Explore Quotes by John Mcenroe

I'm 56 years old. I like to get out on the court. I continue to try to play the best I can. Obviously, I'm nowhere near where I was when half this age. But I can still hit a pretty decent ball.

Sometimes my negativity worked to my advantage, and early in my career, it got me going. But you need to understand that you're not just fighting opponents, you're also fighting yourself.

I used to take pride if my kids were playing basketball, and I'd be there, and I wouldn't say anything. People were obviously expecting me to yell and scream at the ref and at them and everything. I wouldn't say anything.

If you really want to get it more exciting, no linesmen. And have the players call their lines. That would make the game more exciting, I promise you. It would be awesome.

I can tell you from experience that when you get that pent-up and crazed, it can be distracting.

I was always taught that you needed to be intense and never lose your focus.

What made my matches against Borg and Connors interesting was, comparing it to boxing, it was like a puncher and a counter-puncher.

Sometimes you get hungrier when you taste it.

The best way I knew how was to give 110% and want it more than them, and walk on the court and every moment of the match feel like it was the end of the world, in a sense. So that worked for me in a lot of ways. There were times that it hurt me, but for the most part, it helped me.

It's ironic - people used to want to suspend me and talk about how bad my behaviour was, but now they like it when I shout and scream.

When I walk out there on court, I become a maniac... Something comes over me, man.

Believe it or not, I was a pretty shy youngster growing up.

In general, people are administered drugs too readily.

No other athlete in any sport has ever had to go through what I have to.

I thought if I looked back and evaluated my life, it would help me in the future.

There's something deeply satisfying when it succeeds, but I'm not going to do another book just to put my name on something and make some money if it's not something I deeply care about.

I can barely remember what I was like 36 years ago when I was 21 years old.

What I've realised is that you can run miles, jump on a bike, lift weights, and all that other garbage, but the bottom line is that you get in tennis shape by playing tennis. You build the right muscles, and I don't believe people can do it as successfully any other way.

Of course for your main rivals, you're going to get extra motivated for it, particularly if you haven't played him for a long time.

I don't really know why I started playing as a kid, but I grew up in Queens, New York, not too far from Forest Hills, where they played the U.S. Open in those days. I even got to be a ball boy there. Also, there was a tennis court just a block away from our house, and I'd hang out down there.

I'd love to see all the guys play their best because I think it's better for tennis.