Legendary Tennis bad boy and icon, John McEnroe opens up to Joe Buck about his "Anger issues" and tells some amazing stories about one of the most interesting tennis careers of all time.
best years of my life watching McEnroe Lendl ... Conners, Everett , Navatrolia ... so great... tennis today is not like the old days... Mac...my hero !
For me this was the tennis golden years, because of these guys I discovered tennis and became a fan, living in Queens, I went to US OPEN in Flushing. Now I read about Alcaraz, his fans think he is Columbus discovering America.
@@krugcpa for sure these guys are great !! i guess its just the era you grown up in !! love federer!! but johnny mac and jimmy conners pretty much started this rivalry for future tennis players like nadal and federer..... good times !
I think I know everything there is to know about McEnroe that's 'publicly available.' I will still sit down and watch a 1 hour interview with him. He is such a unique, and open, individual, who happened to be one of the most uniquely talented tennis players ever. The amount of self reflection he does in these interviews is amazing. No pat answers. You can feel his emotions when he discusses Borg (love), Connors (initial disdain but deep respect), his children, wife, father, etc. He admits to choking in 84, and copping out in 85/86. He needed Joe Buck to remind him how great he was. He still plays at an amazing level at age 64, I believe, and it's a certainty that he'd kick any of his old rivals' asses on the court were they to play today. Viva John McEnroe!
McEnroe at his absolute peak in 1984 played a higher level of tennis than any player in tennis history before or since his era! He definitely would have the edge over Federer, Djokovic and Nadal at Wimbledon on the faster, pre-2001 real grass courts there and on the fast DecoTurf2 hard court surface at the U.S. Open. Federer, Djokovic and Nadal would only have the edge over Mac at Roland Garros! McEnroe would be favored over those three great players on the lesser quality grass courts at Kooyong Stadium at the pre-1988 Australian Open (even though the improper design of the grass courts there - which required serve-and-volleyers to run uphill to get to the net - hindered net players). They would be slightly favored over McEnroe on the post-1987, rubberized courts at the Australian Open. McEnroe would have the definite edge over them on the lightening fast, indoor supreme court carpet surface.
I feel the same way...all the documentaries, sit downs he's done and I could watch a nightly talk show of Mac being interviewed because he really is not afraid to be vulnerable, own to to faults and insecurities. Really interesting guy to listen to. I thought Buck did a nice job here of asking the right questions too.
I was blessed to watch John play Vitas in 1980 in Denver when they were number one and two in the world. I have always been a fan. His play by play commentary is second to none.
I would have liked to have heard,more about his commentary life,at which is brilliant..no one can call matches like Johnny Mac…( pretty brilliant at serve&volleying-too!!!) ♥️🇨🇦
This was fantastic. I hated McEnroe when I was kid, but I've really grown to admire and actually like him. It's a rare person as honest as he is, no matter what the ramifications.
I was the opposite. As a "kid" I watched tennis because of Mac, and learned about all the other "greats." As I grew up, and his career declined, my interest went away. I only watched because of his "show." But, I look at his him as EF Hutton, if he's talking, I'm listening.
I am young enough to remember watching this gifted but yes I guess a little bad tempered , I always loved this tennis star I Am hot headed ! I love tennis ! I am a ballerina ( ex but still teach and dance ) And when Novak in my city was being inhumanely abused by my govt , the country , mass mandate madness , it was vile I thought . ‘ how do I get this man over here asap ? I do have connections but he wound have screamed . It ends now ……. I knew he would not tolerate the outright abuse defaming shaming of any tennis player . A bad temper. Does not equal no principle No ethical in sports ! I love you McEnroe !
I played C.Y.O. basketball with John on St. Anastasia's 6th and 7th grade teams. We never won before John joined the team. He was the point guard and leading scorer. We won medals for first place in 6th grade and second place in seventh grade with John. His dad was a great guy who was supportive and encouraging and usually wore a fisherman's hat. Power to John for encouraging youth at his tennis academy and keeping Davis Cup relavent.
New Yorkers aren't big fans of phony politeness. . What you see is what you get with them. Even if sometimes they can be a little in your face, so to speak. Personally, I prefer it that way. Nothing more treacherous than a 'well-mannered" phony who ends up stabbing you in the back at the first opportune moment .... And you didn't even see it coming
I didn’t care for his tennis abilities…it was his antics that made me watch him ….I wish he would yell one more time “you are kidding me”….or “you can’t do that “….
