John McEnroe used to antagonise the public to such a degree during his playing days, he was once named the third most-hated man in history. As well as his impressive shot-making and volleying skills, the American was known for his confrontational on-court behaviour that frequently landed him in trouble with umpires and tennis authorities.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion was dubbed the original “Super Brat” who brought “crazed, nervous, energy…intensity, anger” to the court. As a result, the former world number one endured a difficult relationship with the media during his career. That animosity grew to such an extent that the tennis star was ranked ahead of serial killer Jack the Ripper on a list of the most hated men in history.
“I remember in the ’80s, I was saying to someone else before, there was this newspaper article where they did the most hated men in history,” the American shared in an interview with GQ. “Adolf Hitler was number one, Attila the Hun, number two, John McEnroe, number three, Jack the Ripper, number four. You're like, ‘How can I get in this mix? This has gone so far.’ This was in the early eighties. I'm like, 'Jesus Christ, let's have a little perspective.'
