John McEnroe’s Wimbledon locker room behavior | Sports News

Wimbledon hero and former UK No. 1 Sue Barker was caught off-guard when she discovered that John McEnroe, recognized for his on-court outbursts, was considerably more subdued behind the scenes.

Both Barker, at age 69, and McEnroe have labored presenting from SW19 for the BBC.

McEnroe, a three-time Wimbledon winner, was an iconic determine in tennis from the late ’70s to the mid-’80s. He captured a outstanding Open Era file of 155 profession titles, together with 4 U.S. Open wins. He gained notoriety for his heated exchanges with tennis greats like Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg and for his well-known fiery demeanor, famously exemplified by his “You cannot be serious!” exclamation on the All England Club in 1981.

Interestingly enough, this feisty on-court persona did not replicate his off-court behavior.

Barker mirrored in her memoir, “Wimbledon: A Personal History,” how she was greatly surprised after Borg, McEnroe’s erstwhile competitor, knowledgeable her about McEnroe’s distinctly reserved nature within the altering rooms.

“I was amazed to learn from Bjorn that Mac was always very quiet in the locker room,” she wrote. “He saved his words up for the court!”

Borg himself shared, “I’m kind of a private person, I’d sit there and do my thing, but he [McEnroe] was the same. He didn’t say a word in the locker room. As I remember, he didn’t say much to anyone in the locker room over the years.”

On the court docket, McEnroe was a drive to be reckoned with, and he is admitted that his notorious mood would typically get the higher of him, even in apply periods. In a 2021 interview with GQ, he revealed that he’d attempt to calm himself down earlier than practising, telling himself to emulate the cool-headed Bjorn Borg.

“I remember I used to try to go on the practice court and say, ‘All right, today I’m going to be like Bjorn [Borg]. I’m not going to get upset,'” he stated. However, his makes an attempt at tranquility would typically crumble.

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“Even in practice, I couldn’t do it. So how the hell was I going to do it in a match, with a bunch of people calling out, ‘You jerk, McEnroe. Just play.’ Try keeping your temper in check when someone’s yelling at you. It’s not easy.”

McEnroe acknowledged that his on-court outbursts had been relatable, as many people battle to keep their cool underneath stress. “I’m more like the average Joe that flips out. Just gets overheated, for lack of a better phrase. I always felt like I could relate to people because I was acting the way most people would.”

However, it is price noting that McEnroe’s outbursts had been typically strategic, aimed toward unsettling his opponents. Given his bodily stature wasn’t significantly intimidating, he relied on mental toughness to gain an edge.

“I’m not physically imposing. I wasn’t blowing people off the court with my biceps,” he stated. “I felt like it had to come from within; I had to come out with an energy that would freak my opponents out. The intensity. The concentration. Whatever it took.”