Came here by accident but stayed because your interview was so honest, forthright and sincere. McEnroe was open, direct and a pure delight in exposing what made him a world champion and a better man as he ages...well done, very well done! Of course I subscribed...a great show that suggests more to come!
Same. Showed up in my feed....and I subscribed immediately. Also, Joe Buck has always been given a hard time by sports fans (father's shadow)....but I like him quite a bit!
Ten years older than John. How lucky I was to watch him. His Davis Cup representation and doubles play can never be duplicated. Simply the best doubles player ever!
Thanks for your comment. As many things in sports there are that are debatable, this is not one of them. I doubt that tennis will ever (and I don’t mean in our lifetimes) see another era like the 20 years when these three greats were all playing.The closest thing I can think of to their astonishing performance, although this happened only once, is Secretariat’s 31-length win at the 1973 win at the Belmont Stakes. Anyone who hasn’t watched it should. That tennis era and that astonishing performance by Secretariat are and will always be historically unique. Sorry re the digression. I guess I won’t edit it out because it reinforces your point. @@rivierarocket
When I saw the thumbnail I thought: "What could I possibly learn about JM that isn't already all over the internet?" But classic Joe Buck, steering it in a direction that uncovers a side of McEnroe I haven't really seen. Joe, you're the best at framing things in the most interesting way! Love watching you call NFL and MLB games, and you're a great interviewer too. John, it was a pleasure watching you play tennis and still endlessly entertaining to listen to what you have to say now! Great interview!
McEnroe was and will remain my favourite tennis player, he was artistic on the court, and he is (now) a lovable, honest, and warm person. Love Johnny Mac.
I will say this to my dying day, John McEnroe was the most naturally gifted tennis player I've ever seen. Nobody had or has his feel and touch plus he was very brave.
Until I saw Roger Federer play for the first time I'd have agreed with you. They are certainly the two most naturally gifted players I've ever seen - and my tennis watching goes back to before McEnroe. Back in the day Ilie Nastase was a guy who was crazy talented. Then it turned out - he's just crazy and a racist.
Although Wimbledon was always on in our house and I was aware of tennis from an early age, it was the Borg Mcenroe rivalry that really hooked me and I have been in love with tennis ever since..I cannot thank them both enough.
The thing about McEnroe to me was how beautiful his game was to watch. It was like the racquet was an extension of his feathery strokes, his serve was very uniquely organic to him and beautiful to watch. And the serve and volley strategy was perfect for his temperament. Bravo John.
Always great to hear Mac talk on tennis. He had superb natural talent and agility.Those years were golden and just heavenly for us tennis players and fans of the time.
Amazing interview. McEnroe is only getting better with age. Such a lovely soul. So frank, and so gracious. How he has matured. He is now the greatest tennis commentator ever.
Joe Buck is so underrated as a broadcaster and interviewer. Perhaps because everyone has a memory and image of his father who was so great as an announcer and Joe has to walk in that shadow. But this and so many their interviews are enhanced by his lead and conversation with deliberate journeys to deliberate places, but get there gracefully.
As a 14 year old player in the Middle States, I remember seeing McEnroe's nr 1 ranking in the Eastern 16s, hidden on the back pages of Tennis magazine. Like Larry Gottfried, Blaine Willenborg, and Middle States stars Jay Lapidus and Murray Robinson, John McEnroe was an insanely good junior. He went on to Stanford - fine, but I could hardly believe my eyes to see him on TV at the semifinals of W against Jimbo. John is a great champion. The best hands of all time, and arguably the best serve and volley game.
77 ATP Tour singles, 77 men's doubles, 1 in mixed doubles (not counted as an ATP title). 25 singles titles on ATP Champions tour, seven Grand Slam singles titles.@@cluman1
I always loved McEnroe even back in the 80s and 90s. He's the genuine article. He's not a robot and he's definitely not PC. He's always honest, and funny as hell. Also, when he yelled at the refs or his opponents it was pure and unfiltered. The media hated him. Good for him. F them. Even today he's outspoken about the sport of Tennis. He doesn't care who's interviewing him, he takes people on. He doesn't care. I've never seen him back down. He backs up his statements with true facts, and he's 99.9% times right. He played the game with his own unique style. His matches were epic.
