By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, December 11, 2025All Picture credit: Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame
Residing legends populate the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame—and Corridor of Fame President Patrick McEnroe’s day by day life.
The person who grew up within the Douglaston, Queens residence shared by Corridor of Famer John McEnroe grew right into a doubles Grand Slam champion.
As of late, Patrick McEnroe relishes his function as ITHF President welcoming iconic champions to the Corridor. McEnroe lately led a Zoom name that featured 30 Corridor of Famers welcoming an emotional Roger Federer into the Newport-based Corridor forward of his official induction into the Corridor subsequent summer time.
Lengthy-time ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe has been surrounded by tennis greatness since beginning.
Throughout his 10-year skilled profession on the ATP Tour, McEnroe captured the 1989 French Open doubles title alongside Jim Grabb. Two years later, he reached the singles semifinals on the 1991 Australian Open.
Patrick McEnroe adopted in older brother John McEnroe’s footsteps as U.S. Davis Cup captain in 2000, a place he held till 2010. He led a U.S. squad of Andy Roddick, James Blake and Mike and Bob Bryan to the 2007 Davis Cup championship defeating Russia in a festive last staged in Portland.
From 2008 to 2014, McEnroe was the USTA’s Basic Supervisor of Participant Growth.
McEnroe’s work spans the spectrum from younger juniors taking their early steps on the John McEnroe Tennis Academy on Randall’s Island to tennis icons taking the large steps of getting into the Corridor of Fame in Newport.
Final Sunday, McEnroe joined Corridor of Famers Tracy Austin and Gigi Fernandez instructing younger junior gamers from three New York Metropolis boroughs on the Be Legendary clinic on the NYJTL Cary Leeds Middle for Tennis & Studying—a few miles from famed Fordham College the place McEnroe’s father graduated with a regulation diploma..
Be Legendary is the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame’s international youth initiative designed to “encourage and empower gamers ages 10–18 by connecting them with tennis historical past, core values, and legendary gamers.”
The Be Legendary program is greater than bringing tennis historical past to life. It aspires to show youngsters worthwhile life classes tennis has to supply via the lens of Corridor of Fame gamers, assist them foster a deeper connection to the game, and encourage them to seek out their private greatness, each on and off the courtroom.
In 2025, Be Legendary has taught youth all over the world via clinics carried out in Melbourne with former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, Dallas, Indian Wells, Miami, London (with the Bryan brothers and Maria Sharapova) and Newport, Rhode Island. Every occasion affords youth gamers the possibility to study from Corridor of Famers.
We caught up with Patrick McEnroe the day after the Be Legendary clinic for this Q&A the place he discusses the Corridor of Fame’s initiative, Roger Federer’s impending induction, why he disagrees with Toni Nadal’s assertion tennis ought to cut back racquet dimension and the champions he can envision profitable a calendar Grand Slam within the coming years.
Tennis Now: Be Legendary, looks as if a artistic and funky technique to join tennis historical past to its future. I like that it reveals tennis historical past is a residing respiratory useful resource and never one thing that must be simply caught in a museum or confined to a historical past e book. What are the origins of the initiative and the place do you see it going sooner or later?
Patrick McEnroe: It’s been extremely profitable for us. I wish to credit score Kim Clijsters, who was continually speaking about doing one thing to encourage youth and cohort and CEO Dan Faber and his background with schooling and being a faculty trainer. They actually spearheaded the Be Legendary program and clearly our crew on the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame all around the world for his or her work in placing the initiative collectively. It’s been a profitable initiative. To see a Lleyton Hewitt come out in Australia and speak about completely different traits of what it takes to be a champion is nice.
And to see all the completely different Corridor of Farmers who’ve participated to share life classes with the youngsters. It’s fairly cool for the junior gamers and so they get to check Corridor of Fame gamers and completely different instances in tennis. It’s not solely inspiring for youths from a tennis perspective, but in addition an academic perspective instructing them concerning the background of those Corridor of Famers and of the game.
