John McEnroe became famous on the tennis courts both for being number 1 in the ATP as for his lousy behavior, his shouting and anger with the chair umpires and referees. And outside the courts, by his confession: for six years he used steroids for horses.
It was in an interview in the Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph, when he first admitted that he had used that drug. But in the interview he softened the situation by assuring that he did not know what he was given for his pain after the games.
“For six years I didn’t realize they had been giving me legal steroids for horses until they realized they were too strong even for them,” he said in 2004.
John McEnroe admitted to taking horse steroids. Reuters/Andrew BoyersBy: Action Images via Reuters
Then he also confirmed his addiction to cocaine and marijuana in his autobiography, You cannot be serious. Precisely his title was his famous phrase against the umpires and referees in his tennis matches, for which he was penalized several times. The first time he said it was at Wimbledon 1981.
John McEnroe, a life dedicated to tennis
Born on February 16, 1959 in the German city of Wiesbaden, he has American nationality and devoted himself to tennis since he was a child. He lived in Queens and played clubs in New York, where dazzled with his left foot. It was the great surprise of Wimbledon when in 1977, at the age of 18 and from the Qualy, he reached the semifinals.
He lost that match against who would become one of his great rivals, his compatriot Jimmy Connors.
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It was a time of great players, like Björn Borg, Guillermo Vilas, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Arthur Ashe and his great friend Vitas Gerulaitis. With Borg he played what was called at the time “The match of the century”, the 1980 Wimbledon final, which the Swede won 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 and 8-6 in almost four hours.
a family in trouble
The actress Tatum O’Neilwho won the Oscar at the age of 9 for her spectacular performance in Luna de papel, was his wife from 1986 to 1992. The daughter of the famous actor Ryan O’Neal, with whom she starred in that film, was the first to denounce the tennis player for his drug use, in 2002, although he replied that it was all a lie.
Tatum said not only John McEnroe she took drugs since 1987 to return to being number 1 in the ATP ranking, but also started her in the world of addictions. Furthermore, she stated that Big Mac -as they called him in the world of tennis- took cocaine and smoked marijuana regularly, every day.
John McEnroe and Roger Federer, two tennis legends. REUTERS/Hannah McKayBy: REUTERS
In her case, the actress became so addicted to heroin that it was hard for her to lose possession of her children Kevin, Sean and Emily. And also Kevin McEnroe, some time later, was arrested by the New York police for illegal possession of drugs.
John McEnroe He not only seduced New York and the entire tennis-loving world with his different and rebellious style. He also won 77 titles, including seven Grand Slams, and won five Davis Cups.
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The temperamental left-hander was number 1 in the ATP ranking in both singles (170 weeks) and doubles (269 weeks). For many, he was even the best doubles player of all time, with 78 cups won. His masterful shots were combined with a masterful volley, considered among the best of his time.
His histrionics even allowed him to laugh at himself and take part in some Hollywood comedies, along with your friend Adam Sandler, another with New York roots. Thus, he was seen in Anger Management (co-starring Jack Nicholson) and Mr. Deeds. Even with all his controversial history behind him, John McEnroe It was without a doubt one of the best rackets ever.
