IN the 1980s, a John McEnroe outburst came as often as the rain stopping play at SW19.
42 years ago, Superbrat as he became known as, unleashed his famous rant at Wimbledon coining the phrase that became synonymous with the tennis legend.
John McEnroe was the most famous tennis star of the 1980s on and off the court
The rock star of tennis McEnroe was nicknamed Superbrat because of his outbursts
It all unfolded when man-in-the-chair Edward James ruled a serve to be out in his first-round match against compatriot Tom Gullikson.
McEnroe ranted: “You can’t be serious, man, you cannot be serious! That ball was on the line, the chalk flew up! It was clearly in, how can you possibly call that out?”
McEnroe then went on to label the officials “the absolute pits of the world”.
But that was then, this is now. Today, McEnroe is a pundit.
A regular commentator for BBC’s Wimbledon coverage, the now 64-year-old has seemingly mellowed, although he still can be controversial.
His rock star status on the court has transcended to the stage too, where the skilled guitarist has joined the likes of the Eagles and Pearl Jam for a.. jam.
Mr Angry
It was a moment that defined him, when aged just 22, his famous temper bore its ugly head.
Umpire James got the brunt of it, as McEnroe queried a call.
Over the years, he would later joke that 37 therapists were unable to solve his anger issues.
Four years prior, he got taste of success at Wimbledon – reaching the semi-finals as a wildcard before losing to legend Jimmy Connors in four sets.
So, the pressure was on him to go one better. He did, with the tirade inspiring his maiden triumph in defeating Bjorn Borg in that final that year.
However, he could have been thrown out of the tournament after his first match.
Luckily, The All England Lawn Tennis Championships allowed him to continue to play – fining the maverick £750 for his misdemeanour.
Four decades on, McEnroe said: “I’d call it a mixed blessing but more positive than negative, ironically.
“It was the only time I said it in my 15-year career and then all of a sudden when I played on the seniors tour, I got paid a bonus if I said it.
“It’s amazing that the comment which was made in the first round in 1981 has stuck with me 40 years later.
Hot head McEnroe was famously animated on court
Umpires felt McEnroe’s wrath throughout his illustrious career
“I don’t know if it is beautiful or sad but I suppose it’s beautiful then sad, ultimately.
“It’s nice in a way to be remembered at all.
“Obviously, you want to be remembered for what you accomplished. In conjunction with that, you remember the stuff with the antics.
“So I guess it’s a net positive, although at the time it seemed like a negative.”
Amusingly, the All England Tennis Club traditionally grants honorary membership to Wimbledon winners, but because of his outburst that didn’t happen in 1981.
Instead, McEnroe went clubbing in London rather than attend the club’s black tie winner’s event.
Hellraiser
By 1984, McEnroe was head and shoulders above his opponents. His great rival Borg retired aged just 26, so it was left to the Americans to dominate the game, with Connors and McEnroe vying for top spot.
Astonishingly, during the tour that year he won 84 matches and lost only 3. It’s a record that remains unbeaten.
Off the court, his life was spiralling out of control. A regular at New York super club Studio 54, he began hanging out with film stars and models.
On the court, McEnroe was at his unbeatable best in 1984
Off the court, McEnroe’s life with wife Tatum O’Neal was spiralling out of control
Speaking about his excess in last year’s documentary McEnroe, he said: “These days they take performance enhancing drugs. We were taking performance detracting drugs. Putting smoke in your mouth isn’t the best thing.”
He became friends with Rolling Stones guitarist and legendary hedonist Keith Richards, who enjoyed McEnroe’s fiery side.
Richards said: “Who doesn’t mind yelling at an umpire, man?”
The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde was also a partner in crime.
McEnroe began a romance with American actress Tatum O’Neal in 1984, and they wed two years later.
Drugs and infidelity would wreck their marriage.
He admitted cocaine use, which didn’t help” their marriage, adding: “I have myself to blame for that.”
McEnroe also confessed to cheating on his wife, and they began seeing other people.
