American tennis player, John McEnroe, ushered in a new era of dominance for men’s tennis in the ’70s and ’80s. On the tennis court, the 63-year-old was known for playing with his heart on his sleeve. This helped him rise to the top of the world rankings in both singles and doubles over his outstanding career. He has won a total of 7 Grand Slam titles, including 3 Wimbledon titles and 4 US Open titles.

However, things didn’t quite pan out from then on as per his and his fan’s expectations. He couldn’t quite continue with his rich vein of form on the court after getting married. Recently, McEnroe spoke about the mental blockage he had to deal with after becoming a responsible father.

John McEnroe talks about the mental toll of becoming a father

Earlier in one of his interviews with Big Issue, the New Yorker talked about his love for the game of tennis, him being destined to play the sport, and people?s misconception about his outbursts. He also mentioned how becoming a father affected his career from then on and gave an apt example of Roger Federer. ?At that point in my life, I felt I was missing something. I was living in a bubble and it did feel empty. The idea of being a parent felt incredible. I thought I?d be able to handle that and still win the big ones.? said McEnroe.

He further said, ?Roger Federer has won a bunch of major titles as a parent, but I wasn?t able to juggle it, to be the best and hopefully a good father and husband at the same time. I never could quite figure it out.?

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He initially got married in 1986 to Tatum O?Neal. The couple was then blessed with three children. But unfortunately, their relationship didn?t sustain for too long, and the two had to divorce in 1994. Later in 1997, he started a new chapter in his life and married Patty Smyth, a singer and songwriter.

McEnroe once talked about the struggle after his first marriage

After marrying Tatum O’Neal, McEnroe not only had to deal with the pressure of being a top player but also the pressure of living up to the expectations of people around him. The former world no. 1 admitted that the media’s heightened attention on him during and after his marriage to the actress affected his game.?

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Even more so because there were paparazzi and helicopters at the wedding. Due to the psychological impact it had on him, he was never able to win another Grand Slam singles tournament.