John McEnroe: A Biography ~ by: mek karpeles

Its not quite being forced into solitary confinement, but playing tennis certainly has a tendency to make one feel lonely. Adding the invisible opponent of the mind to the contest can often manifest in the form of desperate (and sometimes violent) appeals directed at that which is tangible and might respond in some manner: line-judges might change a call, coaches might give helpful advice, $ 300 rackets might make a nice cracking noise, smacks to the face might wake the…