John McEnroe

John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles – three at Wimbledon and four at the US Open. He is well remembered for his shot-making artistry, for his series of classic encounters with Björn Borg, for his fiery on-court temperament (which frequently got him into trouble), and for the catchphrase "You cannot be serious!".

Early success

McEnroe was born on February 16 1959 in Wiesbaden, Germany, where his father was stationed with the US Air Force. He is of Irish Catholic descent. When he was less than a year old, his family moved to New York City, and he grew up in Douglaston, Queens.

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February 16 - 1959 - Wiesbaden - Germany - US Air Force - New York City - Douglaston - Queens

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McEnroe first took the tennis world by storm in 1977 when, at the age of 18, he made it through the qualifying tournament into the main draw at Wimbledon, and then proceeded to make it all the way to the semi-finals where he eventually lost in four sets to Jimmy Connors. It was the best performance ever by qualifier at a Grand Slam tournament, and a record performance for an amateur in the open era.

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1977 - Jimmy Connors

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Shortly after, McEnroe entered Stanford University and won the NCAA singles and team titles in 1978. After that, he joined the professional tour.

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Stanford University - NCAA - 1978

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McEnroe signed one of the first professional endorsement deals in tennis with Nike in 1978.

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Endorsement - Nike

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McEnroe's game combined shot-making artistry, deft volleys, and a fast, attacking style of play. His sharp reflexes enabled him return the biggest serves and passing shots masterfully, and the variety, delicacy and quickness of his play delighted crowds. However McEnroe also quickly became known for his competitive fire and volatile temper. Verbal outbursts seemed to be a key way in which he motivated himself to battle through tough situations during matches, but this frequently got him into trouble.

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McEnroe won his first Grand Slam singles title in 1979 at the US Open. He defeated Vitas Gerulaitis in straight sets in the final to become the youngest winner of the championships in 31 years (since Pancho Gonzales, who was also 20, won in 1948). He won 10 singles and 17 doubles titles that year (for a total of 27 titles, which marked an open-era record).

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1979 - Vitas Gerulaitis - Pancho Gonzales - 1948

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