Quotes from John McEnroe

I grew up watching Dr. J, and I was like, 'Oh my God, this guy is the greatest basketball player I ever saw.'

One of the things I respected about Connors was that one second he would be spewing a four-letter word, the next second he would do something that had people falling off the aisles. Yet he never seemed to lose his concentration.

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 was a different kind of player as a kid and didn't do too much shouting and screaming. If things didn't go my way, I tended to get a bit overwhelmed. All I wanted to do was cry on my mom's shoulder. I didn't know how to handle defeat in front of a crowd, and I didn't want to be the loser.

I'm generally happy, although my kids and wife may sometimes argue with that.

The perception is I didn't get along with umpires, obviously, and I didn't, on the court. But off the court, we had a good vibe.

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

You have to keep persevering. An actor goes to a lot of auditions and doesn't get the part.

What is the single most important quality in a tennis champion? I would have to say desire, staying in there and winning matches when you are not playing that well.

I can't advocate people not liking each other. But... I'd prefer it.

Roland Garros is the only one of the four majors that is 15 days, and that is too long.

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