Arguably one of the most notorious tennis players of any generation let alone just his own, John McEnroe is as popular now as he ever was. The former world number one professional is an American superstar with a lot of skill who is often rated as one of the best to ever have played the game. He had a great touch and super skill for volleying and in all won no fewer than seven grand slam titles, three of which were in London at Wimbledon and four of which came on home soil at the US Open. He also won nine doubles titles and a Grand Slam in mixed doubles.
As well as this, John, who was most famously known for his altercation with a referee who called one of his shots out when he thought it was in and shouted, immortally, “you cannot be serious”, captained the United States Davis Cup team and won the tournament five times. He continues to play tennis to this day, remaining competitive on seniors’ tours, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999 and received the Philippe Chatrier Award in 2007. Now a popular commentator who works for US TV as well as the BBC, John has appeared in several films and television shows as himself, has six children and is a great ambassador for the game who has also hosted his own chat shows and so makes a great after dinner speaker, charity host or presenter of any sports awards.