Tennis Now: You had been personally current for some very highly effective tennis ceremonies this yr: The Large 4 reuniting at Roland Garros for Rafa’s Farewell. And naturally Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova reuniting in Newport for Maria’s Corridor of Fame induction. You point out life classes and each had been nice life classes about how rivals can share mutual respect and honor. What did you draw from these two historic ceremonies?
Is there any behind the scenes second you’ll be able to share concerning Serena and Maria as a result of that was such a stunning and delightful second between two champions who had been very bitter rivals at instances.
Patrick McEnroe: I feel from a behind the scenes perspective that we had been capable of preserve it extraordinarily quiet, which I feel made it much more thrilling when Serena did stroll out. Lots of people didn’t know she was there and didn’t anticipate that.
And as you mentioned, they had been heated rivals at instances, so it was type of cool to see them come collectively and share their story. I by no means even heard their shared story. To me, I felt like I used to be a fan and listening to about it for the primary time and their backgrounds, whereas on the floor would appear to be completely different, seemingly fairly related with each of their dads spurring them on. And each of them not having so much rising up, not coming from some huge cash and actually having that want and self-discipline.
It was tremendous cool to see Serena and Maria come collectively and it created enormous buzz for the Corridor of Fame as effectively. We by no means might have predicted how effectively it was acquired.
The Large 3 reunion of those legendary gamers actually resonated, I feel, with sports activities followers all around the world. Having known as a lot of their matches, you would see they all the time had an awesome respect. And now to have a little bit distance between their enjoying careers, having been retired, makes them appreciated much more what they had been capable of do and the rivalries they created.
I feel in each situations with the Large 3 and Maria and Serena they impacted us far more than simply tennis-wise. I feel they impacted us culturally. Celebrating that via the Corridor of Fame induction was particular. And as tennis champions, these are icons which have accomplished so much to advertise and alter the way in which the game is perceived all around the world.
Tennis Now: Roger Federer and Mary Carillo will probably be inducted into the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame subsequent summer time in what could possibly be one of the crucial particular induction ceremonies we’ve ever seen in Newport. Are you able to give us any sneak peek of what’s deliberate for Roger and Mary?
You’ve set the bar excessive with the Serena and Maria reunion. So might Rafa be concerned within the Roger induction in any manner given the very fact they’ve each talked about enjoying some charity exos collectively in 2026?
Patrick McEnroe: I might inform you, Richard, however then I’d must kill you [laughs].
We’re engaged on it proper now so there’s not a lot I can share but.
A part of the concept we had been capable of relay the official information to Roger with 30 Corridor of Fames on the Zoom name that you just most likely noticed. We talked about that months in the past and Roger is tremendous into it. He actually needs to assist the Corridor of Fame and he’s instructed us quite a few instances he needs to have a good time the Corridor of Fame.
Not many individuals have the type of consciousness of the Corridor of Fame and tennis historical past, even whereas he was enjoying, that Roger Federer has. That’s why I feel it’s gonna be very emotional for him.
Mary Joe [Fernandez] texted me. Her household could be very shut with Roger and his household and she or he was in Switzerland when he acquired the information. She mentioned Roger already had tears in his eyes all seeing all the Corridor of Famer who confirmed up on that Zoom name to welcome him to the Corridor of Fame.
So it was a reasonably emotional second for him and for tennis as effectively. I can’t inform you how many individuals have reached out to me asking: How can I get there to Newport? How can I get tickets for Roger’s induction? So it’s gonna be fairly wild and clearly an awesome second for the Corridor of Fame.
And naturally, Mary Carillo and our households go manner again to our Douglaston, Queens days collectively. So Mary is somebody I’ve seemed as much as for an extended, very long time. Her information, her mind energy, her wit and all of the issues she’s contributed to the game are impactful. So we’re wanting ahead to a really big day in Newport.
Tennis Now: I used to be there for Marat Safin’s induction and Safin mentioned he wished he had visited the Corridor of Fame whereas he was a participant as a result of it offer you a way of perspective, of being a part of one thing that’s a lot larger than your self and your individual profession.
