Patrick McEnroe

Patrick William McEnroe[1] (born July 1, 1966) is an American former professional tennis player, broadcaster, and former captain of the United States Davis Cup team.

For the Medal of Honor recipient, see Patrick H. McEnroe.

Patrick McEnroe
McEnroe in 2012.
Country (sports) United States
ResidenceBronxville, New York
Born (1966-07-01) July 1, 1966
Manhasset, New York
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Turned pro1988
Retired1998
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money$3,118,316
Singles
Career record140–163
Career titles1
Highest rankingNo. 28 (September 11, 1995)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenSF (1991)
French Open3R (1991)
Wimbledon2R (1991, 1992, 1995)
US OpenQF (1995)
Other tournaments
Grand Slam CupQF (1991)
Doubles
Career record310–182
Career titles16
Highest rankingNo. 3 (April 12, 1993)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenF (1991)
French OpenW (1989)
WimbledonQF (1992, 1993)
US OpenQF (1988, 1994)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour FinalsW (1989)

Born in Manhasset, New York, he is John McEnroe's youngest brother. He won one singles title and 16 doubles titles, including the 1989 French Open. His career-high rankings were world No. 28 in singles and world No. 3 in doubles.

On May 1, 2023, McEnroe began his tenure as President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.[2]

Juniors

McEnroe started playing tennis as a young boy and was taught at the Port Washington Tennis Academy, where his brother John also played. As a junior, Patrick reached the semifinals of Wimbledon and the US Open boys' singles in 1983. He partnered with Luke Jensen to win the French junior doubles and the USTA Boys' 18 National and Clay Court titles in 1984. He also made his first impact on the professional tour that year, teaming up with brother John to win the doubles title at Richmond, Virginia. He won the men's doubles gold medal at the 1987 Pan American Games with Jensen, and helped Stanford University win the NCAA team championship in 1986 and 1988. While at Stanford, he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. McEnroe graduated from Stanford in 1988 with a degree in political science, and then joined the professional tennis tour.

Professional career

In 1989, McEnroe won the French Open men's doubles title and the Masters doubles title, partnering with Jim Grabb.

His first career singles final came in 1991 at Chicago, where he faced his brother John, who won the match 3–6, 6–2, 6–4. (This was the second time in tour history where two brothers faced each other in a tournament final, after Emilio Sánchez and Javier Sánchez met in the Madrid final in 1987.)

His best Grand Slam singles performance came at the 1991 Australian Open, where he reached the semifinals before being knocked-out by eventual-champion Boris Becker. (Commenting on his fellow semifinalists, he told the press: "It's just like you all expected – Edberg, Lendl, McEnroe and Becker".) He was also runner-up in the men's doubles at the Australian Open that year, partnering with his former Stanford teammate David Wheaton.

McEnroe won the men's singles at the Sydney Outdoor Championships in 1995, to claim his only career singles title. He also had some notable Grand Slam singles results that year – beating Boris Becker in the first round of the Australian Open (before eventually losing in the fourth round), and then reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open where he lost to Becker in an epic four-hour and seven-minute four-set marathon.

McEnroe acted as a catalyst for fellow tennis champion (and older brother John's own rival) Jimmy Connors's run during the 1991 US Open. In the first round of the 1991 US Open, McEnroe led Connors two sets and 3–0 in the third set but Connors came back to win in five sets, walking off the court at 1:35 in the morning, after 4 hours and 18 minutes of play.

McEnroe retired from the professional tour in 1998.

Davis Cup

In the Davis Cup, McEnroe represented his country as a doubles player in 1993, 1994 and 1996, compiling a 3–1 record. In 2000, after older-brother John resigned following an unhappy 14-month spell as captain, he was named the 38th captain of the United States Davis Cup team.[3]

With McEnroe as captain, the Davis Cup team won the Cup for the U.S. in December 2007. He resigned the position of team captain on September 6, 2010. His time as captain is the longest of any US Davis Cup captain.

