He reacted furiously to what he considered bad calls by the referees and linemen. team to several world victories in the Davis Cup.īy 1984, McEnroe had claimed 12 titles and was one of the best players on the professional circuit.ĭespite an impressive career, McEnroe repeatedly garnered attention for what he called his “Queens” attitude. He won the French Open in 1988 against 16-year-old Jimmy Chang and took the U.S. He was the number-one ranked player on 14 separate occasions. McEnroe was named the Associated Press Athlete of the Year and racked up wins over the next decade. To this day, that match is considered one of the greatest matches in tennis history. Borg won, and it was his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title.
In 1980, he faced Borg at the Wimbledon finals. McEnroe won 10 titles that year, including his first defeat of Bjorn Borg, and finished at number 3 on the world rankings. Open and, at 20, became the youngest male winner of a U.S. With Peter Fleming, he won the Wimbledon Doubles and the U.S. In 1978, McEnroe signed his first professional endorsement deal and joined the professional circuit. Still an amateur, he went to Stanford University on a tennis scholarship and led the Stanford team to an NCAA championship. He lost to Jimmy Connors, who would become another major rival during his career. Just a year later, he was playing in regional tournaments.Īs a teenager, he began playing in major tournaments as an amateur.Īt 18, McEnroe won the mixed doubles crown at the French Open and made it to the semifinals at Wimbledon. He grew up in Queens, New York, and began playing tennis when he was eight. McEnroe was born in Germany to American parents who were in the Army. McEnroe was as famous for his on-court antics as he was for his volleying skills, and nothing cemented his bad boy reputation like the day he said, “You cannot be serious.” Bursting onto the professional scene at 20, he transformed the game and held a long-running rivalry with Swedish tennis star Bjorn Borg.
John McEnroe is one of the greatest tennis players in the game’s history.
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