From subway-rider to seniors' tennis player
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In an earnest moment of this frank autobiography John McEnroe tells us that "I'm very proud of my tennis career". The record books show that he has every right to be pleased with himself. In his professional career he won 77 singles tournament and 77 doubles - a total of 154 ("more than any other pro to play the game", as McEnroe helpfully points out). Serious is his personal attempt to convey how he went from being "a kid from Queens, a subway rider" to becoming a father of six, a key player on the seniors' tennis circuit, commentator, musician and art dealer.
Unsurprisingly, he finds that the answer, to a large extent, rests in self-belief. It is the reader's choice as to whether you find this attitude to be infuriating and wearying or impressive and inspiring. McEnroe clearly could not care less either way. He points out that to be the number one player requires "major league ego... You need ego to get there, and ego to stay there". Fortunately, McEnroe has plentiful supplies of the stuff. That is evidenced in his contentious statement that his vision and reflexes are still sharp and quick enough that, on a given day, he could "give anyone on the men's tour a run for his money for a set or two".
Many autobiographies by sportsmen are chock-full of platitudes and circumlocution for fear of offending anyone. McEnroe, an individual never shy of expressing his opinion, does not take this evasive route in Serious. He moans about spectators who are "eating cheese sandwiches, checking their watches, and chatting with their friend about the stock market", whilst he is on court "by myself, fighting to the death". His first impressions of Wimbledon in 1977 left him outraged . "All that bowing and curtsying to royalty... It felt like the class system at its worst", he growls. These protests show that McEnroe, the bad-boy of tennis, has made the transition from angry young man to angry middle-aged man.
The candour with which McEnroe expresses his feelings of self-doubt and weakness is revealing. Repeatedly, he makes reference to the fact that reaching the apex of men's tennis had not satisfied him. In an almost casual aside he speaks of "not enjoying competitive tennis that much... [of] being afraid to lose". It seems, on the basis of what McEnroe says, that it can be lonely at the top. McEnroe also displays a self-awareness that belies much of his aggressive and arrogant public image. He confesses that his late career downturn could be ascribed to a variety of factors, including: "having kids", "appreciating the good life" and "going Hollywood". However, he also has the chutzpah to acknowledge that instead of retiring, for the last half-decade of his career he "chose world-class mediocrity". Why? McEnroe gives a clear, concise and remarkably honest explanation: "I just couldn't walk away from that kind of money".
That self-effacing mentality is reinforced in his words of approval and admiration for his arch-rival Bjorn Borg. The journalist Tim Adams picks up on this in his short analysis On Being John McEnroe [2003] observing that both McEnroe and Borg seemed "immediately to see in the other qualities and philosophies that they lacked in themselves, both as players and people". Serious bears out that assertion. Occasionally, McEnroe comes across, in the superlatives that he uses to describe Borg, as an awestruck fan: "I thought he was incredible looking", "I thought that he was magical - like some kind of Viking god" and his belief that he is "the best athlete I've ever seen on a tennis court".
With his anecdotes about having dinner with Madonna and Sean Penn, meeting George Harrison, Chrissie Hynde and Van Morrison backstage at a Bob Dylan concert and his revelation that the first time he and his first wife - the actress Tatum O'Neal - made love "we were high [on drugs], and it was terrible", John McEnroe shows that he is not your average sportsman. Serious provides a vivid and colourful exploration and contextualisation of why McEnroe is so very different.
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Very interesting read
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I am too young to have watched McEnroe playing at his peak, but still I found this a very interesting and entertaining read. McEnroe writes openly and honestly about himself and it's fascinating to read about how he developed from such an angry 'wild child' into the mature and clearly intelligent man you see commentating on Wimbledon today.
I thought he achieved an appropriate balance between writing about tennis and his achievements in his career and writing about his personal life and his development as an individual. I learned some things about him I would never have known and the book furthered the respect I have for the man he is today and the interest I have in the game of tennis.
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Wonderful book.
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Never was really into tennis but thought I would get this book as he seems such a funny guy on this years wimbledon. It gives an insight into the joys and downfalls of one of tennis great entertainers from his early days and a brief indicatio of his battles with other tennis greats. A must have biography.
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A "Seriously" good autobiography.
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Serious is an autobiography for any tennis fan. McEnroe clearly expresses his feelings throughout the book in his journey from a young boy into number 1 in the world.
John McEnroe is a tennis legend. He has enjoyed an incredible career at all levels and owns 77 singles titles including 7 Grand Slam titles. McEnroe, even though one of the greats on the singles tour, he was also a success in doubles. He was ranked number 1 in the world for a record 257 weeks and 74 doubles titles including 8 Grand Slams.
The book gives an insight to McEnroe's feelings and mentality from his early days, up to his last (non-senior) game including his famous rivalries between Conners and Borg.
On a personal level, I thought the most interesting section of the book was his struggle to regain his number one ranking. This, I felt, showed me how much mental resilience and determination McEnroe had. I also found his marriage to Tatum O'Neal intriguing as well as his experiences and troubles with the media- which I deeply sympathized with.
As I said before, this should be read by all tennis fans. Have a good time reading!
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Seriously interesting
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An interesting insight into the great tennis player's background and mental processes. Although I am generally sympathetic towards him and regard him now as an outstanding commentator, the book is in places a bit overly defensive and self-justificatory, e.g. he still cannot seem to accept he might ever have been wrong about a linecall.
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