"It's sad, inevitably you become a caricature of yourself" - When John McEnroe lamented fans wanting to see him lose his temper even on senior tour

John McEnroe has built a reputation in tennis for his fiery on-court personality, which often overshadowed everything else. However, he once admitted that he felt it was being overused for audience attention, leaving him somewhat disheartened.

McEnroe was undoubtedly one of the greatest players of his era. His temper stood out in the sport, often resulting in fines and suspensions due to his outbursts directed at umpires, line judges, and even opponents.

In a 2010 interview with Sky Sports while competing on the seniors tour, the American, though, admitted that the public still expected him to maintain his fiery persona. He expressed frustration over being defined solely by his outbursts, admitting he felt “sad’ to keep up that image.

“I can go out on court and play some great shots and I'll get a smattering of applause. Then I go yell at the umpire and they're like 'Yeeeaaahhh!' They love it. It's sad. Inevitably you do become a caricature of yourself. That's not necessarily what I want to be doing my whole life,” he said.

Dubbed 'Superbrat,' John McEnroe’s most infamous outburst came during the first round of the 1981 Wimbledon Championships, where he famously yelled, "You cannot be serious!" Despite the controversy, he went on to win the title, ending Bjorn Borg's run of five consecutive championships.

John McEnroe on his 'bad-boy behavior': "I did feel our sport needed to be changed"

John McEnroe pictured at the 2024 Australian Open | Image Source: Getty

In the same interview with Sky Sports, John McEnroe admitted that he thrived on his "bad-boy behavior." He felt tennis was too "upper class and yappie" and believed the sport needed a bit of a "punk" edge.

"I definitely fed off that in a way. I did feel our sport needed to be changed. I'm not going to say I was a punk, because that would not be true," he said.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion added:

"A lot of those punk kids and punk bands came from tough backgrounds. I came from an upper-middle-class background and lived in Queens, which is a nice part of New York City. The thing is, tennis is so upper class and so yuppie, that people inevitably put me into that punk category."

McEnroe hung up his racket in 1994 but continued playing doubles and senior events. He remains active in tennis, having captained Team World in the Laver Cup (2017–2024) and serving as a commentator for BBC, NBC, and ESPN.