“I don’t think infidelity helps,” McEnroe confessed. “I believe that’s the end of the end.”
Rocker
McEnroe travelled the world competing on the tour, often taking his guitar with him.
It was his trusted tool, useful for downtime, to stop him overthinking about his next match.
Over the years, McEnroe has picked up some rock and roll friends
Although keen guitarist McEnroe upset David Bowie with a rendition of Rebel Rebel
McEnroe joined Pearl Jam on stage at Hyde Park in 2022
He is a skilled guitarist. But not if you’re rock royalty.
In 1982, one late night in a London hotel room, he was frustratingly strumming on his guitar to the chords of David Bowie’s hits
Suddenly, there was a knock on his hotel room door. It was the Heroes hitmaker himself.
McEnroe revealed the story in his autobiography, You Can Not Be Serious.
“In between rounds at Wimbledon in 1982, I struggled to learn David Bowie’s ‘Suffragette City’ and ‘Rebel, Rebel’ in my hotel flat,” he wrote.
“I heard a knock on my door. It was David Bowie. ‘Come up and have a drink,’ he told me. ‘Just don’t bring your guitar’”.
In recent years, though, he has been deemed good enough to play on stage with the Eagles and Pearl Jam.
Full circle
Today, his hair thinner and greyer, McEnroe is one of BBC’s pundits for Wimbledon.
It’s a gig that nets him around £150,000 to £199,000, according to reports.
However, that has not come without its controversy.
In 2021, Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from her last-16 match against Ajla Tomljanovic at SW19 for medical reasons – later confirmed as breathing problems.
McEnroe is a permanent fixture of the BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon
Legend McEnroe is supposedly paid between £150,000 to £199,000 for his role
He drew parallels with Naomi Osaka, who withdrew from the French Open and Wimbledon because of depression and anxiety that same year in his critique of the British tennis star.
“I feel bad for Emma, obviously,” McEnroe said. “It appears it just got a little bit too much, as is understandable, particularly with what we’ve been talking about this over the last six weeks with Osaka not even here.
“How much can players handle? It makes you look at the guys that have been around and the girls for so long – how well they can handle it. Hopefully she’ll learn from this experience.”
The match also got off to a late start, adding to the expectation.
“I don’t think it helped that the previous match went as long as it did because it made her think about it more,” McEnroe added. “That’s a lot to take on, especially when you’ve never been there before.”
Defending her opponent, Tomljanovic said: “I can’t imagine being in her shoes at 18 playing a fourth round in your home country,.
“It’s something I can’t even imagine. For him to say that, it’s definitely harsh. I have experienced something similar but not to that extent.
“I know that it’s a real thing. I’ve spoken to athletes that have gone through that. It’s not easy.”
Martina Navratilova was equally as incensed. She wrote a message on Twitter to him to: “Shut the f*** up!”
A year later, McEnroe defended his comments.
“I wouldn’t say anything different,” he told reporters.
“I’ve never met Emma, I should add that. I’d like to at some point, obviously. I was just giving an educated guess as to what I thought was happening, based on 45 years of being around the professional game.
“It’s not like she’s the first person it’s happened to. Especially with mental health coming more to the forefront. Naomi Osaka’s had issues with mental health.
“When I was playing you were supposed to grit your teeth and bear it, tough it out and this type of stuff. Now it’s becoming more of a discussion point, rightfully so. A lot of times for these young guys and girls, it’s a lot to deal with when they’re not prepared to. It will continue to happen.
Criticism of Emma Raducanu caused a backlash on McEnroe
Love him or hate him, McEnroe’s a straight-talking pundit
“Simona Halep said she had the first panic attack of her life playing at the French [Open]. If anything, I was trying to be supportive of [Raducanu] in a way, without exactly knowing what was happening.
“And I felt bad for her. I was amazed that she was able to come out of that and suddenly win the US Open. That takes it to a whole other level. I’m on her side, just for the good of the game I’d like to see her be able to reach her potential.”
Love him or hate him, McEnroe still delivers as the voice of tennis – striking fear into umpires and now players.
