In a dramatic turn of events at the 1987 U.S. Open, legendary tennis player John McEnroe found himself in hot water once again for his on-court behavior. The Men’s International Professional Tennis Council imposed a hefty fine of $7,500 on the fiery player due to his profane tirade during a third-round match against Slobodan Zivojinovic.

However, the consequences did not end there, as his antics pushed him over the limit, leading to an additional $10,000 penalty and a two-month suspension.

John McEnroe’s ‘Vile & Disgusting’ behavior at U.S. Open 1987

During the intense match against Zivojinovic, McEnroe’s emotions got the better of him, resulting in unacceptable behavior. Grand Prix Supervisor Ken Farrar, who reviewed footage of the incident, expressed his dismay, stating, “I can’t believe I’ve heard a more vile, disgusting attack on a chair umpire.”

The fines imposed on McEnroe were not to be taken lightly. He was slapped with a $500 penalty for the first code of conduct warning assessed by chair umpire Richard Ings. A subsequent act of cursing at Ings during the match resulted in the maximum fine of $5,000 and also drew a point penalty. To add to his troubles, McEnroe was fined an additional $2,000 for directing foul language at a CBS technician operating the courtside boom microphone, as reported by the Washington Post in 1987.

This wasn’t the first time McEnroe’s behavior had consequences. Earlier in the same year, he walked off the court and defaulted a match in Dusseldorf, which put him over the $7,500 fine limit. As a result, he received an additional $10,000 fine and entered stage two of the fine process. This meant that if he incurred $7,500 in fines again within a year, he would face another $10,000 penalty and a two-month suspension.

Consequences unfolds for McEnroe

Peter Lawler, who was McEnroe’s agent back then, announced that they intend to appeal the fines. However, it appeared likely that the appeal might not succeed. This meant that McEnroe was set to face a two-month suspension starting two weeks after the conclusion of the U.S. Open. In retrospect, the appeal did not work and McEnroe was not just suspended for 2 months but fined $17,500, which is just a smidge over $47,000 in today’s value.

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With this penalty, McEnroe’s total fines of 1987 tallied up to $35,850, which is now worth a whopping $104,349 in value. He had earned over to $12 million as an active tennis player in his career. The suspension and hefty fines came at a challenging time for McEnroe, as his game had been improving, and the forced break from the tour disrupted his progress, resulting in a 2 year hiatus in a Grand Slam victory for the SuperBrat.

As we look back on this incident from 1987, it serves as a stark reminder of the importance of sportsmanship and conduct in the world of professional tennis.

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