Talk about a player at ease, in his prime, in complete control, and "feeling it," this could be among the best tennis ever played and some of the most incredible shots in tennis history. True tennis players will recognize this and relate to the beauty of his gift. When McEnroe played like this you knew you were witnessing a special player.
I remember McEnroe saying that he wanted to play a kind of tennis that the average fan couldn´t grasp. The eleven straight games he reeled off in this match is the closest he ever came. It was truly an amazing performance, never to be seen again.
I could not agree more with your comment, It is as well is last big win in a major tournament, during the 85 season we could see thatbhis fitness was declining as his speed & flexibility, I really do believe that his relationship with Tatum O'Neal did hurt his game
John was often more "Art" than Sport. 0:12 & 0:15 Mac doesn't even swing he just gets his racket on the ball and sends Lendls pace right back. With the continental grip and his notoriously loose strung custom Dunlop it's more like John is playing Ping Pong. There will never be another... '84 Johnny Mac = GOAT.
I'm echoing the comment before me. I played fairly high-level competitive tennis and grew up with tennis, and Mcenroe in his prime was the most naturally gifted player I ever saw and really the best player of all time, imo. Nobody ever talks about his almost effortless court coverage and speed. For a pudgy, punk Irish kid from New York, he was quick as hell.
@Patrick Armstrong Agree. Mac was pure intuition, beauty, talent, attack, and touch while Lendl, Imo, had one of the best topspin backhands of all time----loading up with a huge shoulder turn as you should and hitting low to high brushing up the back of the ball---it's straight out of textbook on how to hit a perfect, classic topspin backhand. But I also think Johnny Mac had one of the best, most unique, and deft (albeit left-handed) backhands ever. He was so naturally talented and gifted with unteachable touch, feel, and deftness. I tried to pattern my backhand(s) after both these guys when I was growing up playing high school, college, and junior tennis tournaments. They are each in my top 5 of all time. But, Imo, if you take into account influence on the game, inveterate talent, longevity, and all the rest, McEnroe in his prime and at his best was the best tennis player I ever saw. I don't know if we'll ever see another player as unique as him. Maybe it's because I like his aggressive style of play and aggressive tennis, in general, but he, to me, was the most important player of all time.
perfect drop volley at 1:08... watch the slow motion replay and watch how Mac absorbs the pace so fluidly, even with the follow thru in the body language.. amazing
Mac’s net skills were just off the hook. As great as today’s three legendary players are, it was really more fun to watch 1980’s tennis; more variety, building positioning in a point, deft touch.
@mephatboi in those years the master was played in the first days of the follwing year..the master of 1982 was played in the january 1983, that one of 1983 started on 10 january 1984 (partecipated the better 8 players of the a.t.p. classification of 31-12-1983) etc...on 1987 the a.t.p decide to change the date of australian open from december at january and the masters was placed on november end..this video show the master final of 1984 played on january of 1985
I think Lendl was up 5/2 and then it was all Mac: 7/5 6/0 2/0 and finally 6/4. Jan 1985. Last great title for Mac in singles. After that, he beat Lendl only 3 times.
I was fortunate enough to go to the Masters semis and finals from 83-85, and I was astonished at the amount of drop volleys Mac hit in this match. Truly a virtuoso performance!
Sublime. Lendle is arguably near his peak here (it never varied that much) and is being completely humiliated and annihilated. Such a monstrous gap between the number one and two has never existed before or since.
Do you have any more of this available by any means? Private message me please if you do ! many thanks ! I have been looking for this for many years. It was even better than his 84 Wimbledon triumph and the section that this is part of is the best he has ever played.
As impressive as todays greats are this brand of tennis to me was much more fun to watch. Todays game is all about pace from the baseline. Power power power. Rackets and string tech has robbed us of any future artists like McEnroe. Restrict players to an 85in racket head and ban poly-based strings and the game will be much more fun to watch.
thank you SOOO much for ALL ur uploads!!! btw - i looked up mac vs. lendl on atptennis... this is apparently the '84 masters, not '85 (and the other video is the '83 masters, not '84)
@ marty dav. Federer has never in his great tennis career displayed the versatility of shotmaking skills that John McEnroe at the peak of his prime in 1984 displayed! Federer is a brilliant baseline player but he has never had the uncanny and diverse arsenal of shots in his game that McEnroe possessed!
