Feb 25, 2001 02:49 PM
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Think of Tennis in the 80’s and the name of John Mcenroe is sure to pop in our minds. The world remembers him not only as a player who dominated the Men’s Tennis in the 80’s, but also as a player with highly volatile temper and intense competitiveness. I can surely say that he must have been the first player to start the four-letter word in Men’s Tennis.
But then, all that cannot undermine the success that John Mcenroe enjoyed as a tennis player. Mcenroe at the age of 18, while still an amateur player, made it to the semi-finals of Wimbledon. He was the youngest player ever to do so. He turned professional in 1978, and by 1979 he was a force to reckon with in the Men’s Circuit. Mcenroe won 10 Singles Title and 16 Doubles Title in the year 1979.
In 1980 McEnroe lost in five sets to Swedish player Bjorn Borg in the finals at Wimbledon. The match, which featured a 34-point tiebreaker, is considered one of the finest ever played. But after this loss, Mcenroe went on to earn many Wimbledon and US Open Titles. 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.
John Mcenroe was one player who lent a lot of popularity to Men’s Tennis not only because of his On-court mannerism but also due to his game. He has been rated as the best Doubles player of all times and he topped the Doubles ranking for a record 257 weeks.
At present, Mcenroe plays Tennis on the Senior’s Circuit. He also works as a Television Commentator for Tennis events.
But these days his comments are decent and they don’t include that four-letter word. A surprise really!!!
