John McEnroe

John McEnroe and wife Patty Smyth are closing in on 30 years as a married couple and are still going strong. The three-time Wimbledon men’s singles champion, who will return as part of the BBC’s live broadcast team this summer, married singer-songwriter Patty in 1997 after his first marriage to actress Tatum O’Neal ended in divorce. The former world No.1, who celebrated his 67th birthday in February, was known for his bad-boy antics on the court and has garnered a reputation for his style of commentary and analysis off it. He is part of a star-studded BBC line-up this year, with the likes of Andre Agassi and Eugenie Bouchard also set to lend their expertise to the broadcasts from SW19.

McEnroe has two children with Patty, who had a top-10 hit with her band Scandal in the 80s, as well as three children from his previous marriage. The pair’s longevity owes a lot to them sticking by a golden rule, though it’s one they nearly fell foul of in the early 2000s. Speaking to People in 2020, Smyth said “you’ve got to keep the sex going!” when discussing the secret to their marriage. However, she was also keen to stress the importance of keeping a low profile even as a celebrity couple.

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"For me, it was a superstition thing,” the singer, now 69, said. “I didn't want to be like, 'Hey, look at us, we're this happy couple.' I just thought if I kept it on the down-low, I had this gut feeling that we would stay together - if I threw it out to the world, that we wouldn't - because I've seen that happen so many times."

She also revealed she and McEnroe had been in tentative talks over a reality show around the turn of the century but appeared grateful it didn’t come to fruition. “That probably would have broken us up, I bet you," she added.

The musician admitted previous relationships ended due to a desire for something new but said things were always different when it came to her husband. "If you get to know somebody and get really intimate, it can get more exciting and just more of a real journey. That's a gift," she said.

"Twenty-something years later, I'm like 'Wow, I still have these feelings when I see him. Never did I think that I would ever be with somebody for this long… I think we got very lucky."

McEnroe has also spoken candidly about his marriage, including during an appearance on In Depth with Graham Bensinger in 2018."I was 35 years old when we started to go out and at that time I thought I don't want any more kids, I don't want to have another marriage," the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion said.

"I just want to go out with some young girls who don't want to do anything but have a good time, and then Patty came along. It gave me a second lease on life and she doesn't get thanked enough.

"[Smyth] has allowed me to do my thing. She makes me more whole and a better person. I like to think we work as a team and we've made each other better, the sum of the two of us is better than individual parts."

Wimbledon 2026 is just around the corner and Seat Unique has tickets on sale now with VIP access.