@@michaelgarza8271 . I agree that Federer's volleying ability is not at the level of McEnroe at McEnroe's best. Federer, when he was serve-and-volleying, was a very good volleyer, but he made the colossal mistake of abandoning that aspect of his game way too early in his career, so it is impossible to put him at the same level as the greatest serve-and-volleyers in the history of tennis like Laver, Kramer, McEnroe, Edberg, Becker and Sampras. Federer should have kept that element of his game active throughout his career in order to give his opponents one more difficulty to deal with when playing against Federer.
Mcenroe was the most talented player I have ever seen....there will never be another like him.
You've seen fuck all, then!
You cant teach macs hands. Uncanny volleyer
@@brenwalsh9232 sounds like you’ve seen fuck all 🤷♂️
👏👏👍👍👍
👍👍👍👊🙏
Talk about a player at ease, in his prime, in complete control, and "feeling it," this could be among the best tennis ever played and some of the most incredible shots in tennis history. True tennis players will recognize this and relate to the beauty of his gift. When McEnroe played like this you knew you were witnessing a special player.
Most skilled and brilliant player of his time.
Mac was an artist. The racquet a paintbrush. Nobody before nor since like him.
Correct. Aaron Rodgers of tennis. It Looks different
I remember McEnroe saying that he wanted to play a kind of tennis that the average fan couldn´t grasp.
The eleven straight games he reeled off in this match is the closest he ever came.
It was truly an amazing performance, never to be seen again.
I remember watching this match as a young budding tennis player.....over and over and over and just being in awe.
I could not agree more with your comment, It is as well is last big win in a major tournament, during the 85 season we could see thatbhis fitness was declining as his speed & flexibility, I really do believe that his relationship with Tatum O'Neal did hurt his game
John was often more "Art" than Sport.
0:12 & 0:15 Mac doesn't even swing he just gets his racket on the ball and sends Lendls pace right back. With the continental grip and his notoriously loose strung custom Dunlop it's more like John is playing Ping Pong. There will never be another...
'84 Johnny Mac = GOAT.
I'm echoing the comment before me. I played fairly high-level competitive tennis and grew up with tennis, and Mcenroe in his prime was the most naturally gifted player I ever saw and really the best player of all time, imo. Nobody ever talks about his almost effortless court coverage and speed. For a pudgy, punk Irish kid from New York, he was quick as hell.
@Patrick Armstrong Agree. Mac was pure intuition, beauty, talent, attack, and touch while Lendl, Imo, had one of the best topspin backhands of all time----loading up with a huge shoulder turn as you should and hitting low to high brushing up the back of the ball---it's straight out of textbook on how to hit a perfect, classic topspin backhand. But I also think Johnny Mac had one of the best, most unique, and deft (albeit left-handed) backhands ever. He was so naturally talented and gifted with unteachable touch, feel, and deftness. I tried to pattern my backhand(s) after both these guys when I was growing up playing high school, college, and junior tennis tournaments. They are each in my top 5 of all time. But, Imo, if you take into account influence on the game, inveterate talent, longevity, and all the rest, McEnroe in his prime and at his best was the best tennis player I ever saw. I don't know if we'll ever see another player as unique as him. Maybe it's because I like his aggressive style of play and aggressive tennis, in general, but he, to me, was the most important player of all time.
Do not disturb! Genius at work.
2.32 rally - my good God, what a shot. Tennis from the heavens. I love you John McEnroe.
perfect drop volley at 1:08... watch the slow motion replay and watch how Mac absorbs the pace so fluidly, even with the follow thru in the body language.. amazing
The shots Macs hit in this video may never be seen in my lifetime.
As much as McEnroe and Lendl disliked each other, they produced amazing tennis.
Best player ever. He was so brilliant in this huge match that after it experts consudered him better then even Laver.
