John McEnroe - Unfettered Artistry

As I watched Federer play Djokovic yesterday – A Game lasting nearly four and a half hours, my mind began to languorously reminisce about the glorious rivalry that existed between Borg and McEnroe in the seventy and early eighties. My brother and I used to watch recordings of those epic finals in the cosmopolitan club of Coimbatore. Those were days when Television and live broadcasts were a rarity, and all that we had with us to admire were newspaper clippings, and, of course, the articles and center-spreads in Sportstar. There have been many champions who have graced the open era - athletes with great athleticism, tremendous reach, marvelous serves and incredible power; but in my opinion, none matched the dexterity, grace and sheer magic that emanated from the racket of John McEnroe. Yes, he was inconsistent, a spoilt child, a man who could throw tantrums at the flip of a coin, but yet, despite all these inconsistencies, he played the game of tennis at such a sublime level, that very, very few (possibly Federer comes close) have ever touched his scales of mastery of the two thousand odd square feet of a tennis court.

A couple of weeks back, I was watching clips of that unforgettable 1980 Wimbledon final, which Borg went on to win and become the only player then to hold aloft the coveted cup fifth time in a row. But, winning apart, I was palpably lost in the sheer artistry of McEnroe. His movement around the court, the natural flair of a left hander’s ground strokes, his audacious and deft angles that seemed to explore every minute crevice on the other side, the nimble touch that almost would caress the ball with gentle ease at very last moment to drop perilously over the net ,or kiss the sidelines; those marvelous wrists which could turn a 180 degrees to achieve an almost impossible volley - all of these achieved with an aesthetic symmetry of an artist consumed by an energy and passion of a different dimension.

Over the years, I have adored different champions - the Becker’s, the Sampras’s, the Agassi’s, the Nadal’s - but in my mind, McEnroe stands alone and apart. The other important aspect of his career is the commitment and zeal with which he played the Davis cup, the national Tennis event. When most other players sought the ATP circuit and relegated representing the country to a low priority, McEnroe, almost single-handed, revived the American team with some glorious wins in the Davis cup. He never allowed his open tours to conflict with his patriotism. Nirmal sekar, the celebrated sports commentator writes in his inimitable style:

‘ ..A side of the McEnroe personality - a pointer to his character as a champion - that was generally ignored when the genius from New York was at his prime had to do with his unshakable commitment to playing for the country. In fact, it was McEnroe's fierce passion on the Cup stage, his charismatic presence that revived the sinking fortunes of the oldest team competition in sport at a time when other superstars such as Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg displayed a rather ambivalent attitude to playing Davis Cup. McEnroe ended his Cup career with a 59-10 record. No man has won more Cup matches while losing fewer!’

Not many players in the open era will hold up to such a scrutiny.

God bless..