John McEnroe facts for kids
McEnroe in 2015
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| Full name | John Patrick McEnroe Jr. |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Residence | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Born | February 16, 1959 Wiesbaden, Hesse, Germany |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Turned pro | 1978 |
| Retired | 1994 (singles) 2006 (doubles) |
| Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| College | Stanford University |
| Coach | Antonio Palafox |
| Prize money | US,552,132 |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1999 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 883–198 (81.68%) |
| Career titles | 77 (6th in the Open Era) |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (March 3, 1980) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1983) |
| French Open | F (1984) |
| Wimbledon | W (1981, 1983, 1984) |
| US Open | W (1979, 1980, 1981, 1984) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | W (1978, 1983, 1984) |
| Grand Slam Cup | QF (1992) |
| WCT Finals | W (1979, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1989) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 530–103 (83.73%) |
| Career titles | 77 (5th in the Open Era) |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (January 3, 1983) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1989) |
| French Open | QF (1992) |
| Wimbledon | W (1979, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1992) |
| US Open | W (1979, 1981, 1983, 1989) |
| Other doubles tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | W (1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Career titles | 1 |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| French Open | W (1977) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1999) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1992) |
| Hopman Cup | F (1990) |
John Patrick McEnroe Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional tennis player. He was famous for his amazing shot-making and volleying skills. He also had big rivalries with other tennis stars like Björn Borg and Jimmy Connors. McEnroe was known for getting very emotional on the court, which sometimes led to arguments with umpires.
McEnroe is the only male player ever to be ranked No. 1 in both singles and doubles at the same time. He won a huge number of titles during his career: 77 singles titles, 77 doubles titles, and 1 mixed-doubles title. His total of 155 titles is the highest for any male player in the Open Era of tennis.
His major wins include seven Grand Slam singles titles. He won the US Open four times and Wimbledon three times. He also won nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title. In 1984, he had an incredible season, winning 82 out of 85 matches. This is the best single-season win rate in the Open Era.
McEnroe also did very well in year-end tournaments, winning eight singles and seven doubles titles. Both of these are records. He helped the U.S. win the Davis Cup five times. After retiring, he still plays in senior tennis events and works as a television commentator.
Contents
Early Life and Tennis Beginnings
John McEnroe was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, in 1959. His parents were American. When he was about nine months old, his family moved back to the U.S. to Newburgh, New York.
In 1961, his family moved to Queens, New York City. Later, they moved to Douglaston, also in Queens. John has two younger brothers, Mark and Patrick, who also became a professional tennis player.
John started playing tennis at the Douglaston Club when he was eight years old. By age nine, he was playing in regional tournaments. At twelve, he joined the Port Washington Tennis Academy on Long Island. He went to Trinity School in Manhattan and finished in 1977.
Starting His Professional Career
McEnroe began to make a name for himself as an 18-year-old amateur in 1977. He won the junior singles and mixed doubles titles at the French Open. He then made it to the semifinals at Wimbledon. This was a record for an amateur player in the Open Era.
After Wimbledon, McEnroe went to Stanford University. In 1978, he won the NCAA singles title. He also led the Stanford team to a championship. Later that year, he became a professional player. He reached the semifinals of the US Open, losing to Jimmy Connors.
In 1978, McEnroe won five titles, including his first Masters Grand Prix. He finished the year as the world No. 4 player.
Becoming a Grand Slam Champion (1979-1983)
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In 1979, McEnroe won the Wimbledon men's doubles title with Peter Fleming. Soon after, he won the US Open singles title. This was his first major singles win. He beat his friend Vitas Gerulaitis in the final. At 20 years old, he was the youngest male US Open winner since 1948.
McEnroe also won the important WCT Finals in 1979, beating Björn Borg. He won 10 singles and 17 doubles titles that year, setting an Open Era record for total titles in a season. He finished the year ranked world No. 3.
At Wimbledon in 1980, McEnroe played against Björn Borg in the singles final. Borg was trying to win his fifth Wimbledon title in a row. The match was very exciting, especially a long tiebreaker in the fourth set. McEnroe saved five championship points and won the tiebreaker 18–16. Borg eventually won the match in the fifth set. Many people call this the best Wimbledon final ever.
McEnroe got his revenge two months later. He beat Borg in a five-set final at the 1980 US Open. He finished 1980 as the world No. 2 player, just behind Borg.
