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Tennis legend John McEnroe on his infamous outbursts and new Showtime documentary

By Mary Pat Thompson and Jason Nathanson Sep 2, 2022 | 5:00 AM


Courtesy of SHOWTIME

John McEnroe is having a bit of a moment.

The tennis legend has been narrating Devi’s ups and downs on the popular Netflix comedy series Never Have I Ever for three seasons now, but in the new Showtime documentary McEnroe, he’s finally telling his own story. He tells ABC Audio all about what it was like to get introspective about his life and career.

“I was a little bit like, why the hell did they wanna do something about me? I’m sixty plus years old,” McEnroe says. “And so, you’re flattered I guess. I suppose I was in a way that people still care enough to do something and commit to doing it.”

The documentary was not afraid to dive deep into McEnroe’s infamous on-court outbursts, with the athlete noting that he’s not exactly sure where his anger comes from but that he does have an idea.

“Growing up in New York City is a high-octane type of energy. Bustling through the subways and the trains, there’s an energy that you’re just used to,” McEnroe says. “I had a loud dinner table.”

Even to this day, McEnroe says he still gets mad when he thinks about some of the calls that set him off during matches.

“Half these people that were on the court calling the lines, they’d be falling asleep or they’d be old people. I’m like, how the hell that people think that they can see it better than I can see it? I’ve got 20-15 vision, and these people are insisting that I’ve gotten it wrong every time,” McEnroe says. “You know, I’ve got to be right once in a while.”

McEnroe is available to stream now on Showtime.

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