McEnroe reveals the biggest lesson that the 'Big Three' has taught him

Pedro de Pablos | 17 Feb 2026 | 16.41

McEnroe reveals the biggest lesson the 'Big Three' has taught him

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John McEnroe is one of the most legendary personalities in the history of tennis. The former American tennis player spent four seasons as the world number one, although he has recently revealed the greatest lesson he learned from the 'Big Three', something he did not fully appreciate during his tennis career.

In an interview with ATP during the Dallas Open, where he played an exhibition doubles match with John Isner, McEnroe acknowledged that both Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal have taught him to keep fighting even when not always at the top spot, something he lacked during his career. In fact, he also recognized this trait in Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz nowadays, leading him to have great respect for all of them.

"They keep insisting. It may be a bit late, but the lesson I learned is that perhaps I should have pushed myself a bit more instead of waiting to see what happened. Dealing with all this, you learn life lessons that will probably make you a better person in the end," he stated. These words come from a tennis icon who spent 170 weeks at the top of the ATP ranking, complementing his game with a personality that made him a tennis legend during and after his career.

McEnroe reflects on what Borg's retirement meant to him

McEnroe also highlighted a turning point that caused him to lose motivation when he was at his peak: Björn Borg's retirement. The Swedish player was his greatest rival, but he chose to retire at just 26 years old, leaving a huge void for John. "When I became number one, unfortunately, it coincided with my biggest rival's decision to stop playing. It was heartbreaking, in a way," he acknowledged. Unlike the 'Big Three' or Alcaraz and Sinner, McEnroe had just lost his nemesis.

"That led me to struggle with the feeling that I had gotten into something a bit overwhelming, and it took me a while to realize that. By the time I understood it, I was still there, finishing number one in the third or fourth year. But after that, rising to that level, I thought, 'Well, now I've really shown it'." Without finding someone to fill Borg's place, McEnroe had to deal with his own demons to continue handling all the responsibilities that come with being number one.

McEnroe's and Borg's differing mentalities

One might think that McEnroe is the seventh tennis player with the most weeks at number one. In fact, he and Borg had very different motivations and did not see the tennis world in the same way. "I valued it back then, but I also valued being the world number 2. I had this conversation with Bjorn quite often. He would say, 'Look, if you're not number 1, what difference does it make to be number 2 or 100?' And I would reply, 'Well, being number 2 is much better than being 100.' So, it's just a matter of perspective."

Two unique tennis players with different mindsets who could have had an even bigger rivalry if it weren't for the Swedish's drastic decision to retire prematurely. Over the years, McEnroe has come to understand that he may have lacked that hunger to go for more at the time, even though he also had the misfortune of seeing his "other half" on the circuit retired much earlier than him.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, McEnroe desvela la mayor lección que le ha enseñado el "Big Three"