McEnroe became famous for shouting "You cannot be serious!" during his matches. He would say this when he disagreed with an umpire's call. Years later, this phrase became the title of his autobiography.
Borg and McEnroe played their last major final at the 1981 US Open. McEnroe won in four sets. This made him the first man since the 1920s to win three US Open singles titles in a row. Borg never played another major tournament after that. McEnroe also won his second WCT Final and ended 1981 as the world No. 1 player.
In 1982, McEnroe reached the final of Wimbledon. However, he lost to Jimmy Connors in a close match. He kept his world No. 1 ranking at the end of the year.
In 1983, McEnroe reached his fourth Wimbledon final in a row. He won his second Wimbledon title easily against Chris Lewis. He also played in the Australian Open for the first time, reaching the semifinals. He won the WCT Final for the third time, beating Ivan Lendl. He also won the Masters Grand Prix for the second time, again beating Lendl. He finished 1983 as the world No. 1 player once more.
His Best Season: 1984
The year 1984 was McEnroe's best season. He won 82 matches and lost only 3. This is the highest win rate in the Open Era. He won 13 singles tournaments that year, including Wimbledon and the US Open. He finished the year as the world No. 1.
McEnroe started 1984 with 42 wins in a row. He reached his first French Open final against Ivan Lendl. McEnroe won the first two sets. But Lendl changed his game, and McEnroe became tired and frustrated. He ended up losing the match in five sets. McEnroe later said this was his most painful defeat.
He bounced back at Wimbledon, winning his third singles title there. He beat Jimmy Connors easily in the final. Then he won his fourth US Open title, defeating Lendl in the final. He also won his fourth WCT Final and his third Masters Grand Prix.
During a tournament in Stockholm, McEnroe had a famous outburst. He argued with the umpire and then hit his racket into a juice cart. He was suspended for three weeks because of his behavior.
Later Career and Breaks
In 1985, McEnroe reached the semifinals at the French Open. He lost in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. He reached his last major singles final at the US Open, where Lendl beat him. He finished 1985 as the world No. 2.
In 1986, McEnroe took a six-month break from tennis. During this time, he married actress Tatum O'Neal. They had three children together: Kevin, Sean, and Emily. When he returned, he won three tournaments. However, in 1987, he did not win any titles. He took another long break after the US Open.
World No. 1 Ranking
McEnroe first became the world's top-ranked singles player on March 3, 1980. He was No. 1 on 14 different occasions between 1980 and 1985. He finished four straight years (1981-1984) as the world's top player. He spent a total of 170 weeks at the No. 1 spot.
Success in Doubles
Besides his singles success, McEnroe was also a great doubles player. He was ranked No. 1 in doubles for a total of 270 weeks. He won ten Grand Slam doubles titles. His first Grand Slam doubles title was the 1977 French Open mixed doubles with his childhood friend Mary Carillo.
His best doubles partnership was with Peter Fleming. They won 57 doubles titles together, including seven Grand Slams. Fleming once joked that "the best doubles partnership in the world is John McEnroe and anybody." Many people consider McEnroe one of the greatest doubles players of all time.
McEnroe won another US Open men's doubles title in 1989 with Mark Woodforde. He won his fifth Wimbledon men's doubles title in 1992 with Michael Stich.
Davis Cup Contributions
McEnroe played a huge role in making Americans interested in the Davis Cup again. He was a key player for the U.S. Davis Cup teams for 14 years. He helped the U.S. win the Cup in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, and 1992.
He set many U.S. Davis Cup records, including playing in 12 years and 30 ties. He won 41 singles matches and 59 total matches (singles and doubles). He and Peter Fleming won 14 out of 15 Davis Cup doubles matches together.
One famous match was his 6-hour, 22-minute win over Mats Wilander in 1982. This was the longest Davis Cup match at the time.
Final Years on Tour
McEnroe found it hard to get back to his top form after his break in 1986. He lost to Ivan Lendl several times in major tournaments.
However, he still had some great wins. In 1988, he beat 16-year-old Michael Chang easily at the French Open. Chang went on to win the title the next year. In 1989, McEnroe won a record fifth title at the WCT Finals. He also reached the semifinals of Wimbledon.
In 1990, McEnroe was removed from the Australian Open for arguing with officials. He was not aware of a new rule that meant a third warning would lead to immediate disqualification. Later that year, he reached the semifinals of the US Open, losing to Pete Sampras.