Are you able to envision the Corridor of Fame ever working with the Excursions to get gamers to Newport in order that they might expertise what Safin was speaking about? Additionally, I occurred to be standing proper behind Mike Agassi, Andre’s father, within the Museum the day earlier than Andre was inducted. And he was so moved seeing the exhibit, at one level, Mike Agassi circled and there have been tears of delight and pleasure streaming down his face. You notice it truly is the fruits of a life’s work to be inducted. Any visceral reactions like that you just noticed and might share?
Patrick McEnroe: It’s all the time particular while you see the inductees stroll via and see their exhibit. It’s fairly cool seeing the previous cans of tennis balls and racquets from the final 100 years and in addition you get an appreciation for the worldwide nature of the game. We now have displays of images once they first began enjoying tennis in France and England when tennis first began.
So I feel you’re proper: As a participant you’re type of single-minded. That’s what makes you an awesome tennis participant: You might be single-minded, you might be centered on what it is advisable to do to succeed and also you typically don’t perceive or respect the larger image.
Clearly, with a little bit rear-view mirror look, wanting again at your profession, a couple of extra years of expertise I feel the gamers that do come there and even the gamers that simply come again as Corridor of Famers respect it even that rather more.
So to reply your first query: I’d like to get extra gamers to the Corridor of Fame. I imply that’s a part of the explanation I pushed laborious to nonetheless have a Challenger match for women and men, which we did for the primary time this yr. That we will have women and men taking part in our occasion so I feel that’s a part of the explanation why we preserve doing that occasion.
Tennis Now: We’re approaching the fortieth anniversary of Steffi Graf’s Golden Slam—the one calendar Golden Slam in historical past. Had Sinner transformed a championship level in Paris, he might have performed for the calendar Slam on the US Open. Wanting forward, do you see anybody like Sinner, Alcaraz, Sabalenka, Swiatek, who might pull off a calendar Grand Slam and do you suppose that’s one thing we might really see occur within the subsequent 5 – 6 years?
Patrick McEnroe: Properly, I feel you simply point out those who can do it. Sabalenka can play effectively on any floor. We’ve seen that from her. We all know concerning the massive two in males’s tennis and it could be only one or the opposite that forestalls them from profitable the calendar Slam. They’re so good and so shut and no less than for the time being they’ve distanced themselves so dramatically from the remainder of the sector.
I’m type of hoping another person can step up and problem them. I feel that may be nice for tennis. Keep in mind while you had the Large 3, you all the time had Murray and Wawrinka and del Potro and some different guys, who might step in there.
So for the time being, it’s the large two and everybody else. So I feel it could be wholesome for tennis if another man might step up [and win a major.] Clearly, you set the large two in there as two guys who might actually do it. They’ll win on all surfaces so I don’t suppose that’s a problem in any respect.
Tennis Now: ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi advocates Davis Cup changing into a biennial competitors and each Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner publicly help enjoying Davis Cup each different yr. You’re the final American captain to win the Davis Cup. Will Davis Cup turn into biennial and will it?
Patrick McEnroe: I’m undecided it is going to occur, however I do suppose it ought to occur, significantly with the Olympic Video games now. Tennis has gotten larger in these final years and it’s been an Olympic sport.
I want to see the Olympic Video games have a bit extra of a crew idea behind it. That’s a dialog we will have for an additional day.
I do suppose the Davis Cup can be higher served if the finale of it was each different yr. We’ve all the time heard speak from the gamers and the worldwide tennis neighborhood that the season is just too lengthy—that’s gone on without end. You’d suppose that everyone is type of searching for their piece of the pie. And I do suppose crew occasions have turn into extra fashionable, whether or not it’s the Laver Cup, whether or not it’s the ATP Cup, even an occasion like this one on the Backyard [Garden Cup], it’s women and men. It’s not a crew occasion, however it’s women and men.
I feel that’s one of many issues about these crew occasions and tennis that separates us from different sports activities so I feel that’s one thing that we will capitalize on. You do run a hazard of over-saturating the market.
