John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is an American former World No. 1 professional tennis player….often rated among the greatest of all time in the sport…..especially when considering his touch on the volley. He won seven Grand Slam singles titles….three at Wimbledon and four at the US Open….nine Grand Slam men’s doubles titles….and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title. He also won a record eight year-end championships….19 Grand Prix Super Series titles….and finished his career with 77 ATP-listed singles titles and 72 in doubles.
McEnroe is known for his shot-making artistry and volleying skills…..for his rivalries with Björn Borg, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl….but maybe best known for his confrontational on-court behavior which frequently landed him in trouble with umpires and tennis authorities. In 1981, 1983 and 1984 he was both the ATP player of the year and the ITF World Champion for Men’s singles. His match record of 82–3 in 1984 remains the best single season win rate of the Open Era.
Ivan Lendl (born March 7, 1960) is a former World #1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia….he became a United States citizen in 1992. He was one of the game’s most dominant players in the 1980’s….and remained a top competitor into the early 1990’s. He has been described as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.….due to his game that relied on strength and heavy topspin from the baseline….as he helped usher in the modern era of “power tennis”.
Lendl captured eight Grand Slam singles titles. He competed in 19 Grand Slam singles finals….a record surpassed by Roger Federer in 2009 and Rafael Nadal in 2014. He reached at least one Grand Slam final for 11 consecutive years….a record shared with Pete Sampras….with the male primacy of eight consecutive finals in a Grand Slam tournament….a record shared with Bill Tilden at the US Open. Before the formation of the ATP….Lendl reached a record 12 year-end championships….equaled by John McEnroe….his opponent in this video match. He won two WCT Finals titles and five Masters Grand Prix titles….with the record of nine consecutive finals. He also won a record 22 Grand Prix Super Series titles (1980–89)….the precursors to the current ATP Masters 1000.
