John McEnroe’s Real Legacy? Six Kids, Zero Tennis Stars, and a Surprisingly Chill Family Life
He ruled the court in the '80s, but John McEnroe’s greatest match may have been parenting six kids across two marriages — far from the tennis spotlight.
Table of Contents
Los Angeles, July 6 EST: John McEnroe’s Off-Court Game: Raising Six Kids, Dodging Tennis Legacies, and Pulling Off a Chill Exes Reunion
John McEnroe knows how to command a tennis court. But fatherhood? That’s where things got complicated. The former world No. 1, famous for his legendary volleys and even more legendary temper, has traded center court chaos for something wilder — raising six kids across two marriages, all while managing a last name that still turns heads in every room.
And guess what? None of them play tennis. Not even a little. And that’s exactly how McEnroe wanted it.
Act I: Tatum, Turbulence, and Three Kids Named McEnroe
Flashback to the ‘80s: McEnroe marries Tatum O’Neal, Oscar-winning actress and daughter of Hollywood royalty. They were both young, famous, and — in hindsight — maybe not built for the long haul. Their kids came fast: Kevin in ‘86, Sean in ‘87, and Emily in ‘91. The marriage? It was over by ‘94.
By the late ‘90s, O’Neal’s struggle with addiction became public, and McEnroe got full custody in ‘98. The tabloids feasted, but what followed wasn’t more drama — it was a quieter rebuild.
Act II: Patty Smyth, Three More Daughters, and a Softer McEnroe?
Enter rockstar Patty Smyth (yes, the “Warrior” singer), who married McEnroe in 1997. Suddenly the family photo expanded to include daughters Anna, Ava, and Smyth’s daughter from a previous relationship, Ruby. That’s six kids total — three boys, three girls, zero tennis prodigies.
And that’s not accidental. McEnroe has said, again and again, that he deliberately kept his kids far from the court. “I didn’t want them to feel like they had to be me,” he told Sportskeeda. Can you blame him? Imagine growing up and every gym teacher wants to know if your backhand’s as good as dad’s.
Kevin McEnroe, the Writer — Not the Wimbledon Hopeful
The oldest, Kevin, went the artistic route. He wrote Our Town, a novel deeply inspired by his own family’s chaos — addiction, fame, estrangement. It’s heavy, but it’s also sharp and deeply personal. Kevin’s not writing to settle scores; he’s writing to figure it all out.
And just this past June, he got married to Fern Cozine in a vineyard ceremony in Napa that brought the whole family back into one frame — including Tatum and John. Yes, the exes smiled. Yes, it looked… civil? For fans who watched their drama play out like an early-2000s Lifetime movie, it was a full-circle moment.
Tatum later told Variety, “The anger is gone.” Considering their past headlines, that’s huge.
Sibling Vibes: Private Lives, Low-Key Choices
Sean McEnroe is married too — to Niamh McEnroe since 2021 — but lives well outside the media lens. Emily, the youngest of the O’Neal-McEnroe trio, has been more open. She’s talked about the weirdness of growing up famous adjacent, saying she sometimes felt invisible in the middle of very visible parents.
Then there’s Anna and Ava, the daughters of McEnroe and Smyth. Both are in their late 20s, both avoid the spotlight. They pop up in the occasional red carpet moment or family shot, but no public gigs, no tell-all interviews, no HBO docs (yet). Honestly? That kind of silence is kind of a flex.
And Ruby, Smyth’s daughter from before McEnroe, rounds out the group. He’s been her stepdad since the late ‘90s, and by all accounts, it’s been the real-deal, dad-dad kind of relationship.
Fame, Family, and the McEnroe Name
McEnroe has admitted that raising kids under the weight of a famous last name wasn’t easy. “It’s tougher for me to see my kids feel like they have a hard time living up to my expectations…” he once said. And you get the sense he really means it — this isn’t about trophies anymore. It’s about identity, space, and letting his kids be something other than footnotes in his legacy.
In a time when celebrity kids are being mic’d up for reality shows or debuting DJ sets at age 12, the McEnroe brood’s low profile feels radical. They’ve carved their own lanes, not in spite of the McEnroe name, but quietly around it.
The McEnroes, Rewritten
So, no tennis prodigies. No “Next Gen” racket-swingers. No wild tabloid cycles (recently, anyway). Just six kids who seem — dare we say — relatively chill, considering the bonkers era they were born into.
It’s not the legacy anyone expected from John McEnroe. But honestly? It might be the one that matters most.
New Jersey Times Is Your Source: The Latest In Politics, Entertainment, Business, Breaking News, And Other News. Please Follow Us On Facebook, Instagram, And Twitter To Receive Instantaneous Updates. Also Do Checkout Our Telegram Channel @Njtdotcom For Latest Updates.
