"Taking on John McEnroe was the biggest struggle of my life" - When American's ex-wife Tatum O'Neal opened up on their divorce
John McEnroe's ex-wife Tatum O'Neal once shed light on her separation from the tennis legend.
McEnroe married O'Neal in 1986 and the two separated eight years later, in 1994. Both parties accused each other of using drugs during the divorce, which attracted the attention of fans and media.
The duo have three children together: Kevin, Sean and Emily McEnroe. The American actress lost custody of her children and developed a drug addiction after splitting from the seven-time Grand Slam champion. However, she eventually got sober.
Tatum O'Neal and John McEnroe have never been shy about discussing the reasons for their failed marriage. In a 1995 interview with Entertainment Weekly, O'Neal expressed that she missed being a "significant aspect of society" during their time together as she felt "insignificant in her role as a tennis wife."
"I missed being a significant aspect of society, because I guess I felt insignificant in my role as a tennis wife," O'Neal said.
The 60-year-old then revealed that she had a lot of experience dealing with bullies, adding that taking on her ex-husband was the "biggest struggle of her life."
"I’ve had a lot of experience with men who are bullies. Taking on John McEnroe was the biggest struggle of my life," Tatum O'Neal said.
After the end of his marriage with O'Neal, McEnroe wed renowned singer Patty Smyth in 1997. The 64-year-old is happily married now and frequently credits his success to his wife. They have two daughters together: Anna and Ava.
A look into John McEnroe's 7 Grand Slam titles
John McEnroe had a fabulous career, winning seven Grand Slam singles titles and spending 170 weeks atop the ATP rankings, among other achievements.
McEnroe won his first Major at the 1979 US Open. He went on to win the tournament four more times: in 1980, 1981 and 1984. Besides this, the American lifted the Wimbledon trophy three times: in 1981, 1983, and 1984. He also reached the final and semifinal of the French Open and Australian Open respectively, but never won either.
McEnroe retired from singles tennis in 1994 but continued to play doubles till 2006. He later worked as a sports commentator and analyst for networks such as ESPN, CBS, NBC, BBC and others.
The American is still active in the sport, captaining Team World at the Laver Cup since the event's inception in 2017. The 64-year-old has led his team to title-winning glory twice, in 2022 and 2023.