General manager of USTA player development

In 2008, McEnroe became general manager of USTA player development. A series of mandates aimed at promoting junior tennis, including a requirement that all players age ten and under (U10) compete on miniature courts using new lightweight "green dot" tennis balls, have been controversial.[4] The smaller format is designed to make tennis more accessible to children but critics argue that it will inhibit development.[4] Coach Robert Lansdorp said in September 2013 that the format "is wrong for the very talented players" that become champions and noted that Maria Sharapova, Monica Seles and the Williams sisters were already competing on regular courts by age 7.[5]

In 2012, tennis coach Wayne Bryan, father of the Bryan brothers, wrote a letter expressing concern about the effects USTA mandates were having on players and coaches around the country.[6] McEnroe responded, calling Bryan's criticisms "scattershot" and "filled with holes, hearsay and half truths".[7] At the December 2012 "Riv It Up" USPTA Education Event held at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, professional coaches united to support Bryan in a "packed" meeting with USTA director Craig Jones that drew attendees from as far away as Arizona.[8] Fox News commentator Sean Hannity, the father of two junior players, posted his own analysis online "urging the immediate reversal of the USTA's new rules for juniors competition".[9] Former world No. 1, John McEnroe, owner of Sportime Tennis Center on Randalls Island, New York, agrees that the tennis federation his younger brother Patrick advocates is unlikely to produce a champion.[4]

On September 3, 2014, Patrick McEnroe was relieved of his duties as Head of Player Development for the USTA.[10] Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated reports McEnroe was "forced out of his job" after a six-year tenure.[11] The announcement was made during the US Open Tennis Championship in Flushing Meadows, New York, where for the second consecutive year, and only the second time in its 134-year history, no American men advanced past the third round. It is the latest indicator that the United States has lost its place in the upper echelon of professional tennis.[10] The last American man to win a Grand Slam title was Andy Roddick in 2003.

On April 5, 2015, Martin Blackman was announced as the new Head of Player Development for the USTA.[12]

Broadcast career

McEnroe currently works as a broadcaster for ESPN and a contributor to CNN. He previously worked for CBS from 1996 to 2008. McEnroe has worked for ESPN since 1995, where his versatility allows him to work play-by-play, as a studio host, or analyst. He is regularly paired with his brother John or Darren Cahill. Patrick works as the lead play-by-play man for many of ESPN's tennis events.[13]

Personal life

On December 19, 1998, McEnroe married singer and actress Melissa Errico. They have three daughters, Victoria Penny (born 2006) and twins Juliette Beatrice and Diana Katherine (born 2008). They live in Bronxville, New York.[14]

Honors
  • McEnroe served as captain of the US men's tennis team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
  • In November 2012, McEnroe was announced as a 2013 recipient of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, presented annually to six distinguished former college student-athletes on the 25th anniversary of the end of their college sports careers.[15]

Grand Slam finals

Doubles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1989French OpenClayUnited States Jim GrabbIran Mansour Bahrami
France Éric Winogradsky		6–4, 2–6, 6–4, 7–6(7–5)
Loss1991Australian OpenHardUnited States David WheatonUnited States Scott Davis
United States David Pate		7–6(7–4), 6–7(8–10), 3–6, 5–7

Mixed doubles: 1 (1 runner-up)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss1988US OpenHardAustralia Elizabeth SmylieCzechoslovakia Jana Novotná
United States Jim Pugh		5–7, 3–6

ATP Tour finals

Singles: 4 (1–3)
Result No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1. Feb 1991 Chicago, U.S. Carpet (i) United States John McEnroe 6–3, 2–6, 4–6
Loss 2. Jan 1994 Auckland, New Zealand Hard Sweden Magnus Gustafsson 4–6, 0–6
Loss 3. Sep 1994 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) South Africa Wayne Ferreira 6–4, 2–6, 6–7(7–9), 3–6
Win 4. Jan 1995 Sydney, Australia Hard Australia Richard Fromberg 6–2, 7–6(7–4)

