41+ John McEnroe Quotes On Tennis, Success And Game

John McEnroe was an American professional tennis player who was one of the most successful players of the late 1970s and early 1980s. He won seven Grand Slam singles titles and nine Grand Slam doubles titles. He was known for his on-court temper and his famous rivalry with Björn Borg. Following is our collection on famous quotes by John McEnroe on leadership, tennis, life.

Top 10 John McEnroe Quotes

1. The important thing is to learn a lesson every time you lose.
2. I think it's the mark of a great player to be confident in tough situations.
3. We all choke. Winners know how to handle choking better than losers.
4. What is the single most important quality in a tennis champion? I would have to say desire, staying in there and winning matches when you are not playing that well.
5. I want to be remembered as a great player, but I guess it will be as a player who got angry on a tennis court.
6. I'll let the racket do the talking.
7. I know being a linesman is a thankless job, especially with guys like me around.
8. Borg's won Wimbledon four straight times and out there he has just lost an 18-16 tie breaker. You'd think maybe once he'd let up and say forget it. But oh, no way.
9. Everybody loves success, but they hate successful people.
10. I havent seen a professional player come out of New York in over 20 years since my brother Patrick came out. Blake spent a few years in Harlem, but he moved to Connecticut when he was a kid.

John McEnroe Short Quotes

• I believe there's only one autobiography you can do.
• The only thing championship about Wimbledon is its prestige.
• As they say in sports, the older you get, the better you used to be.
• To be involved in a senior tournament back in the States is very satisfying.
• Be happy. If you're successful but unhappy, that's emptiness.
• If Serena Williams played the men's circuit she'd be like 700 in the world.
• Serena Williams best female player ever - no question.
• Bush is an idiot and he's President, so anything's possible
• I have never seen someone point after point that just gives it everything.
• My greatest strength is that I have no weaknesses.

John McEnroe Quotes About Tennis

If you want to be a tennis player, then mould yourself on Roger Federer. I won three Wimbledon titles and I wish I could play like him. — John McEnroe

Equipment's the biggest change. And the guys have been getting bigger, stronger, more athletic - so the game has become more of a track meet instead of a tennis match, in a sense. — John McEnroe

He [Roger Federer] is the greatest natural talent in tennis I've ever seen. I love to watch the guy play, he's an awesome talent — John McEnroe

I'd like to think I could have and should have won more, but that's not the point. And I was at the point where I was playing great tennis in the mid 80s - the type of tennis people hadn't seen before - and I was very proud of that. — John McEnroe

There's too much money and too many nice guys around. — John McEnroe

Tennis is a funny game; unbelievable highs and the lows are just as low. — John McEnroe

I am not a monster. I'm not all bad. Maybe 10 percent. I think I'm 90 percent good. — John McEnroe

It's been predictable, in the sense of 'expect the unexpected'. — John McEnroe

This [defeat] has taught me a lesson, but I'm not sure what it is. — John McEnroe

Let's hope his nerves will run through his veins. — John McEnroe

John McEnroe Famous Quotes And Sayings

You can tell when someone has been on steroids A guy bulks up, has a new body and never gets tired...You see these guys or girls who come onto the tour talking about their new training programs and their diets where they eat this or that new thingbut they'll never tell you about the drugs they took. — John McEnroe

If, in a few months, I'm only number 8 or number 10 in the world, I'll have to look at what off-the-court work I can do. I will need to do something if I want to be number 1. — John McEnroe

That's one of the best sets I've seen him play, although I should preface that by saying I haven't seen him play before. — John McEnroe

The 1980 Wimbledon final with Borg - that's the one I was most proud of to be part of. It's talked about as one of the best matches people have seen so that certainly elevated me in a lot of different ways, even though I came out second in that one. — John McEnroe

On a given day, Serena Williams could beat some players. I believe because she's so incredibly strong mentally that she could overcome some situations where players would choke 'cause she's been in it so many times, so many situations at Wimbledon, The U.S. Open, etc. But if she had to just play the circuit - the men's circuit - that would be an entirely different story. — John McEnroe

The good part of having six kids is, there's always one who wants to hug you and say, 'Daddy, I love you.' — John McEnroe

There's something deeply satisfying when it succeeds, but I'm not going to do another book just to put my name on something and make some money if it's not something I deeply care about. — John McEnroe

I had a similar year back in 1984 when I felt like I couldn't lose. — John McEnroe

You cannot be serious! — John McEnroe

It would be a nice place if you took all the people out of the city. — John McEnroe

We should reach out to people to try to go after the fans the way other sports do. Because we can't just depend on the fact that it is a great game. — John McEnroe

Life Lessons by John McEnroe

1. John McEnroe taught us that hard work and dedication can lead to success, no matter the odds. He also showed us that it is important to stay humble and to keep learning and growing. Lastly, he demonstrated that it is important to stay passionate and to never give up, even when faced with adversity.