I was just browsing RU-vid and came upon this interview. I thought I was going to watch a few minutes of it and click onto another video. I can't believe I watched the entire interview. Both Joe and John are very entertaining! 😁
I greatly admire John McEnroe, as a tennis player and as a person. He's also a brilliant tennis commentator. I'm also amazed at his fitness level at age 64. While his '84 season (82-3) is statistically the best winning percentage ever for a player, I would argue that Jimmy Connors in total had a better season in 1974 (99-4). Both men won Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open those years; however, Connors won 15 total tour titles that year compared to Mac's 13. 99 wins is more in a year than 82, and 15 titles is more than 13, despite Connors losing one more match, making for a slight statistical advantage for Mac. Both men were utterly dominant in those years. I also find that Connors was a revolutionary player in '74. Nobody had ever hit the ball so hard off the ground and so consistently. Connors' game was a brand of tennis that nobody had ever seen before. Jimmy Connors changed the game forever. In contrast I see McEnroe as perhaps the most gifted wooden-racquet player ever. He played the same serve-and-volley game that Jack Kramer perfected in the late 40's and which had become the standard for men with wooden racquets, although I'm sure Rod Laver's many fans would challenge the claim that Mac was the best ever of the wooden-racquet serve-and-volley players. And I know that by 1984 Mac was playing with a graphite Dunlop racquet, but that didn't change his game at all. It probably gave him a little more pop on the ball and more consistency, but he was still playing wooden-racquet-style tennis. Today no winning pro plays Mac's style of tennis. They all play tennis that looks a lot more like Connor's game, a game with power baseline play as the foundation of their game.
One of the very best interviews EVER. Joe Buck did a very good job interviewing. But, come on. This is John McEnroe. I would bet that he is just as good a human being as he was a tennis player. I am very, very glad that he found & fell in love with Patty Smyth. For many reasons. I bought his first & second books and read them thoroughly. There is a lot of insight there. He pretty much detailed the most classic points in a lot of matches. His memory is truly astonishing. He certainly seems to be one of the most intelligent athletes ever. Irregardless, his ability to get fired up in key matches AND his drive to play SO MUCH during his prime is truly incredible. 17 GRAND SLAMS TITLES is a lot of GRAND SLAMS. His FOCUS ON THE COURT is really inspiring because as a bit of a former athlete, that is one of the components that is critical. One of the character traits that I like most about him is that he IS 100% HONEST WITH HIMSELF. AND IT SHOWS WHEN HE GIVES THESE CANDID INTERVIEWS. I enjoyed this particular interview and Joe Buck did a good job with questions however I wish the interview would have lasted longer. Much longer. I could listen to John McEnroe discuss tennis, his life AND LIFE IN GENERAL FOR HOURS. I don't like to use the word "role model" because whose responsibility is it to be a role model even when your in the public eye? A person is individually responsible for their own thoughts, feelings and actions. And, I don't like to think of McEnroe as an idol because as good of a human being & an athlete as he is, he has character defects. Or, did at one time. Probably still has a few. No one is perfect. Yet, it's refreshing to have seen him grow as a human being. I'm sure he's a wonderful father & husband and that's probably an understatement. It's a huge responsibility to love others with all of your heart. Which, from what I've read, he fulfills that obligation too. His sportscasting skills! OMG! When he gives color commentary, he has insightful remarks and yet he doesn't "drown out" others. He's a great compliment in working with Mary Carrillo who I also adore. He really does do a great job announcing because he's succinct yet INSIGHTFUL but it's even more than that. He brings A LOT OF TENNIS PASSION. And, of course, knowledge. He gives a lot of credit to Harry Hopman who made him start his practice workouts with calisthenics which he hated. He was so eager to start with bigger skills like hitting various shots better. And, then into his even better coaching in Florida under Tony Pallifax. At his parents urging. Speaking of which, he was very fortunate to have both his parents urging him on. His Dad never missed an important match! Wow! Again, he was VERY fortunate in that regard. And, great for his Dad too. The shirt buttons popping at times during Johns illustrious career. His Mom must have been proud to see him develop into a well rounded person after his initial antics during his early years. For years now, he has given back to tennis by starting his tennis academy with scholarship programs and individual coaching so players can get to the next level just as he did. I suppose that I rambled a bit here, but so what? He's a big asset to tennis and I believe that credit should be given where credit is due. I know one thing FOR SURE. JOHN MCENROE IS AN INSPIRATION TO ME. But my comments are certainly not about me, they are a tribute to John McEnroe being his CANDID & GENUINE SELF WHILE LOVING OTHERS AND HELPING OTHERS TOO. Just my perspective. And my opinions.