Doubles wins (16)
Legend
Grand Slam (1)
Tennis Masters Cup (1)
ATP Masters Series (1)
ATP Championship Series (2)
ATP Tour (11)
Titles by surface
Hard (7)
Clay (2)
Grass (1)
Carpet (6)
No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponent Score
1. February 6, 1984 Richmond WCT, U.S. Carpet (i) United States John McEnroe South Africa Kevin Curren
United States Steve Denton		 7–6, 6–2
2. October 5, 1987 San Francisco, U.S. Carpet (i) United States Jim Grabb United States Glenn Layendecker
United States Todd Witsken		 6–2, 0–6, 6–4
3. June 12, 1989 French Open, Paris Clay United States Jim Grabb Iran Mansour Bahrami
France Éric Winogradsky		 6–4, 2–6, 6–4, 7–6
4. December 10, 1989 Masters Doubles, London Carpet (i) United States Jim Grabb Australia John Fitzgerald
Sweden Anders Järryd		 7–5, 7–6, 5–7, 6–3
5. November 12, 1990 Wembley, England Carpet (i) United States Jim Grabb United States Rick Leach
United States Jim Pugh		 7–6, 4–6, 6–3
6. September 23, 1991 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Switzerland Jakob Hlasek Czech Republic Petr Korda
United States John McEnroe		 3–6, 7–6, 7–6
7. April 27, 1992 Madrid, Spain Clay United States Patrick Galbraith Spain Francisco Clavet
Spain Carlos Costa		 6–3, 6–2
8. October 5, 1992 Sydney Indoor, Australia Hard (i) United States Jonathan Stark United States Jim Grabb
United States Richey Reneberg		 6–2, 6–3
9. November 2, 1992 Paris Indoor, France Carpet (i) United States John McEnroe United States Patrick Galbraith
South Africa Danie Visser		 6–4, 6–2
10. May 10, 1993 Coral Springs, U.S. Clay United States Jonathan Stark United States Paul Annacone
United States Doug Flach		 6–4, 6–3
11. June 7, 1993 Rosmalen, Netherlands Grass United States Jonathan Stark South Africa David Adams
Russia Andrei Olhovskiy		 7–6, 1–6, 6–4
12. October 4, 1993 Sydney Indoor, Australia Hard (i) United States Richey Reneberg Germany Alexander Mronz
Germany Lars Rehmann		 6–3, 7–5
13. January 10, 1994 Auckland, New Zealand Hard United States Jared Palmer Canada Grant Connell
United States Patrick Galbraith		 6–2, 4–6, 6–4
14. September 16, 1994 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) United States Jared Palmer South Africa Lan Bale
South Africa John-Laffnie de Jager		 6–3, 7–6
15. February 13, 1995 San Jose, U.S. Hard (i) United States Jim Grabb United States Alex O'Brien
Australia Sandon Stolle		 3–6, 7–5, 6–0
16. October 8, 1995 [16] Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Carpet (i) Australia Mark Philippoussis Canada Grant Connell
United States Patrick Galbraith		 7–5, 6–4

Doubles runner-ups (21)

References
  1. McEnroe, Patrick [@PatrickMcEnroe] (September 12, 2020). "Actually my name is Patrick William (my mother's fathers name) McEnroe. Good night t.co/CScchszroF" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 12, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2022 – via Twitter.
  2. "INTERNATIONAL TENNIS HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES NEW LEADERSHIP". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  3. "Sports Videos, Articles, Player Biographies and More! | SportHaven.com". Allsports.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2006. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  4. Atkins, Hunter (August 25, 2012). "Developing Top Talent Or Hindering Process?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  5. Lansdorp, Robert (September 5, 2013). "Robert Lansdorp Talks Ten And Under Tennis". tennisconsult.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  6. Malinowski, Scoop. "Wayne Bryan's Letter To The USTA". Tennis-Prose.Net. Archived from the original on April 17, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  7. Lewis, Colette. "Patrick McEnroe Responds to Wayne Bryan's Letter". Zoo Tennis. Archived from the original on April 18, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  8. Morante, Roger (December 7, 2012). "Coaches Unite Under Bryan To Challenge USTA U10 Mandate". Santa Monica Mirror. Archived from the original on April 17, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  9. Hannity, Sean. "Sean's Analysis On USTA". www.hannity.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2014.
  10. MARY PILON; ANDREW W. LEHREN (September 3, 2014). "Patrick McEnroe Out as U.S.T.A. Player Development Head". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  11. "Patrick McEnroe out as head of USTA player development". Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  12. "Blackman selected to head USTA Player Development". Archived from the original on September 16, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  13. "Patrick McEnroe Bio". espnpressroom.com. ESPN Press Room. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  14. Patrick McEnroe and Melissa Errico Have Twins! Archived August 23, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Celebrity Baby Blog, February 1, 2009
  15. "NCAA announces Silver Anniversary Award winners" (Press release). NCAA. November 8, 2012. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  16. "Tennis – ATP World Tour – Results Archive". ATP World Tour. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved July 8, 2013.

Further reading
  • Bodo, Peter; McEnroe, Patrick (1998). Tennis for dummies. Foster City, California: IDG Books Worldwide. ISBN 0-7645-5087-X.
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