John McEnroe

John McEnroe, born in 1959, American tennis player, who dominated the men's professional tour in the early 1980s. He also became known for his volatile temper and intense competitiveness.

John Patrick McEnroe, Jr., was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, where his father was stationed in the United States Air Force. In 1977, at 18 years of age and while still an amateur player, McEnroe reached the semifinals at Wimbledon—at the time the youngest player ever to do so. After attending Stanford University for one year and winning the 1978 college singles title, McEnroe turned professional. By 1979 he was one of the best players in the world. That year McEnroe won 10 singles titles, including the United States Open. He and his doubles partner, American Peter Fleming, also won 16 doubles titles, including Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

In 1980 McEnroe lost in five sets to Swedish player Björn Borg in the finals at Wimbledon. The match, which featured a 34-point tiebreaker, is considered one of the finest ever played. Later that year McEnroe won his second straight U.S. Open, defeating Borg in another five-set final. McEnroe won Wimbledon again in 1981, 1983, and 1984, and earned the U.S. Open title again in 1981 and 1984. In addition, he and Fleming formed one of the most successful doubles teams during this time, winning Wimbledon three times (1981, 1983, 1984) and the U.S. Open twice (1981, 1983). Later McEnroe teamed with Australian player Mark Woodforde to win the U.S. Open in 1989, and with German player Michael Stich to win Wimbledon in 1992.

McEnroe also played on many U.S. Davis Cup teams during his career, including the teams that won the competition in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, and 1992. In the 1990s he was active as a player on the regular professional tour and then on the senior tour, and he also worked as a television commentator for tennis events. In September 1999 McEnroe was appointed head coach of the U.S. Davis Cup team. After the United States lost to Spain in the semifinals in July 2000, McEnroe resigned, citing frustrations with the tournament format and his inability to convince top players such as Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras to play.