The Tennis Champion with Character

John Patrick McEnroe was born on 2/16/59 in Wiesbaden, Germany while his father was stationed there for the US Air Force. John is best known for his famous tennis playing and equally famous emotional outbursts on the tennis court.

He ranked number one in the tennis profession from 1981 to 1984. John’s famous playing came from his ability to change his tactics and strategies to match his opponents. His superb shot making and volleying became his best known tennis traits. It is believed that the fact that he played soccer as a youth greatly aided his playing ability. His accomplishments include 77 singles titles (7 of which were Grand Slam titles) and his induction to the International Hall of Fame in 1999. After a 12-year absence from the professional tennis scene, John also gained the title of the oldest male player to win the top-level title in 30 years.

While his tennis playing was a site to behold, his explosions of temper and foul-mouthed comments earned him the nickname, “SuperBrat” by the British Tabloids in 1979. His confrontational court behavior against his opponents, the officials, and camera operators became as much of his trademark as his shot making and volleying skills. His most famous rivals were Björn Borg, Jimmy Connors, and Ivan Lendl. In fact, the only player he did not have an emotional outburst on while competing with was Björn Borg.

McEnroe was married to Tatum O’Neal. They later divorced and he married Patty Smith in 1997. He is a devoted husband and father of 5 children from his two marriages.