John McEnroe – Net Worth, Endorsements & Earnings
Despite retiring over 25 years ago, John McEnroe remains one of the most notable tennis players in the history of the sport. He gained a reputation for his outstanding play and polarizing attitude, but he has stayed in the mainstream as one of the top commentators in the game. Tennis has been very good to him from a financial standpoint, as he has turned into one of the most marketable stars the game has ever seen.
What is John McEnroe‘s net worth? McEnroe is one of the most successful former tennis players ever. He has an estimated net worth right around $100 million, thanks to a combination of prize money, endorsement deals, commentating, coaching, exhibition appearance fees, and more. He has never truly left the game of tennis, and commands a lot of money to this day.
Career Prize Money Earnings
McEnroe finished his career with 77 career titles, including seven Grand Slam championships. He reached the semifinal at least in every major, winning three Wimbledons and four US Opens. As a beginning of the 1980s, he was number one in the world for the first time, and he became the face of tennis during his peak.
Back when John McEnroe was an active player, there wasn’t the same information about how much each player earned each year through tournament prize money. But, these are the years that I found (source)
| Year | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1986 | $172K |
| 1987 | $358K |
| 1988 | $252K |
| 1989 | $668K |
| 1990 | $365K |
| 1991 | $295K |
| 1992 | $682K |
His final prize money total when he retired was just over $12.5 million. That doesn’t sound particularly impressive right now, but it was one of the highest totals in the game then. Not only did he have success in Grand Slam tournaments, but he played a lot of tennis in smaller tournaments as well. He didn’t have to deal with many injuries during his career, which helped him consistently earn on the court.
Money isn’t quite there for doubles players, but he did turn into a very successful doubles player. Many people are unaware that he actually has more Grand Slam doubles titles than singles, winning Wimbledon five times, and the US Open four times.
Endorsements
McEnroe was extremely talented on the court, but he became known for having a hot temper and colorful personality. At times, his character gained more attention than his actual play on the court. This made him very marketable, and he remains arguably the most marketable retired tennis player ever.
Racquet Sponsors
For most of the 1980s, McEnroe used a Dunlop racquet. He held onto using a wood racquet for quite a while, but eventually started switching over to modern options later in his career. Dunlop stuck with McEnroe throughout most of his career, even though he would constantly abuse them in anger.
More recently, he has been seen playing with Head racquets. He plays a lot of exhibition tennis, trying to stick with some of the same style that helped him win. It is harder than ever to serve and volley in today’s game, but the racquets he uses at least allows him to add some added pop to his serve.
Clothing Sponsors
A lot of McEnroe’s most iconic matches came in Sergio Tacchini clothing. They were the first ones to give him his iconic headband, and a lot of his looks were based on the red, white, and blue theme.
His clothing sponsor later in his career turned to Nike. The company even released a few lines of clothing specifically for him, which is unprecedented for someone who was retired at the time. It has sold well, continuing to show just how popular he is
Other Endorsements
There are so many companies that have wanted a piece of John McEnroe at some point during his career. He became very marketable at the peak of his career, helping sell a lot of different products out there. Most people can remember all the Bic razor commercials he was in during the 1980s, as one example.
His marketability since retirement has only gone up. A lot of companies like to play off of his volatile personality, and his particular catchphrase “you can not be serious.”
Some of the companies he has worked for in the last few years include Mercedes, Tesco, Seat Altea, American Express, and Heineken. It helps a lot that he is a commentator during the majors, so people instantly recognize him.
Other Wealth Contributors
McEnroe is paid very well for his work as a television announcer. He is currently working for ESPN and NBC. He has had some controversy with comments here and there, but most recognized him for doing great overall work.
He will also still play on the ATP Champions Tour, as well as other special exhibition matches. He commands a pretty high appearance fee compared to other former players, as he is always a crowd favorite.
He has wealth to explore some business opportunities, but it is hard to find just how much success he’s had with that.
Future Outlook
McEnroe still has the opportunity to be a commentator for many years. He is 61 years old right now, and could easily be doing Grand Slam events for over a decade longer.
He is a player that has done pretty well with his money since retirement, so his net worth should continue to go up. As long as he stays in the tennis spotlight, no one is about to forget him any time soon.
