by Simon Wright

Created on: May 18, 2007   Last Updated: May 21, 2007

John Patrick McEnroe is one of the most charismatic talented tennis players of all time. Born in 1959, McEnroe (one of two tennis playing brothers) burst onto the scene in the late 1970s at a time when Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors were the dominant players.

He announced his arrival as a major threat in 1977 at Wimbledon (which was to become his favourite grand slam), when (as a qualifier) he reached the semi finals, only to lose to Jimmy Connors in four sets. This was the start of a fierce (and sometimes bitter) rivalry with Connors that was to last for many years.

He was as famous for his volatile temper and foul language,a s he was for his tennis. This, and his bandanna and long hair, made him a cult hero with young people and drew huge crowds to tennis. It also put him into conflict with the tennis establishment, particularly at Wimbledon!

McEnroe won his first grand slam singles title in 1979 at the US open where he defeated close friend (and fellow guitar enthusiast) Vitas Gerulitas.

In 1980 McEnroe reached his first Wimbledon singles final, where he lost to Borg in four sets. It is still considered to be one of the greatest finals of all time and is remembered for a very famous tie break in the fourth set which McEnroe won 18-16, only for Borg to win it in the 5th set!

It was Borg's 5th straight win at Wimbledon, but McEnroe came back the next year and won the title for the first time, gaining revenge over Borg in 4 sets.

Some of McEnroe's key stats include:

- 155 top level titles (a record for a male tennis player)
- 84 singles titles
- 7 grand slam titles (the same as Jimmy Connors)
- Oldest male player to win a ranking event, when he won a doubles tournament in 2006, aged 47!

As well as being a great singles player, McEnroe was a brilliant doubles player, forming a lethal partnership with fellow American Peter Fleming. He was a left hander, with an unusual but very effective serving style and a brilliant volley. At the time that he was breaking through in the late 70s and early 80s, I remember a lot of ex tennis players saying that he was possibly the most gifted player they had seen and that some of the shots he pulled off were virtually impossible. As a Jimmy Connors fan, I hated McEnroe though my feelings changed as he grew older and less dominant.

These days McEnroe continues to play on the Seniors tour and is also an accomplished commentator and has had a TV chat show. He is also a big rock fan and enjoys playing guitar. He is also a former captain of the US Davis Cup team.

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