Out of all the things that John McEnroe is known for, his temper and frequent indulgence in controversies have a separate story. Although the former pro has limited his participation in heated conversations now, the ones recorded in the past aren’t easily forgettable. Shedding light on one of the most popular disputes, he recently revealed how his father had a big role to play in it.

Former tennis great John McEnroe recently appeared as a guest on Nick Kyrgios‘ show powered by Hana Kuma. During the interview, Kyrgios asked McEnroe about his famous outburst, “You cannot be serious!” Kyrgios said, “I think no one’s ever topped that moment. Do you ever wish that someone topped that, or do you like that being at the pinnacle of all controversy?”

McEnroe, excited to remember the incident, responded, “I’m not sure how controversial it is now. It’s sort of like almost people think of it as funny.” He then shared an interesting backstory involving his father. “My dad used to manage me the first ten years of my career, god rest his soul. And he was a lawyer. So he would say to me John, you don’t need to do this. You know, you’re better than them. Just play.”

McEnroe also recalled his father’s advice, “If you question an umpire, just don’t curse. If you say stuff like that you know they can’t do anything.”

The “You cannot be serious!” moment happened during McEnroe’s match against Tom Gullikson at Wimbledon in 1981. The former pro argued upon a call made by chair umpire Edward James. “You cannot be serious! You cannot be serious!” he shouted. Adding more heat to the moment, McEnroe called the umpire “incompetent” and “blind.” This incident has since become one of the most famous moments in tennis history, marking McEnroe’s intense temper.

Although his career as a professional tennis player was marked with several outrageous moments, John McEnroe decided to be a good dad himself by not carrying this rage forward.

John McEnroe striving to be the perfect father for his kids

Former tennis pro John McEnroe’s career received a kick start from his father. With time, he understood the value of being a supportive and constructive parent and therefore, decided to tone down his temper, especially while playing the commentator gig.

“In the booth, it’s a team, not me versus everybody. I like that. But what am I going to do, yell and scream in the booth? That part of my personality doesn’t translate to TV,” he said in a recent interview. Explaining the reason behind his call to turn down the heat, he the American pro added, “I don’t feel frustrated in the booth. Having children makes me more patient. That has tempered me. To me, the first responsibility is to be a good father.” 

It has been a long while since John McEnroe’s loud voice used to dominate the tennis courts. As he finds himself out of the scene now, the commentator is adapting to newer strategies, deriving a positive learning from the incidents recorded in history.