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" The mistake, if I made one, in the late 1980s, was thinking I needed to change my game. "
John McEnroe
Late
Change
Game
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" The important thing is to learn a lesson every time you lose. Life is a learning process and you have to try to learn what's best for you. Let me tell you, life is not fun when you're banging your head against a brick wall all the time. "
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" I went to play in Brazil when I had just turned 18 and was the world's top junior player. I got to the airport, and no one knew who I was. I couldn't speak any Portuguese, and no one spoke English. Then someone said something that resembled 'tennis,' and I went with that. "
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" As I got older and started moving up the ranking, the matches got more important, and my emotions ratcheted up. I guess I hid my real feelings behind the anger. "
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Anger
" The older I get, the better I used to be. "
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Better
Used
Older
" You're asking too much of the women. They shouldn't be playing as many events as men. If tennis is best served by women playing events with men, so be it. "
John McEnroe
Events
You
Women
" Believe it or not, I was a pretty shy youngster growing up. "
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Growing
Shy
Up
" I remember when I was younger taking more pride in Wimbledon than the French. That and the U.S. Open - they were the ones I wanted to win. "
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Open
Win
Than
" I believe there's only one autobiography you can do. "
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You
Autobiography
Believe
" I was always fighting the establishment, trying to run through brick walls. "
John McEnroe
Brick
Walls
Trying
" When I walk out there on court, I become a maniac... Something comes over me, man. "
John McEnroe
Become
Walk
Over
" If you really want to get it more exciting, no linesmen. And have the players call their lines. That would make the game more exciting, I promise you. It would be awesome. "
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Want
You
Awesome
" I used to take pride if my kids were playing basketball, and I'd be there, and I wouldn't say anything. People were obviously expecting me to yell and scream at the ref and at them and everything. I wouldn't say anything. "
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People
Pride
Say
" You can't give away points and games against someone like Murray. You're not going to make it to the top with that kind of effort. "
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Games
You
Top
" Everybody loves success, but they hate successful people. "
John McEnroe
Successful
Success
People
" I was a Yankee fan until 1981. That was the year the Yankees were two up on the Dodgers and lost four straight. And George Steinbrenner apologized to the city. "
John McEnroe
Year
Lost
Two
" What is the single most important quality in a tennis champion? I would have to say desire, staying in there and winning matches when you are not playing that well. "
John McEnroe
Desire
Champion
You
" We should reach out to people to try to go after the fans the way other sports do. Because we can't just depend on the fact that it is a great game. "
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Great
Try
People
" It's one thing if you live in London and you're rooting for Chelsea or you're in New York and you love the Giants or Jets and no matter who's on the team you're into it. It's different in tennis; you're sort of your own guy, so you have to reach out and grab a person in a different way. "
John McEnroe
You
Live
New York
" Jack Nicholson didn't get anything until he was in his thirties. You have to persevere and put yourself in positions, and sooner or later, you will break through. "
John McEnroe
Through
Will
Yourself
" I'd never left America until I was 18. "
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Left
America
Until
" I did a terrible job of composing myself. I was a spoiled brat from Long Island who benefitted from the energy of New York. "
John McEnroe
Long
New York
New
" Do women golfers say they could go out and beat Tiger Woods? "
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Woods
Beat
Say
" Tennis was a white, upper-class sport, and I wanted it to be treated like other sports were. "
John McEnroe
Sports
White
Were
" The good part of having six kids is, there's always one who wants to hug you and say, 'Daddy, I love you.' "
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Good
You
Say
" I didn't serve and volley until I got to Wimbledon in '77. "
John McEnroe
Serve
Wimbledon
Volley
" They should be required to be in less events; there should be less events for the women. It seems it takes an actual meltdown on the court or women quitting the game altogether before they realize there's a need to change the schedule. "
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Change
Game
Need
" The best thing I ever did was when I was offered a million dollars to go play in South Africa and didn't take it. I was 21 years old, and part of it was like, 'Well, if they're offering me this obscene amount of money just to play one match, there must be something really wrong.' "
John McEnroe
Africa
Money
Best
" I just remember watching Federer the first year he won Wimbledon. He was struggling with his back problem. I remember it vividly. It looked like there was a chance he was not going to finish. He had that look in his eye. Then, somehow, he found the wherewithal to dig a little deeper, and suddenly he wins the thing, and he's a different player. "
John McEnroe
Eye
Remember
Look
" You hit a wall at some stage when you don't want it so bad, but you don't know when that's going to be - as far as competition or as far as health is concerned. Sometimes it's just natural. You just taste it, and you want it so bad that you find other gears. "
John McEnroe
Bad
Competition
Know
" I went on safari in South Africa just after apartheid had ended. "
John McEnroe
South Africa
Just
Apartheid