When you think of John McEnroe, you probably picture the "Superbrat" era. The headband. The curly hair. The screaming "You cannot be serious!" at a stunned Wimbledon umpire. But off the court, the legendary lefty’s life has been defined by two very different, very high-profile marriages. Honestly, most fans still associate him with the tabloid-fueled chaos of his first marriage to Tatum O'Neal. Yet, for nearly three decades, the actual tennis John McEnroe wife has been rock icon Patty Smyth.
It’s a fascinating contrast.
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His first marriage was a firestorm of Hollywood ego and addiction. His second? A rock-solid partnership that has outlasted almost every other celebrity pairing in the business.
The Rockstar Who Tamed the Superbrat
Patty Smyth isn't just "McEnroe's wife." She’s a powerhouse in her own right. If you grew up in the '80s, you know her voice. She fronted the band Scandal and belted out "The Warrior," a song that basically became the anthem of 1984. Later, she hit the charts with the iconic duet "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" with Don Henley.
They met at a Christmas party in 1993. At that point, McEnroe was coming off a brutal divorce and was winding down his professional tennis career. Smyth was a single mom raising her daughter, Ruby. She wasn't looking for a tennis star. In fact, she’s admitted in interviews that she wasn't even sure if she wanted to get married again.
But they clicked. Hard.
The couple tied the knot in Hawaii in 1997. They chose the day of the Oscars for the ceremony. Why? Because they knew the paparazzi would be too busy chasing movie stars to notice a tennis legend and a rock singer getting hitched on a beach. It worked. They’ve been married ever since.
Why the First Marriage With Tatum O’Neal Failed
You can't talk about tennis John McEnroe wife history without mentioning Tatum O’Neal. It was the quintessential "It" couple pairing of the 1980s. He was the king of the court; she was the youngest person ever to win an Academy Award. They married in 1986, but the relationship was volatile from the start.
- Intense Pressure: Both were global superstars at the peak of their fame.
- Addiction Issues: Tatum has been very open about her struggles with heroin and other substances during and after the marriage.
- Volatile Tempers: Both had famously "big" personalities that often clashed.
By 1992, they had separated. By 1994, they were officially divorced. The aftermath was messy. There were custody battles over their three children—Kevin, Sean, and Emily. Eventually, McEnroe was awarded sole custody in 1998 as Tatum’s addiction issues worsened. It was a dark period, but it’s the backdrop that makes his long-term success with Patty Smyth so much more impressive.
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Life in the McEnroe-Smyth Household
What does it look like when a tennis champ and a rockstar raise six kids? It’s loud. Emily McEnroe, John’s daughter with Tatum, once said that you had to be loud just to be noticed in their house.
The "blended" family includes:
- Kevin, Sean, and Emily (from John's first marriage).
- Ruby (Patty's daughter from her first marriage to Richard Hell).
- Anna and Ava (John and Patty’s biological daughters).
They didn't push the kids into tennis. None of them became pros. Instead, they’ve become authors, photographers, and actors. McEnroe actually did the "dad stuff"—driving them to school and making breakfast—even while maintaining his status as the most recognizable voice in tennis broadcasting.
The Secret to 27+ Years
People always ask how they’ve stayed together so long. Smyth is blunt about it. She credits "friendship, compromise, and privacy." But when they were interviewed by People magazine a few years ago, John interrupted to add a fourth pillar: "Sex."
Smyth laughed it off but didn't disagree. "You've got to keep the sex going!" she told the reporter. Beyond that, they simply respect each other’s space. Patty took a 16-year break from the music industry to focus on the kids, but John encouraged her to get back into the studio for her 2020 album, It’s About Time. He’s her biggest fan, even if he still tries to drown her out when they sing Christmas carols together at home.
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The Evolution of the "Superbrat"
It’s funny to see McEnroe now. He’s the elder statesman of the sport. He’s the guy in the booth at Wimbledon and the US Open. Much of that mellowing out—that "evolution," as Tatum O'Neal herself recently called it—is credited to the stability he found with Patty.
Tatum and John didn't speak for years. It was ugly. But recently, things have shifted. They both attended a reading for their son Kevin’s book, and Tatum noted that "the anger is gone." It took thirty years, but there is finally a sense of peace in the extended McEnroe family.
Lessons from the McEnroe Marriage
Looking at the history of the tennis John McEnroe wife narrative, there are a few things we can actually learn about long-term relationships in the spotlight.
- Privacy is a Choice: They proved you can be famous and still keep your private life under wraps if you're intentional about it.
- Support the Comeback: When Patty wanted to return to music after nearly two decades, John was the one pushing her to do it.
- Blended Families Take Work: It wasn't always easy, and the kids have spoken about the "chaos" of the house, but they stayed present and active in their lives.
If you’re following the McEnroe legacy, don't just look at the Grand Slam titles. Look at the 1997 wedding date. In a world of 72-day celebrity marriages, that's the real victory.
Next Steps for Tennis Fans:
If you want to understand the modern McEnroe, listen to Patty Smyth's 2020 song "Build a Fire." She wrote it specifically about their marriage and the "fire" they've managed to keep burning since that Christmas party in '93. It gives a much better insight into the man than any post-match press conference ever could. You should also check out Kevin McEnroe’s novel, Our Town, which offers a raw look at the family’s history through a fictionalized lens of his grandmother's life.