In 1991, McEnroe won his last singles tournament in Chicago, beating his brother Patrick in the final. In 1992, he beat third-ranked Boris Becker at the Australian Open. He also reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, losing to Andre Agassi. He won his fifth Wimbledon men's doubles title with Michael Stich in a very long final.
McEnroe officially retired from the professional tour at the end of 1992. He played one more singles match in 1994. In 1999, he played mixed doubles at Wimbledon with Steffi Graf. They reached the semifinals but withdrew because Graf wanted to focus on her singles final.
Life After Retirement
After retiring from professional tennis, McEnroe tried to become a musician. He learned to play guitar and formed a band called The Johnny Smyth Band. He was the lead singer and guitarist. The band toured for two years, but McEnroe stopped in 1997.
McEnroe was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999. He now works as a sports commentator for TV networks like ESPN and the BBC. He covers major tournaments like the US Open and Wimbledon.
In 1999, McEnroe became the U.S. Davis Cup captain. He resigned in 2000, saying the schedule was too difficult. His brother Patrick took over the job.
McEnroe has also appeared in movies like Mr. Deeds (2002) and Wimbledon (2004), playing himself. He hosted a talk show called McEnroe and a game show called The Chair, but these were not very successful.
McEnroe is involved in charity work and helps develop tennis programs. He collects American contemporary art and opened an art gallery in Manhattan in 1993.
He still plays regularly on the ATP Champions Tour, which is for former professional players. He has won 26 titles on this tour. He continues his rivalries with players like Ivan Lendl and Björn Borg.
In 2007, McEnroe received the Philippe Chatrier Award. This is the highest honor from the ITF for his contributions to tennis. He has also appeared on TV shows like 30 Rock and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
In 2010, he started the John McEnroe Tennis Academy in New York City. In 2016, he was part of Milos Raonic's coaching team for a few months.
McEnroe was the off-camera narrator for the TV series Never Have I Ever from 2020 to 2023. In 2023, he played in the first live Pickleball event on ESPN.
Return to the Tour
McEnroe made a brief return to the ATP Tour in 2006 to play two doubles tournaments. In his first tournament, he teamed with Jonas Björkman to win the title at the SAP Open. This was his 78th doubles title and his first title since 1992. This win meant McEnroe had won doubles titles in four different decades.
He and his brother Patrick won the over-45 legends doubles competition at the French Open in 2012 and again in 2014.
Personal Life
McEnroe was married to actress Tatum O'Neal from 1986 to 1994. They had three children together.
In 1997, McEnroe married rock singer Patty Smyth. They have two daughters and live in Manhattan.
McEnroe has written two autobiographies: You Cannot Be Serious (2002) and But Seriously (2017).
Career Statistics
Singles Performance in Major Tournaments
| Tournament | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | SR | W–L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | A | A | A | A | A | A | SF | A | QF | NH | A | A | QF | 4R | A | QF | 0 / 5 | 18–5 | 78.26 |
| French Open | 2R | A | A | 3R | QF | A | QF | F | SF | A | 1R | 4R | A | A | 1R | 1R | 0 / 10 | 25–10 | 71.43 |
| Wimbledon | SF | 1R | 4R | F | W | F | W | W | QF | A | A | 2R | SF | 1R | 4R | SF | 3 / 14 | 59–11 | 84.29 |
| US Open | 4R | SF | W | W | W | SF | 4R | W | F | 1R | QF | 2R | 2R | SF | 3R | 4R | 4 / 16 | 65–12 | 84.42 |
| Win–loss | 9–3 | 5–2 | 9–1 | 15–2 | 18–1 | 11–2 | 18–3 | 20–1 | 18–4 | 0–1 | 4–2 | 5–3 | 10–3 | 8–3 | 5–3 | 12–4 | 7 / 45 | 167–38 | 81.55 |
| Year End Championships | |||||||||||||||||||
| The Masters | W | SF | RR | SF | F | W | W | 1R | SF | 3 / 9 | 19–11 | 63.33 | |||||||
| WCT Finals | W | F | W | F | W | W | QF | F | W | 5 / 9 | 21–4 | 84.00 | |||||||
| Win–loss | 5–0 | 5–2 | 2–4 | 5–2 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 6–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 5–2 | 8 / 18 | 40–15 | 72.73 | ||||||
| Year End Ranking | 21 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 13 | 28 | 20 | $12,552,132 | ||
Records
- These records were achieved during the Open Era of tennis.
