John McEnroe is undeniably one of the all time greats of American tennis. As the US Open gets underway next week, it is the perfect time to focus not only on an American player, but one that also grew up in New York City and still calls it his home.
You Cannot Be Serious is arguably the quote most frequently associated with McEnroe. It is a microcosm of his on-court behavior and a theme than permeates his life. McEnroe was a controversial figure from the moment that he first emerged on the professional tour. He was among the first generation of players who earned enough money to live like rock stars. In fact, McEnroe describes in this book how he tried very hard to make that a literal reality.
How controversial was McEnroe back in the day? The All England Club awards a membership to the Champions of the Wimbledon tournament. McEnroe describes how he became the first player to have the club decline to extend that honor. In fact, his invitation to the Champion’s ball that year was also rescinded.
McEnroe’s career came during a golden era of the professional tour. He knew Don Budge well enough to receive tactical advice for an upcoming match against Ivan Lendl. The sheer hostility between McEnroe and Jimmy Connors is detailed against the ice cold demeanor of Davis Cup Captain, Arthur Ashe.
In fact, one potential source of McEnroe’s dedication to Davis Cup play was shared in You Cannot be Serious. I had absolutely no clue that Harry Hopman coached in the United States after he parted ways with the Australian Tennis Federation. Additionally, I was completely in the dark that he worked with McEnroe as a young junior. A deep reverence for Hopman is revealed in the book. McEnroe credits Hopman with instilling his Davis Cup passion.
I was genuinely surprised at how likable McEnroe comes off inYou Cannot Be Serious . He takes ownership of some of the less than noble moments in his life and builds a case for how he has benefitted from those life lessons. One such example is a spat he got into with Mary Carrillo after he made statements to the effect that women shouldn’t commentate on men’s matches. While he claims that his remarks were taken out of context, he also asserts that his attitude has matured over time. We are all a work in progress.
You Cannot Be Serious hits on a lot of crucial facets of tennis. It ranges from doubles relationships with Peter Fleming, having to play a sibling in a tournament against his brother Patrick, and a healthy dose of USTA politics. Additionally, with the imminent retirement of Serena Williams, McEnroe’s anguish over family obligations as his competitive level faltered at the twilight of his career is both timely and poignant.
You Cannot Be Serious is a really good book. It is firmly entrenched on my “must read” books for tennis players and fans alike. You haven’t read it yet?…You Cannot Be Serious.
 | You Cannot Be Serious |
Also… I made a TikTok video about the read…
I’m surprised that a security professional is using TikTok. Because of data collection and security concerns, I removed it from all of my devices.
I have however read McEnroe’s book and concur with your review. I think it does give some insight into his thoughts and ultimately his growth as a person. I often wonder how his career would have been different if he had played with Hawkeye and player challenges.