John McEnroe

He married Oscar-winning actress Tatum O'Neal on August 1, 1986 and had three children with her. They divorced in 1994.||P

In April 1997 he married American singer and songwriter Patty Smyth. He has two daughters with her and a stepdaughter from Smyth’s first marriage.||P

He was born on February 16, 1959, in Wiesbaden, West Germany, in the family of John Patrick McEnroe, Sr. and Kay, née Tresham as eldest of their three sons.

During that time his father was serving the United States Air Force and was stationed in Wiesbaden. His mother worked as a surgical nurse there.

The family returned to the US and settled in Douglaston, Queens, New York in 1960. His father began to work as advertising agent during daytime and attended ‘Fordham Law School’ by night.

McEnroe was enrolled at famous ‘Trinity School’ of New York where he fitted well with other students and would often display his sharp wit.

He showed up his dexterity in sports whether basketball, soccer or tennis from an early age. At eight years of age he began to play tennis along with his brothers Mark and Patrick at ‘Douglaston Club’. Patrick also went on to become a renowned professional tennis player.

He completed his graduation in 1977. That year was marked with a series of significant events in his career. The 18 year old young lad won the ‘French Open’ mixed doubles title with partner Mary Carillo. He then eyed for the junior ‘Wimbledon’ title but shifted gears and qualified for the men’s tournament. The otherwise amateur McEnroe surprised all by reaching the ‘Wimbledon’ semi-finals but he was beaten by Jimmy Connors.

He earned a tennis scholarship and went back to the US and entered ‘Stanford University’ in California.

In 1978 he emerged winner of the singles title of ‘National Collegiate Athletic Association’ championship and was also a part of his school team, the ‘Cardinals’, winning the team title. He turned pro that year and signed professional endorsement deal with Sergio Tacchini and entered the ATP tour. He won 5 titles that year which included his first ‘ATP World Tour Finals’.

In 1978 he remained a player of the US ‘Davis Cup’ team that secured the cup after 1972. He was also part of the winning teams in 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1992. He played an important role in reviving passion and enthusiasm of the US teams for the ‘Davis Cup’ in that era and remained a mainstay of US ‘Davis Cup’ teams for 14 years in succession.

In 1979 he achieved two ‘Grand Slam’ men’s doubles titles along with his American partner Peter Fleming, first ‘Wimbledon’ and then ‘US Open. His partnership with Fleming saw him winning the ‘Wimbledon’ title three more times in 1981, 1983 and 1984 and the ‘US Open’ in 1981 and 1983. He won his final ‘US Open’ doubles title with Mark Woodforde in 1989 and that of ‘Wimbledon’ with Michael Stich in 1992.

He played for many charitable causes including the ‘Arthur Ashe Foundation’ that fights against ‘AIDS’