John McEnroe faced his share of troubles during his playing days. He understands that people have to face several things because they are under the constant surveillance of the paparazzi. Further, he is also familiar with the mental toll the lens causes. The seven-time Grand Slam champion has seen it all. However, the way the entire princess Diana matter was treated still haunts him.

McEnroe recently opened up about the damaging behavior of the media and shared how baffling the entire situation was, back then, when Diana died. Here’s what he said.

John McEnroe about Princess Diana’s death

While speaking about British tabloids and how they don’t really like anyone who steps out of the line regarding Princess Diana’s case, he shared his thoughts. He at first spoke about her caring nature. “She came to a couple of matches, and one of them I met her. She leaned over to me and said, ‘It’s got to be so difficult what you’re going through,’ because I was getting raked over the coals.”

“And I was thinking, difficult what I’m going through? Times it by a hundred and that’s what you’re going through,” he expressed.

“I really felt horrible. That really upset me when she died. I was like, are they finally gonna not let this happen anymore? And it’s worse than it was ever. The [paparazzi] chase and the whole thing made me sick,” McEnroe disclosed. The princess of Wales passed away in a tragic car accident in the year 1997, shocking everyone.

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The former World No 1’s marriage with the Academy Award-winning actress Tatum O’Neal was a deluxe meal for the paparazzi. They feasted on their wedding as well as their divorce. Performance pressure on McEnroe was more than ever. He had to live up to the immensely high standard and the invisible strain affected his game. So much so, that his 1984 US Open trophy became his last Majors title.

What is McEnroe up to these days?

After retiring from the sport, McEnroe started a new life with Patty Smyth and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He exchanged vows with Smyth in 1997, and a few years later started working as a sports commentator on channels such as ESPN, CBS, NBC, USA, and BBC.

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Further, he also acted as the captain of Team World in the Laver Cup. After facing five back-to-back defeats this season, his team finally lifted the trophy at the O2 Arena defeating Team Europe, which had the big four competing for itself.