Tennis Now: Toni Nadal has mentioned he’d prefer to see the Excursions cut back the dimensions of the racquet head in an effort to deliver again the finesse, the texture, the purpose building {that a} John McEnroe, a Nastase, a Hingis delivered to the sport.
Do you concur with Uncle Toni’s proposal? Or do you suppose at this level, it’s simply too late to ask gamers and the sport to make that kind of kit change? However, we see in Main League Baseball gamers who develop up hitting with aluminum bats must immediately change to wooden to play MLB.
Patrick McEnroe: You realize, I feel that horse has already left the barn. There are restrictions already on how massive and the way lengthy and huge the racquet might be on the professional stage.
Look, I feel tennis is extra thrilling than ever proper now. So I don’t purchase that concept.
After all there’s extra energy than there was up to now. And the typical participant performs with far more energy actually than after I performed—and that’s a part of the character of the game. But there’s nonetheless gamers who play with finesse, gamers that may slice.
To me, I see it at our [John McEnroe Tennis] Academy, Richard, with younger youngsters enjoying proper now. They’re hitting extra several types of pictures now than I’ve ever seen. You realize nice two-handed gamers are studying a one-handed slice backhand once they’re younger. They’re studying how you can hit a drop shot. They’re working towards drop pictures. After all, they’re working towards tweeners too—we wish to preserve the sport enjoyable. I feel that’s a part of the evolution of the sport, it’s distinctive to have that as a part of your arsenal.
The nice gamers are those who can play with finesse as effectively. I imply have a look at what Alcaraz can do with the racquet. I feel extra gamers are attempting to emulate that.
I really suppose that the racquets and the expertise have made the sport extra thrilling to observe.
You may return and watch, in order for you Richard, which I’m positive you may have accomplished, is return and watch my brother’s match with Bjorn Borg again on the Open. Or return and watch like Lendl towards Wilander within the French Open last. I imply Lendl is actually hitting ball and strolling into the middle of the courtroom each rally.
Clearly, if all of them grew up with the identical racquets, they’d be simply pretty much as good. However you’ll be able to’t inform me that the sport then was extra thrilling than it’s now—there’s simply no likelihood of you profitable that argument.
Tennis Now: It’s a bit like music in that individuals are inclined to romanticize or develop nostalgic for the sights and sounds they grew up with and a few suppose: nothing is best than that.
Final query: Final time I actually talked to you was proper earlier than the US Open. At the moment, you boldly predicted an American man would win the Open. That didn’t occur, however nonetheless a gutsy name to make. Do you suppose Sinner and Alcaraz, who’ve gained eight straight Slam titles, will sweep all Slams the subsequent three years? Or do you suppose an American man can break via and be the primary since Andy Roddick in 2003 to lift a Slam title trophy?
Patrick McEnroe: I’m cautiously optimistic that an American will win. There’s Shelton, Fritz, a youthful man like Learner Tien has acquired some potential if he will get a little bit extra fireplace energy.
It’s apparent that these two guys [Alcaraz and Sinner], as I mentioned earlier on this dialog, have distanced themselves. I feel you see Shelton, you see Fritz, these guys are working actually laborious. They’re attempting so as to add extra property to their video games. They’re attempting.
So I feel it might occur as a result of I feel they’ve been knocking on the door. I feel nearly yearly we’ve had guys go deep in Slams. By “we”, I imply as a rustic. So I feel it might occur.
I feel it is going to be good, not only for an American, however for another person to sneak in and win one among these massive ones.
Tennis Now: Final query: Something concerning the Be Legendary program or any of the Corridor of Fames’s applications you’d like our readers to know?
Patrick McEnroe: I feel simply to remind folks what a world sport tennis is. I imply that’s an enormous a part of our push: To coach folks all around the world—even folks within the tennis neighborhood.
As a result of, , the Corridor of Fame is type of an American phenomenon to lots of people. There’s a purpose we’re the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame: To unfold the love and the message of tennis globally and all that the game represents.
