"Sometimes it still keeps me up at nights" - When John McEnroe talked about the 'worst loss' of his life
John McEnroe mentioned in his book a few years ago that his defeat to Ivan Lendl at the 1984 French Open was the "worst" of his life.
McEnroe's 1984 season is among the greatest ever in the history of the game. He won 82 out of 85 matches, and his win percentage of 96.5% remains the highest in the Open Era.
McEnroe wrote in his book "You Cannot be Serious" that he 'knew' 1984 was his year and that no one would be able to beat him.
"I was on my way to Europe to play the French and go for my third Wimbledon. And this was my year, I knew it. I was playing so amazingly well that I thought no one could beat me, on any surface. Not even Lendl. Not now," he said.
John McEnroe reached his maiden French Open final in 1984 and had a two-set lead over Lendl. However, the latter bounced back to win 3-6, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5 and clinch his maiden Grand Slam.
McEnroe wrote in his book that his defeat to Lendl in the 1984 French Open final was the worst of his life and that it kept him up at night.
"It was the worst loss of my life, a devastating defeat: Sometimes it still keeps me up nights. It’s even tough for me now to do the commentary at the French—I’ll often have one or two days when I literally feel sick to my stomach just at being there and thinking about that match. Thinking of what I threw away, and how different my life would’ve been if I’d won," the American said.
McEnroe lost the 1984 French Open but won Wimbledon and the US Open that year.
John McEnroe finished his career without ever winning the French Open in singles
John McEnroe never reached another French Open singles final after 1984; the clay-court Major eluded him until the end of his career. The American reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 1985 but lost to eventual champion Mats Wilander. He missed the tournament in 1986, before suffering an opening-round exit the year after.
McEnroe reached the fourth round of the French Open in 1988 but lost to Lendl in four sets. He never won another match at the clay-court Major; his final appearance came in 1992, where he lost to Sweden's Nicklas Kulti in the first round.
John McEnroe never won the men's doubles title at the French Open either. He did, however, manage to win the mixed doubles crown in 1977, with Mary Carillo as his partner.