In an exclusive interview with tennis365, John McEnroe remembered the first time he travelled to Europe in 1976.
He was the number one junior in the world, ready to take on the old continent but it was anything but a smooth experience.
“I remember the first time I came to Europe when I was the number one junior in the world and they gave me $500 for seven weeks,” explained McEnroe at an event for his biopic film 'McEnroe. “They didn’t set up any hotel rooms, I didn’t have a coach and I was sent by myself, but I ended up reaching the semis of Wimbledon that summer and it changed by life."
Despite undergoing some challenging weeks, McEnroe doesn't regret it because it forced him to grow up on his own. For him ti was something that proved better in the long run: “I missed my high school graduation, but I think in a way I was forced to grow up on my own. And I think that was better in a sense though. You had to learn how to get through it."
“Now it’s all different. The kids have coaches and media training at
the age of 16, they don’t even know what they are about at 16. I don’t know how you even do that in a way, you have to let kids
grow into themselves and figure out who they are, that’s more important
than media training." concluded McEnroe on the new generation of tennis players.
0 Comments