Meet John McEnroe’s rarely-seen children Kevin, Sean, Emily, Anna & Ava – and they are identical to Wimbledon star dad
The retired tennis player is a dad of five and is married to rock singer Patty Smyth
It has been a long time since tennis fans have seen John McEnroe on the court. The legendary American player, 65, won Wimbledon titles in 1981, 1983, and 1984 and was known for his rivalry with Bjorn Borg, as well as his confrontational style.
But away from the court, the athlete has achieved another feat – he has raised five children.
The tennis star, who has won 77 career singles titles and 77 doubles titles, was married to Academy Award winner Tatum O’Neal from 1986 to 1994, with whom he shares Kevin, 38, Sean, 37, and Emily, 33.
He went on to marry rock singer Patty Smyth who gave him daughters Anna, 28, and Ava, 25. Join HELLO! in meeting the tennis champ’s five grown-up children…
John’s eldest son Kevin grew up in the family home in New York before graduating from Columbia University with a Master of Fine Art qualification. He released a novel, Our Town, in 2016 which “captures the disillusion at the fringes of Hollywood as seen through a haze of drugs, alcohol, abuse, and fallen aspirations.”
It is likely that Kevin pulls from the experiences of his mother Tatum O’Neal, who experienced an addiction to heroin. In an interview with People, the author opened up about his mother’s addiction after she experienced a near-fatal drug overdose and stroke in 2020.
It is likely that Kevin pulls from the experiences of his mother Tatum O’Neal, who experienced an addiction to heroin. In an interview with People, the author opened up about his mother’s addiction after she experienced a near-fatal drug overdose and stroke in 2020.
“I can’t believe I get to see that person,” Kevin said, speaking of his mother in 2023. “The person I always knew was in there.”
Sean has kept his life as an adult rather private, bar an interview he did with People when he married Niamh McEnroe in 2021 in Sedona, Arizona. The pair shared that Niamh had sadly experienced a miscarriage, causing them to want to keep their marriage private for longer than expected.
Sean also revealed that his wife had been there for him during “one of the worst breakdowns of [his] life”.
“I don’t remember exactly what set me off, but it was something related to my family and traumas from my childhood,” he recalled. “It was one of the most challenging emotional experiences I’ve ever had.
He continued: “Niamh gave me a foundation of faith and hope, through her resolute unwavering example, a rooted foundation that I wasn’t even close to having at the time.”
Emily followed in her mother’s footsteps in pursuing a career in acting. The tennis star’s eldest daughter made her acting debut in the feature film Futra Days, before starring as Scarlett Johansson’s voice double for Ghost In The Shell.
The actress frequently shares photos with her family on Instagram and appears to live with her partner, Timothy J Mass.
John has been spotted with his youngest daughters Anna and Ava. Anna was her father’s double when the duo attended the Chicago Bulls v New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden in 2019.
She earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Southern California before getting a Juris Doctorate from the School of Law at Fordham University. She now works as a litigation strategist at Dubin Research and Consulting.
Meanwhile, Ava was the spitting image of her dad when she showed off her shared sporting interest at a basketball game between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center in 2016
Ava went on to dye her dark hair blonde and was seen singing on stage with her dad on guitar at Citi Taste of Tennis celebration at the Tavern On the Green in New York City three years ago.
She followed in her sister’s footsteps, gaining a Bachelor’s Degree in American Studies before going on to study Law at NYU.
