30 Days of Tennis Challenge - Day 20: Favorite men's Slam champion

So please correct me if I’m wrong, but unless you’re traditionally a fan of underdogs (or Andy Murray) either your favorite or favorite retired men’s player will feature here, right?

At least that’s what they’re expecting you to do. But if I were predictable, you wouldn’t be here, I guess. I guess you wouldn’t be here. And guess I’m unpredictable too.

Very well. That’s why I will pay tribute to one of the best players I’ve never watched live.

 

McEnroe kisses his last Grand Slam trophy, the '84 US Open

Winner of seven Grand Slam shields from 1979 and 1984 (four US Open and three Wimbledon) and 77 overall titles, John McEnroe is the father of all the fiery, umpire-unfriendly, line call-arguer, racquet-breaking player out there. In other words, he is awesome – even today. And oh, did I mention he was an outstanding doubles player too, capping 71 titles (most with Peter Fleming) and still today holds the record for most consecutive and overall weeks as the head of the doubles ranking?

Mac was like, the Navratilova of his time. Kinda. What else? Oh, right. Big Mac was Nole before Nole – capping a 88-3 season in 1984, winning two of the three Slams (nobody played the Aussie Open back then) – only failing to do so at the French Open, where squandered a two-set lead on Ivan Lendl.

McEnroe spent over 100 weeks as the ATP #1 and finished his singles career at the end of the 1992 season. He still plays tennis on the Champions Tour.

 

Useful:

Prologue and explanation

Day 1 – Favorite men’s player

Day 2 – Favorite women’s player

Day 3 – Favorite doubles team

Day 4 – Least favorite men’s player

Day 5 – Least favorite women’s player

Day 6 – Most memorable match

Day 7 – First player you became a fan of

Day 8 – Earliest tennis memory

Day 9 – Favorite retired men’s player

Day 10 – Favorite retired women’s player

Day 11 – A player nobody would expect you to love

Day 12 – A player that you aren’t a fan of but you respect

Day 13 – Favorite Grand Slam tournament

Day 14 – Favorite non-Slam tournament

Day 15 – Most attractive women’s player

Day 16 – Most attractive men’s player

Day 17 – Favorite women’s outfit

Day 18 – Favorite men’s outfit

Day 19 – Who were the #1 the day you were born

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