| Championship | Years | Record accomplished | Player tied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam | 1984 | 89.9% (62–7) sets winning percentage in 1 season | Stands alone |
| Grand Slam | 1984 | 11 consecutive match victories without losing a set | Roger Federer Rafael Nadal |
| Wimbledon | 1979–1992 | 8 singles and doubles titles combined | Stands alone |
| Wimbledon | 1984 | 68% (134–63) games winning % in 1 tournament | Stands alone |
| US Open | 1979–1989 | 8 singles and doubles titles | Stands alone |
| Time span | Other selected records | Players matched |
|---|---|---|
| GP/WCT Finals records | ||
| 1980–1988 | 12 combined WCT and GP finals overall | Ivan Lendl |
| 1979–1988 | 18 combined WCT and GP finals appearances overall | |
| 1979–1988 | 8 combined WCT and GP titles overall | Stands alone |
| 1981–1984 | 3 combined WCT and GP titles won without losing a set | Ivan Lendl |
| 1979–1985 | 5 WCT titles overall | Stands alone |
| 1983–1984 | 2 consecutive WCT titles | Ken Rosewall |
| 1979–1989 | 8 WCT finals overall | Stands alone |
| 1979–1984 | 6 consecutive WCT finals | Stands alone |
| 1979–1984 | 21 match wins in WCT tour finals | Stands alone |
| 1978–84 | 7 Masters Grand Prix doubles titles consecutive and overall | Peter Fleming |
| 1978–84 | 7 Masters Grand Prix doubles titles consecutive and overall as a team | |
| Other records | ||
| 1978–2006 | 156 total titles (77 singles, 78 doubles and 1 mixed) | Stands alone |
| 1979 | 27 titles (10 singles & 17 doubles) in same season | Stands alone |
| 1979 | 17 doubles titles in same season | Stands alone |
| 1984 | 96.47% (82–3) single season match winning percentage | Stands alone |
| 1982 | Carpet Triple (London, Philadelphia and Tokyo) | Stands alone |
| 1984 | Hard Triple (Forest Hills, Toronto and Stockholm) | Stands alone |
| 1978–1985 | 10 carpet court Grand Prix Championship Series titles | Stands alone |
| 1978–1983 | 5 Wembley titles overall | Stands alone |
| 1978–1985 | 4 Stockholm Open titles overall | Boris Becker |
| 1982–1985 | 4 U.S. Pro Indoor titles overall | Jimmy Connors Rod Laver Pete Sampras |
| 1983–1984 | 9 consecutive hard court titles | Ivan Lendl |
| 1983–1985 | 13 consecutive carpet court titles | Stands alone |
| 1983–1985 | 15 consecutive indoor court titles | Stands alone |
| 1983–1985 | 66 consecutive carpet court match victories | Stands alone |
| 1979 | 56 carpet court match wins in a season | Stands alone |
| 1978–1991 | 84.29% (349–65) carpet court match winning percentage | Stands alone |
| 1978–1991 | 85.28% (423–73) indoor court match winning percentage | Stands alone |
| 1984 | 49 consecutive sets on carpet won | Stands alone |
| 1984 | Achieved No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles simultaneously | Stands alone |
| 1978–1992 | Achieved No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles | Stefan Edberg |
| 1980–1985 | Regained No. 1 ranking 14 times | Stands alone |
| 1984 | 42 consecutive matches won from the start of the season | Stands alone |
| 1979 | 15 doubles titles in 1 season as a team | Peter Fleming |
Legacy
Many people consider John McEnroe to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time because of his many achievements.
See also
- 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
- Connors–McEnroe rivalry
- Tennis records of All Time – Men's singles
- Tennis records of the Open Era – Men's singles
Images for kids
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McEnroe in 2015
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John McEnroe at the 1979 ABN Tennis Tournament
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McEnroe in a Dunlop advertisement published on El Gráfico, 1981
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McEnroe with Peter Fleming (left) at Wimbledon, mid 1980s
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John McEnroe serving during a Champions Cup Boston match, 2007
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John McEnroe in the 2007 Madrid Masters Senior
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McEnroe demonstrating his swing at a Vanity Fair party in New York City, 2009
