John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles – three at Wimbledon and four at the US Open. He is well remembered for his shot-making artistry, for his series of classic encounters with Bjorn Borg, for his fiery on-court temperament (which frequently got him into trouble), and for the catchphrase ’’You cannot be serious!’’.McEnroe was born on February 16, 1959 in Wiesbaden, Germany, where his father was stationed with the US Air Force.McEnroe’s game combined shot-making artistry, deft volleys, and a fast, attacking style of play. His sharp reflexes enabled him return the biggest serves and passing shots masterfully, and the variety, delicacy and quickness of his play delighted crowds. However McEnroe also quickly became known for his competitive fire and volatile temper. Verbal outbursts seemed to be a key way in which he motivated himself to battle through tough situations during matches, but this frequently got him into trouble.McEnroe won his first Grand Slam singles title in 1979 at the US Open.McEnroe blew away the competition in 1984, compiling an incredible 82-3 record and winning a career-high 13 singles tournaments, including his third Wimbledon and fourth US Open titles. He also reached the final of the French Open that year, and seemed to be on the verge of beating Ivan Lendl when he won the first two sets. But this time his temperamental outbursts got the better of McEnroe, and the ice-cool Czech capitalized to win a dramatic five-setter.McEnroe first reached the World No. 1 singles ranking in March 1980. He would be ranked World No. 1 on no less than 14 separate occasions between 1980 and 1985, and finished the year ranked World No. 1 for four straight years from 1981-84. He spent a total of 170 weeks as World No. 1 singles player.McEnroe was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1999.
He took on the role of US Davis Cup captain in September 1999, but was not especially successful. His team barely escaped defeat in their first two outings in 2000, beating Zimbabwe and the Czech Republic in tight 3-2 encounters. They were then defeated 5-0 by Spain in the semi-finals. 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 McEnroe took over the job.
McEnroe now fills his time by playing on the senior tour and being a TV commentator at major tournaments. He is always the star turn for the BBC during their extensive coverage at Wimbledon and, after initial spells of cynicism at the UK’s great hope Tim Henman’s chances of winning the men’s title, he has become one of the British player’s biggest fans.