As Wimbledon takes centre stage once again, legendary player and commentator John McEnroe is back in the public eye. But off the court, the tennis icon has lived a very different kind of high-pressure life as a father of five navigating fame, divorce and parenting under scrutiny.
His daughter Emily, 34, has previously spoken about what it was really like growing up as the child of John and Oscar-winning actress Tatum O’Neal.
Life between two homes
© GettyJohn and Tatum married in 1986 and went on to have three children together: Kevin, 39, Sean, 38, and Emily. The marriage ended in divorce in 1994, with John later gaining custody of the children.
Emily has described her childhood as both privileged and painful. While she recognises the material advantages of growing up in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, she admits: "All the money in the world doesn’t matter if you are sitting in a mansion being unhappy."
Her parents’ volatile relationship, alongside Tatum’s battle with addiction, meant Emily spent much of her early life between homes. She lived primarily with her father and stepmother, singer Patty Smyth, seeing Tatum on weekends.
'We've had our fights'
© InstagramEmily describes a loud and lively household: "You had to be loud to be noticed." She says the McEnroe household was full of personality, with siblings including Kevin and Sean, and later Anna, 29, and Ava, 26, from John’s second marriage.
Despite the chaos, Emily insists there was always love. "We’ve had our fights like all families, but we’re there for each other."
John’s style as a father was hands-on. Emily says he regularly made breakfast and drove her to school, despite a demanding schedule: "He did that week in, week out, no matter how busy his life was."
© Getty ImagesEmily also spoke about the pressures of having two famous parents. She enjoyed playing tennis at school but gave it up after being teased. Her classmates expected her to be brilliant because of her dad. Years later, John revealed she had been his most naturally talented child at the sport.
She also held back from acting for fear of comparison with her mother, who won an Oscar at age ten. But Emily eventually followed her own path and has since worked in voiceover, TV and film. She also co-hosts a podcast with Tatum called Tatum Verbatim.
Addiction and reconciliation
© GettyEmily has been open about the emotional impact of her mother’s addiction. When Tatum was arrested in 2008 for drug possession, Emily was bombarded with messages while at school. "People read about a scandal but forget it’s about real people with real feelings."
Today, Tatum is clean and the pair are close. Emily says: "Even when Mum had problems, she was always there for me. Sometimes she feels more like my big sister than my mum."
Tatum, now 61, has moved to Los Angeles to be closer to her daughter and is supportive of her acting ambitions. "Having a daughter and the bond we share is one of the great joys of my life," she told The Mail on Sunday.
The wider McEnroe family
© GettyJohn McEnroe’s children have largely stayed out of the spotlight. Kevin is now a published author, drawing on personal experience and family history for his novel Our Town.
Sean married quietly in 2021 and has spoken about struggling with trauma from his childhood. He credits his wife with helping him through a personal breakdown.
John’s youngest daughters, Anna and Ava, are also carving out impressive paths. Anna has worked in law after graduating from Fordham University, while Ava, who also studied law, has shared the stage with her father at public events.
A famous legacy
© GettyJohn, now 66, remains a prominent figure during the Wimbledon fortnight, with regular appearances in the BBC commentary box alongside legends like Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King.
While his fiery court persona is long behind him, the emotional complexity of his family life continues to resonate with fans. Emily’s honesty about growing up in the McEnroe household offers a rare glimpse behind the headlines.
"I’ve been in the shadows," she says, "but now I want to do something myself. One thing Dad always drummed into me was discipline."
As Emily steps into the spotlight on her own terms, it’s clear she does so with the same determination that made her father a champion, and her mother a survivor.
Wimbledon: 5 surprising facts
© AFP via Getty Images1. A lot of tennis balls
Throughout the tournaments, Wimbledon goes through over 50,000 tennis balls! After the first seven games, the balls are replaced and refrigerated to maintain bounce.
2. Strawberries and cream
Tennis and strawberries are never apart throughout Wimbledon, and in fact, they only get the fruit from one supplier. Last year, Hugh Lowe Farm in Kent provided around 1.5 million strawberries over the two-week tournament.
3. Rufus the Hawk
Rufus, the hawk, has been the protector of the Wimbledon courts for the past ten years. He flies above the grounds in the early AM to chase away any pigeons to maintain a pristine court condition.
4. Prize money
The winners of the ladies’ and gentlemen’s singles championships will each receive £2.2 million. Additionally, the winners of every round will also receive money, ranging from £1500 for the winner of the first round of mixed doubles, up to £1.1 million for the runner-up in the final.
5. Longest match in history
In June 2010, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut battled for 11 hours and 5 minutes over three days, with the longest match in professional tennis history. The match totalled 183 games, and John eventually won 70-68.
