John McEnroe discusses how the Tour has become easy for players as compared to his playing days, saying “I was forced to grow up on my own”


John McEnroe discusses how the Tour has become easy for players as compared to his playing days, saying “I was forced to grow up on my own”

John McEnroe

John McEnroe opened up on his first visit ever to Europe back in 1977 and believes that current tennis players are fortunate to have everything easy compared to his time on the circuit. He traveled to play the qualifiers in the French Open with dreams and aspirations.

ADVERTISEMENT

I remember the first time I came to Europe when I was the number one junior in the world and they gave me $500 for seven weeks, They didn’t set up any hotel rooms, I didn’t have a coach and I was sent by myself, but I ended up reaching the semis of Wimbledon that summer and it changed my life.

I missed my high school graduation, but I think in a way I was forced to grow up on my own. And I think that was better in a sense though. You had to learn how to get through it. Now it’s all different. The kids have coaches and media training at the age of 16, they don’t even know what they are about at 16.“, stated McEnroe mentioning the difference in ages.

Also read: Roger Federer cites Wimbledon tradition in revealing why Pete Sampras was his favorite over rival Andre Agassi

ADVERTISEMENT

The elusive tennis career of John McEnroe

John McEnroe
John McEnroe

7-times grand slam champion John McEnroe has won 155 ATP titles in total. Out of this, 77 were in ATP Tour singles. The rest 78 were in men’s doubles. Apart from this, he has won 25 singles titles on the ATP Champions tour as well.

I don’t know how you even do that in a way, you have to let kids grow into themselves and figure out who they are, that’s more important than media training. In certain ways, it was too much. I remember I was trying to get a hotel room in Paris the night before I had to play the last round of qualifiers because I couldn’t afford to keep paying for the hotel where the main draw players were in.

I remember going to a hotel where they didn’t speak English, there was a female tennis player who spoke French and helped me get the room for $4 a night and I didn’t sleep at all that night.t was only when I got through the main draw of the French Open that I could go to the main hotel where the players stayed. Thankfully I didn’t have to worry about paying for hotels again after that“, McEnroe quoted in an interview given to tennis365 exclusively.

His career win% stands at 81.55 with a win-loss record of 875–198. His 1984 season is considered to be the greatest season ever played by a male player in the Open Era with a win-loss record of 82–3 (96.5%). The John McEnroe- Bjorn Borg (Swedish 11-times grand slam champion) rivalry took the sport to new levels in the 1980s. They are both tied at 7-7 head 2 head.

ADVERTISEMENT

Also read: “Shameful” 9-times champion Novak Djokovic again disrespected by the Australian Open organizers

Also read: Stefanos Tsitsipas’ mother says it would have been “painful” had her son let Roger Federer retire undefeated against him