
Doping cases in tennis
French Open champions
French Open junior champions
German emigrants to the United States
Grand Slam (tennis) champions in boys' singles
Grand Slam (tennis) champions in men's doubles
Grand Slam (tennis) champions in men's singles
Grand Slam (tennis) champions in mixed doubles
Hopman Cup competitors
International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees
ITF World Champions
Masters tennis players
People from Douglaston–Little Neck, Queens
People from Flushing, Queens
Sportspeople from Queens, New York
Sportspeople from Wiesbaden
Stanford Cardinal men's tennis players
Tennis commentators
Tennis controversies
Tennis people from New York (state)
Trinity School (New York City) alumni
US Open (tennis) champions
Wimbledon champions