‘I Was Loved and Cared For…’- Ex-wife Tatum O’Neal Regrets Dumping ‘Superbrat’ John McEnroe Over Tumultuous Marriage
John McEnroe had a perfectly mapped-out career. He was riding high on form and had everything it took to challenge players, such as Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras. Though his career took a sharp turn to the worse after his first marriage.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion tied the knot with the famous actress Tatum O’Neal in 1986. They had a rocky journey together, which ended in a dramatic divorce. Though the veteran tennis player believes their union brought nothing but sorrow, O’Neal thinks otherwise.
Tatum O’Neal expresses her feelings
The Academy Award-winning actress, in a 2020 interview, spoke about her marriage with the tennis legend. “The happiest times of my life were the times that I was married.” She further said, “Sometimes we think we’re making the right decision and maybe we aren’t. And I have to live with that, too.”
Thereafter, when asked if she thinks ending her relationship with McEnroe was the right decision, she said, “Perhaps not. I was loved, I was cared for… That’s it, that’s what one wants, isn’t it, in a marriage? I’ve never met anyone who even comes close to my ex-husband.”
The four times US Open champion’s and O’Neal’s marriage was always under the close inspection of the paparazzi. So much so that the media houses circled their wedding ceremony with helicopters. McEnroe himself accepted that marrying someone famous only burdened him with more expectations. A lot more eyes were on his matches than usual.
Further, their marriage also had some internal issues. As when the couple decided to part ways, a huge mess of drug abuse allegations piled in the courtroom. They got divorced in 1994 with the custody of their children in O’Neal’s hands, which later, because of her drug related problems, was transferred to McEnroe.
What is John McEnroe up to these days?
The 63-year-old found his soulmate in Patty Smyth after breaking ties with the actress. He exchanged vows with the rock singer and songwriter in 1997 and has a daughter with her. Further, after retiring from the sport, he got inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and is currently using his knowledge and understanding in his job as a broadcaster for television networks.
The former World no.1 collaborates with channels such as ESPN, CBS, NBC, etc., for the US Open, Australian Open, and various other ATP tournaments. In the case of Wimbledon, the three times champion provides his services to the BBC.
