Davis Cup Idols: John McEnroe

Written by: Staff on 1st March 2011

Davis Cup Idols: John McEnroe |

John McEnroe, one of Davis Cup’s all-time greats, looks back on his illustrious career that saw him lift the trophy five times for USA. This is part of the ITF’s Davis Cup Idols video series, which features former players talking about their experiences and memories of the competition.

McEnroe made his Davis Cup debut as a 19-year-old in 1978 and helped the team to be crowned champion in his first season, starting a glorious period for the Americans when they triumphed four times in five years. He also signed off his career in memorable fashion in 1992, as part of a dream team that included Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Jim Courier. The four players combined to defeat Switzerland 3-1 in the final in Fort Worth, Texas. McEnroe finished his Davis Cup career with a 59-10 win-loss record after playing in 30 ties, an American record.

“When they say ‘Game USA’ it’s different,” said McEnroe. “It was the first time I’d ever experienced that, rather than ‘Game McEnroe’. It was something my parents had really talked to me a lot about, wanting to represent your country. It seemed like a no-brainer. You get to wear a jacket with USA on the back and you get to go to places all over the world where you gave other countries the chance to topple the giant. It was exciting. Some of my greatest moments were playing [Davis Cup]. You can pretty much pick any tie and there was something that was cool about it.”