MCENROE vs LENDEL Johnny and the Colonel John McEnroe had several great rivalries in his immense career. We could have talked about the tension that opposed him to Connors, the other big mouth of the circuit, or of course Borg, the world star of modern tennis who made the discipline pass a milestone. But the rivalry between McEnroe and Ivan Lendl was really the most striking, because of its intensity and longevity...
For a long time it was even the most competitive match of the Open era in men's tennis! The two men dominated the 1980s, which McEnroe started as the world tennis leader before being overtaken by his European rival. They faced each other in one of the greatest finals of Rolland Garros, in 1984, where Lendl reversed the match and won his first Grand Slam title while depriving McEnroe of this tournament forever. John the temperamental was overwhelmed that day, and let slip a victory that was nevertheless in his grasp... Until 1985, the whimsical American player was the better of the two, but from the US Open 85 conceded at home to the Czechoslovakian, the rivalry between the two players turned in favor of Lendl with a clear domination.
McEnroe himself would recognize the considerable contribution of his rival to tennis: with his very professional approach, Lendl - nicknamed the Colonel - laid the foundations of the modern player, both in the game and in his work off the court. Their opposing styles have fascinated fans of the yellow ball for more than a decade: Ivan the methodical, backcourt soldier versus John the fiery, bold player. Yet McEnroe felt that Bjorg was the best he had ever played against: it's easy to understand this point of view since their short rivalry from '78 to '81 propelled the American to the top of tennis, while Lendl came to dominate.
Stuck between his two illustrious opponents, John had to watch both of them impose themselves as the best of the 70's for one and 80's for the other. In his autobiography, McEnroe recalls the 1984 Rolland Garros final as the worst memory of his career. For fans, the outcome of this match changed the face of tennis in the 1980s, and turned the careers of both players upside down. This multi-factorial opposition will have deeply marked tennis and remains to this day one of the most important rivalries in the history of the sport
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