As a swede I am humbled by how often Mac relates to swedish players, became friends with a few of them. His NY aura is a stark contrast to how timid Wilander, Nystrom and Borg are in comparison. I assume those different personalities meshes well.
John McEnroe...was arguably the best serve-and-volley man of all time, but then McEnroe was an exception to pretty much every predictive norm there was. At his peak (say 1980 to 1984), he was the greatest tennis player who ever lived-the most talented, the most beautiful, the most tormented: a genius. David Foster Wallace, 'String Theory', 2016 (but the article might have been first published in 'Esquire' in 2008, based on my quick half-assed internet research) I largely agree with this, and am lucky (and old) enough to have seen him in that era. In 2023, there's a strong argument that Djokovic is the best player ever, but McEnroe and prime Roger Federer played the most beautiful games and are my two favorite players in tennis history.
It is beyond impressive to know that both Mac and Jimmy both recognize that while they may not like each other they were part of a “greater good!” I think that is reflected in the fact that Vitas had three #1 players as his pallbearers 😞
Love the beginning of the interview when he says (and I am paraphrasing) "I don't remember the learning tennis part, I just remember always being good at it." I have always thought that what John could do on a tennis court is something you can't learn, it's a talent that you just have to be born with. And he certainly was born with an incredible talent.
As a junior tennis player in the 80's (and a lefty), John shaped the way I played the game. The stats may say otherwise, but to many of us who grew up watching and emulating Mac, he will always be the greatest.
John played Tennis when the game was developing. It wasn't as big as today. but he was part of a big foundation. that was the era that paved for Tennis.
Still my favorite and the best I've ever seen. If only we could see how the current players would have done against him in his prime using the same wooden rackets, etc. the he was using! I'm betting he'd kick some serious ass!
Johnny Mac! Ya just can't get a better New Yorker...irish American...and not bad tennis player....then Johnny Mac! The first Punk Rocker of tennis and athletes in general. When it comes to choosing a famous athlete or maybe even famous person you'd wanna hang out at a pub or maybe BBQ... Johnny Mac is on the top of my list. Just a rock star of sports!
OMG. There is CANDID John McEnroe. Not sugar coating anything. Mr. GENUINE. Like or dislike, his authenticity has to be admired. Not to mention his sportscasting ability. His commitment to excellence during his peak athletic winning years in tennis. Thank you to Joe Buck for being gracious, professional and asking the best insightful questions that were asked to John McEnroe in what is, at least in my mind, the best interview ever for many reasons. First of all, John McEnroe was misunderstood for many years. But it' s o.k. Everyone has their own perception of reality. The air is clear now. McEnroe is obviously tennis brilliant, dedicated to tennis, gives back to tennis in the hopes of seeing tennis grow as an ideal American sport, helps tennis youth with an opportunity to practice & compete, and is a huge asset to the networks. Thank you to Joe Buck as the professional that you truly are. Thank you to John McEnroe for the inspiration to achieve my goals. Whether I should or not, I do put John McEnroe on a pedestal. How could I not. He wants to be an even better father & husband. He gives & gives. He's obviously highly intelligent and certainly seems to have learned to be eloquent in interviews. More than even that, he has learned to pontificate because he knows so much about tennis. Just NATURALLY CANDID & GENUINE. Which is refreshing. BEST WISHES FOR 2024 to John McEnroe. I hope that 2024 is everything that you want it to be and even more.
Brilliant job Joe and Audiorama professionals. John McEnroe's historical matches while in conversation with John was superb ... Legendary Hall of Famer always tell it like it is... as a New Yorker
Watched the duel with him, borg n Connors. A legend n made tennis so interesting. Thank u John. Only never supported u wen you played our SA, Kevin Curren. 80s. Greatest of memories.
