But Seriously: An Autobiography

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I've always liked John McEnroe, and this is an honest account of his career as a tennis player and later as a commentator.

Add to that the fact that he couldn’t stand losing because it made him feel like a failure, and his on-court misbehaviour suddenly makes a lot of sense. There are, but as this second autobiography shows, it’s usually just the first act reworked in a new setting. After all, how many of us wake up and ask the question: I wonder what John Inverdale is really like behind the scenes?John McEnroe doesn't pull any punches and doesn't sugar-coat anything, but that's what makes it such a compelling read. Perché non c'è alcun dubbio che la maggioranza del grande pubblico preferirebbe uscire a cena con il vulcanico McEnroe piuttosto che col "noioso" Agassi. In case you didn't notice, to enjoy this book as much as I did, it helps to be a tennis player and fan. I really enjoyed listening to the stories that concerned them (not always cheerful and pleasant), quickly discovering which ones he related with most and with whom he didn't get along well, but always giving life to exceptional match. In a way he' s become a normal-ish person because of his respect for family values, and these remind me of the patriarch in my life which was my grandfather.

I remember thinking how awful he was but at the same time being kind of in awe of someone who had the guts to behave that way in public. But seriously is an interesting and insightful autobiography which documents John McEnroe’s later career. The same spirit appears throughout his new book, a ­follow-up to his 2002 bestseller, " You Cannot Be Serious. But Seriously is a richly personal account, blending anecdote and reflection with razor sharp and brutally honest opinions. Boy, you could get backache from bending down to pick up all the dropped names that litter these pages .In But Seriously John McEnroe confronts his demons and reveals his struggle to reinvent himself from ex-champion to father, broadcaster and author. If you met John McEnroe at a cocktail party, you might be awe-struck by the 7-time majors-winning legend, or you might just think he's the same arrogant a-hole he always was, but either way, there's a good chance he'd be one of the smartest guys in the room. Interestingly, I did once win an auction to have my portrait painted by him but he died before he could hand it over. You'd expect nothing less from the brash kid from Queens who always did things his own way, but in doing so has really grown up a lot.

By reference (in McEnroe's case) to the very visible, and audible, public figure on our screens and radios almost every day? I started explaining the rules (for that’s what I do during the Wimbledon Fortnight) but she quickly interrupted me by saying I might as well have been speaking Chinese.It was the American TV cameraman listening to the producer's instructions in his headphones, but they were so loud I could hear them too. There are some great examples of this in this book and yet you have to give the man grudging respect for the fact that he believed and owned his ability and his views of right and wrong. That's not to say he doesn't ever stray back in to the twentieth century (his pain regarding the 1984 French Open is still fresh as ever), but tales of the past function here to complement stories in this era. She is really pleased to have received it, and as I enjoy the great game and his commentaries, I must ask for it for my birthday . What's it like playing guitar onstage with the Rolling Stones, hitting balls with today's greats, confronting his former on-court nemeses, getting scammed by an international art dealer, and raising a big family while balancing McEnroe-sized expectations?

In several chapters, he comes off as a self-deprecating husband and father, but it wouldn’t be authentic McEnroe if the book were about being sorry. Personally, I would have liked a bit more opinion on the Big Four and how it compares with himself/Borg or Lendl/Edberg, for example. He has continued to compete on the court, winning the ATP Champions Tour a record six times, and has travelled the globe to play in charity events.Especially moving was the story of having his aged dog die, likely because I just lost a beloved dog. He complains about the hush-hush atmosphere in tennis and then goes on to tell a story about spitting in front of a lady because he was so enraged she had been engaging in the horrendous act of. Photograph: Bob Thomas/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Glory days: John McEnroe celebrates winning against Björn Borg in the men’s singles final at Wimbledon, 1981.