John McEnroe is one of the world’s richest tennis figures, having emerged as a popular pundit since calling time on his career. He won seven Grand Slam titles during his time on the court but is equally known for his work as an analyst and commentator.
McEnroe was no stranger to controversy as a player, with his behaviour frequently landing him in trouble with umpires and tennis authorities. His regular tantrums saw him butt heads with fellow players and saw him develop a reputation for being hot-headed.
Since retiring from tennis, McEnroe has embarked on a successful punditry career and regularly covers Wimbledon as part of the BBC presenting team. He is certainly not afraid to speak his mind and has continued to raise eyebrows in the commentary box.
Express Sport takes a look at McEnroe’s life, starting with one of the biggest controversies he has been involved in as a pundit…
Spat with Novak Djokovic
McEnroe landed himself in hot water in 2017 by suggesting that Novak Djokovic and his wife were suffering from marital problems. He made the comments while discussing the Serb’s poor form during the BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon.
“The person that comes to mind immediately with Novak is not a tennis player, it’s actually a golfer, Tiger Woods, who had the issues with his wife and then he seemed to go completely off the rails and has never been even close to being the same player,” said McEnroe.
“So we’re starting to say: ‘Wait a minute, is this possible with [Djokovic]?”
McEnroe’s comments prompted outrage from viewers and drew a response from Djokovic, who said: “He’s very well-known for his kind of bold comments and not really caring too much about being politically correct, but saying whatever is on his mind.
“That’s all I can say. I really don’t take anything personal.”
Mega BBC payout
Earlier this year, it was revealed that McEnroe was being paid huge sums of money by the BBC for his punditry work at Wimbledon.
In the wake of the broadcasting giant revealing the pay of its top earners in their annual report, it emerged that McEnroe banked almost £200,000 for just two weeks of work at the All England Club.
The 65-year-old took home £195,000, a slight decrease from the £205,000 he received from the BBC a year earlier. However, he still earned considerably less than other BBC pundits such as Alex Scott, Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker.
Net worth and £74m fortune
McEnroe boasts an impressive net worth as a result of the prize money he won during his career and his earnings as a pundit. He is said to be worth around £74million, according to Tennis365, a figure which has been supplemented by his off-court ventures.
He has taken up a few acting gigs in the past, while he also played in a touring rock band and owns several properties with his wife, former Scandal singer Patty Smyth.
The couple own several valuable homes in California while McEnroe has owned an upmarket art gallery in Manhattan since 1993. It has also been reported that McEnroe and Smith own around £37m worth of real estate in the Los Angeles area.
McEnroe has earned some of his money as the voice of Netflix series Never Have I Ever alongside further appearances on sitcoms, game shows and talk shows.