Wow God bless John , myself and my childhood friends all watched tennis in the 70 s . John was a real real character and we all loved him lol . He’s so honest so nice and so well rounded . Tennis would never ever have been the same without him . Thanks and please keep commentating Mr McEnroe your the Best !!!😊
Delightful interview. John McEnroe, otherwise known as Mr. Genuine/Mr. Candid reveals certain things that without makes him misunderstood by many. His obligation to providing answers to an interview are supplemented with a very good sense of humor. One part in particular is when the Miami Herald newspaper, disdainfully I should add for those who might not realize, "painted him" at that time as "Atila the Hun" Charles Manon or Hitler. McEnroe points out, rightfully so, that even though he misbehaved inappropriately at times, it was not because an umpire made a call that didn't go his way, it was because a call was unfair. If chalk clearly flies up, tha ball was in. Like or dislike, he was fortunate to have emotionally supportive parents. And, his Dad never missed a match! What a bonus that was. And, he's clearly a product of his New York environment. And, his expectations of himself were sky high. Yet, he eventually matured enough, even at a young age, to get the most out of himself. A lot of top athletes and coaches too talk about discipline. I believe that discipline must be so ingrained that is stronger than the excitement of the goal of the fear of failure. And, thank the good lord that he detached with love from Tatum O'Neal who was abusing substances. I just love that his dear friend was Vitas Guerillitas and he didn't want to play him competitively in a final because he certainly didn't want Vitas to not win. Yet, of course, he had to put his friendship aside and still play at 100%. Nowdays, he's putting that same "commitment to excellence" into his commentary with others. Like working in tandum with an endearing Mary Carrillo who I also adore. I probably shouldn't put him up on a pedestal like I do, but taking into consideration just how difficult it is to get to the level that he did without getting complacent until 1986. But, he had moved on to obligations like getting married to Patty Smyth and starting to have children. He loves to play guitar and he's not that good. But who cares except him? And his singing is lacking talent.😂😂 His wife apparently has said something like "o.k., you can play the guitar but please don't sing.😂 OMG! WHAT AN ASSET TO TENNIS ESPECIALLY BECAUSE HE'S TRYING TO GIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO YOUNG TENNIS PLAYERS OF ALL AGES TO PARTICIPATE AND COMPETE IF THEY WANT TO AT HIS ACADEMY. At a fairly reasonable membership rate without having to go to Nick Bollitieri for tennis lessons. John McEnroe is highly intelligent and call me biased but it clearly shows in interviews. More than that is that he is BOTH GENUINE AND CANDID. GOD BLESS YOU JOHN MCENROE.
Came here because John is a great interview. Was unsure about Buck taking over the meeting. I assume since Buck is a play by play announcer, he is used to doing his homework. Both sides great. Amazed that John was so mature at a young age to figure out how not to get burned out, with all the pressure around him, especially his parents. 99.9% in his situation burn out.
No shit--that was fantastic. I love me some McEnroe. He is honestly (along with Connors) the reason I fell in love with tennis when I was about 5 or 6 years old. I fondly remember "Breakfast at Wimbledon" being like a religious holiday at my home growing up. It was literally a reason to get up early on a Sunday. Thank you, Mac!
What a great interview! I always enjoy hearing McEnroe speak. He is honest and real, thoughtful and reflective. He also seems like someone who is not afraid to show his weaknesses.
John is always a great interview. He is above all, honest. He has a unique way of speaking in which he often seems to be on the verge of shouting, but not quite.
To watch him my entire life to meet him when I managed players to listen to him on TV he still will always be one of the best guys off the court as well as the champ on the court
"Never hit the same shot twice" is a great metaphor for life, but I do remember your lobbing Bjorn twice in a row at the U. S. Open. And, FINALLY, now I know why you were so pissed and hollering so much--it was all that math in your head making you crazy. This interview was great.
I never watched Tennis until I saw McEnroe on the news one evening, after that i watched every match he played until 92, he was brilliant and entertaining, still is today in the seniors matches.
A genius. Watched 'that' 1980 Wimbledon final with about 150 people at my boarding school in England. Only about three of us were rooting for Supermac. The greatest tennis player there's ever been IMVHO...but I may be somewhat biased😀 Vitas was a wonderful player. All the narcotics he took and it was a dodgy heater that took him far too early. RIP
I could only watch 30 minutes of this because of time constraints. I used to love McEnroe. Then I didn't like him. Now I like him again. Fantastic interview, both by interviewer and interviewee.
Life is not easy when you are that talented. Every coin has two sides so you have to take the good with the bad. John is still a happening guy so we give him credit for that.
Best Respect Mr Macenro I am 66years old and have been entertained by one of the Greatest!! Thank you for opening up. You are one of us...Which is what I have always thought, keep going
Enjoyed the interview and got to know him a bit from his commentary work at tennis and he's a funny amiable guy. Also know him from the eighties when his commentary on empires became iconic and even was mixed into a 'The ball was in, the bal was out' singsong at the time I remember.
Genuine interview / seen John play a number of times outbursts became his persona hand to eye coordination magical have to see live to really understand
