By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
On September 9, 1984, John McEnroe had one of the most satisfying victories of his career when he decidedly beat arch rival Ivan Lendl in straight sets in the U.S. Open final. It was McEnroe’s fourth U.S. Open singles title and his seventh – and final – major singles title. Back in the day, when the two best-of-five set men’s semifinals were played on consecutive days, conservation of energy was a major part of pre-event preparation and match strategy and McEnroe better channeled his energy than he did before.
The following is an excerpt from my “On This Day In Tennis History” compilation that describes McEnroe’s victory, which came the day after the famous “Super Saturday” session at the U.S. Open, where McEnroe and Lendl each endured grueling five-set victories, Lendl beating Pat Cash 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4) and McEnroe defeating Jimmy Connors 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. McEnroe specifically talks about his energy conservation tactics and mindset that helped him to this most satisfying victory. It’s a lesson that many tennis players of all levels can learn to help them perform at the highest level, with the most energy.
September 9, 1984 – Less than 15 hours after winning knock-out, drag out five-set semifinal over Jimmy Connors that ends at 11:13 pm the previous evening, John McEnroe wins the U.S. Open for a fourth time, defeating Ivan Lendl in the final 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. ”I feel unbelievable and terrible at the same time,” says McEnroe following the final of his physical and mental state. ”My body said, ‘That’s enough,’ but the fact that I was tired made me concentrate better. The more tired I felt, the better I thought I hit the ball. It was a mental thing – push, push – and I didn’t get angry at anything because I needed every ounce of energy I had…I learned certain things about wasting energy.” McEnroe, whose victory earns him a 66-2 record for the year, says he learned from his five-set loss to Lendl in the French Open final earlier in the year of the importance of conserving energy and that his famed temper tantrums are only physically counterproductive. ”It hit me the hardest after the French that I had to stop doing that. The important thing is to learn a lesson every time you lose. Life is a learning process and you have to try to learn what’s best for you. Let me tell you, life is not fun when you’re banging your head against a brick wall all the time.”
