[yvonne]

Yvonne

McEnroe never won the Australian or French Open, so he never held the "grand slam," regardless as to how one defines it. 

You're right. I misread his Wikipedia page.

He was for a brief while #1 in the world computerwise, but if you know tennis and look back without rose (or cardinal)-colored glasses you'd be hard to see him as better than Borg or more than an equal of Connors or Lendl during his day.  History-wise he is top-20, but just barely.  Can't see him being better (in their prime) than Borg, Sampras, Federer, Djokovich, Nadal, Sampras, Laver, Rosewall, Gonzales (probably all-time #1), Kramer, Tilden, Perry, Hoad, Budge, etc. etc.

His ATP page says he  won [the US Open] for the last time in 1984, over Lendl. But he was defeated in the Flushing Meadow rematch 12 months later, relinquishing to Lendl the World No. 1 ranking McEnroe had held for four years."

I'd say that's a little longer than "a brief while."

Borg and McEnroe played an epic five setter with two tie breaks in Wimbledon in 1980, with Borg winning. The following year, McEnroe won in a four setter that also had two tie-breaks.


You can say what you want about McEnroe's temper, and you would be correct. As a tennis player, he wasn't the wannabe that you're portraying him as. From 1980-1984, he was the best.

[yvonne]

Yvonne

McEnroe never won the Australian or French Open, so he never held the "grand slam," regardless as to how one defines it. 

You're right. I misread his Wikipedia page.

He was for a brief while #1 in the world computerwise, but if you know tennis and look back without rose (or cardinal)-colored glasses you'd be hard to see him as better than Borg or more than an equal of Connors or Lendl during his day.  History-wise he is top-20, but just barely.  Can't see him being better (in their prime) than Borg, Sampras, Federer, Djokovich, Nadal, Sampras, Laver, Rosewall, Gonzales (probably all-time #1), Kramer, Tilden, Perry, Hoad, Budge, etc. etc.

His ATP page says he  won [the US Open] for the last time in 1984, over Lendl. But he was defeated in the Flushing Meadow rematch 12 months later, relinquishing to Lendl the World No. 1 ranking McEnroe had held for four years."

I'd say that's a little longer than "a brief while."

Borg and McEnroe played an epic five setter with two tie breaks in Wimbledon in 1980, with Borg winning. The following year, McEnroe won in a four setter that also had two tie-breaks.


You can say what you want about McEnroe's temper, and you would be correct. As a tennis player, he wasn't the wannabe that you're portraying him as. From 1980-1984, he was the best.