John McEnroe Says He Never Officially Retired: ‘No Ceremony, No Nothing'

Forbes

29-05-2025

John McEnroe never officially retired from professional tennis and thus never had a send-off like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have enjoyed.
'I've never retired…No ceremony, no nothing,' the 66-year-old tennis legend said Thursday on TNT while broadcasting what could be Richard Gasquet's final match, against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros.
As a serve-and-volley master with a unique left-handed service motion and incredible touch at the net, McEnroe won seven Grand Slam singles titles during his career and captured 77 singles titles overall, He still holds the men's record with 155 combined singles and doubles titles.
His last major titles came in 1984 when he won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. He also held a two-sets-to-love lead on Ivan Lendl in the French Open final before collapsing and losing in five.
In 1992, he told wife at the time, actress Tatum O'Neal, that if he didn't win a major that year, he would 'stay home with the kids.'
'Since I hadn't won a major for six, seven years leading into the year, something was telling me this was going to be my last year,' McEnroe said of the year he turned 33.
That year, McEnroe reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the semifinals of Wimbledon and the round of 16 at the U.S. Open,
'Semis of Wimbledon, I lost to some young nobody named [Andre]
McEnroe retired from the professional tour at the end of 1992. He ended his singles career ranked world No. 20. He played in one tournament in 1994 as a wildcard at the Rotterdam Open, losing in the first round. This was his last singles match on the ATP Tour.
In his defense, Bjorn Borg, McEnroe's top rival, suddenly retired after losing to McEnroe in the 1981 U.S. Open final without making an announcement, and amid rumors of death threats. The Swedish legend walked off the court after shaking hands with McEnroe and thanking the chair umpire. He then quickly showered and escaped the stadium through the kitchen backdoor, jumping into a Volvo station wagon. Borg did make several aborted comeback attempts.
Pete Sampras, meantime, never played again after beating Agassi to win the 2002 U.S. Open, and officially retired a year later.
Told that tennis could still arrange a retirement ceremony 'at a pub down the road here' in Paris, McEnroe said, 'It might be a little late but I appreciate the thought.'