When he was about nine months old, the family moved to the Stewart Air Force Base in Newburgh, New York, when his father was transferred back to the US.

His father, the son of Irish immigrants, was at the time stationed with the United States Air Force, famously revealing during a press conference in Belgium that his son 'John was made in Belgium but born in Germany.' McEnroe's Irish paternal grandfather was from Ballyjamesduff in County Cavan and his grandmother was from County Westmeath. McEnroe was born in Wiesbaden, West Germany (present-day Germany), to American parents, John Patrick McEnroe and his wife Kay, née Tresham. He also works as a television commentator during majors tournaments. He has stayed active in retirement, often competing in senior events on the ATP Champions Tour.

McEnroe contributed to five Davis Cup titles for the U.S. He was named the ATP Player of the Year and the ITF World Champion three times each: 1981, 19. Since 2000, there has been only one year-end men's singles event, the ATP Finals (the new name for the Masters Grand Prix). Three of his winning singles year-end championships were at the Masters Grand Prix (the ATP year-end event) and five were at the World Championship Tennis (WCT) Finals, an event which ended in 1989. McEnroe also excelled at the year-end tournaments, winning eight singles and seven doubles titles, both of which are records. His singles match record of 82–3 in 1984 remains the best single season win rate of the Open Era. He won seven Grand Slam singles titles (four at the US Open and three at Wimbledon), nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles (five at Wimbledon and four at the US Open), and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title (at the French Open). He also won 25 singles titles on the ATP Champions tour. He is the only male player to win more than 70 titles in both the men's singles and the men's doubles categories. McEnroe finished his career with 77 singles titles on the ATP Tour and 78 doubles titles this remains the highest men's combined total of the Open Era. Only one other male player, Stefan Edberg, ever attained No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles simultaneously. McEnroe is the only male player in tennis history to hold the world No. He was known for his shot-making and volleying skills, his rivalries with Björn Borg and Jimmy Connors, and his confrontational on-court behavior, which frequently landed him in trouble with umpires and tennis authorities. (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional tennis player. McEnroe at the 2012 French Open in which he won the senior doubles event with his brother Patrick

You Cannot Be Serious by John McEnroe