Who would have guessed his last major would have been 5 mos earlier? Choose your wife wisely
@@jeffreybeshears8211 Yes, should have won more.
Mac’s net skills were just off the hook. As great as today’s three legendary players are, it was really more fun to watch 1980’s tennis; more variety, building positioning in a point, deft touch.
Mac, Edberg and Federer...top 3 net play....
@mephatboi in those years the master was played in the first days of the follwing year..the master of 1982 was played in the january 1983, that one of 1983 started on 10 january 1984 (partecipated the better 8 players of the a.t.p. classification of 31-12-1983) etc...on 1987 the a.t.p decide to change the date of australian open from december at january and the masters was placed on november end..this video show the master final of 1984 played on january of 1985
I think Lendl was up 5/2 and then it was all Mac: 7/5 6/0 2/0 and finally 6/4. Jan 1985. Last great title for Mac in singles. After that, he beat Lendl only 3 times.
McEnroe in his prime.
I was fortunate enough to go to the Masters semis and finals from 83-85, and I was astonished at the amount of drop volleys Mac hit in this match. Truly a virtuoso performance!
Tennis from another dimension never seen before or since.
McEnroe Always Played Very Unorthodox - Not Like From The Textbook Of Tennis.
Sublime. Plz upload the full match.
i remember this match! Nike outfit debut!
1:14
Asbestos hands?? Bud Collins and his nicknames haha.
He called Lendl "The Ostrava Ghost"
Sublime. Lendle is arguably near his peak here (it never varied that much) and is being completely humiliated and annihilated. Such a monstrous gap between the number one and two has never existed before or since.
+keithmckeith How is he being humiliated when it's 3-3 in the first?
+James McLoad it's not 3-3...it's hihhlights
+keithmckeith just s couple of highlights of a humiliation...the middle set was one of the most dominant bagels ever seen in tennis.
keithmckeith
Oh.
How do you explain the 1985 thrashing Lendl gave Mac at the US Open? and other beatdowns which followed? Lendl was at his peak '85 - '89.
The opening game of this clip, OMG! Mcnroe just pushes the ball slightly to set up the kill....
At Madison Square Garden???
Do you have any more of this available by any means? Private message me please if you do ! many thanks ! I have been looking for this for many years. It was even better than his 84 Wimbledon triumph and the section that this is part of is the best he has ever played.
As impressive as todays greats are this brand of tennis to me was much more fun to watch. Todays game is all about pace from the baseline. Power power power. Rackets and string tech has robbed us of any future artists like McEnroe. Restrict players to an 85in racket head and ban poly-based strings and the game will be much more fun to watch.
thank you SOOO much for ALL ur uploads!!!
btw - i looked up mac vs. lendl on atptennis... this is apparently the '84 masters, not '85 (and the other video is the '83 masters, not '84)
Incredible hands at the net. Today’s tennis pales in comparison.
THE GOAT MCENROE
100% correct
Lendl qui a fait un match épique pour se sortir des griffes de Connors en demi-finale,plus de 3 h de jeu ,un peu diminué sur ce match
Massive Foot Fault at 2:00. But I guess any line judge or umpire would've been too scared at that time haha
where was this master cup??? NY?
pablotjob Yes, in Madison Square Garden:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_Volvo_Masters
eat your heart out federer.
Only Federer 2004-2007 was able to play like this.
@ marty dav. Federer has never in his great tennis career displayed the versatility of shotmaking skills that John McEnroe at the peak of his prime in 1984 displayed! Federer is a brilliant baseline player but he has never had the uncanny and diverse arsenal of shots in his game that McEnroe possessed!
@@michaelbarlow6610 He was certainly not in Mcenroe's league as a volleyer. Nowhere near...
@@michaelgarza8271 . I agree that Federer's volleying ability is not at the level of McEnroe at McEnroe's best. Federer, when he was serve-and-volleying, was a very good volleyer, but he made the colossal mistake of abandoning that aspect of his game way too early in his career, so it is impossible to put him at the same level as the greatest serve-and-volleyers in the history of tennis like Laver, Kramer, McEnroe, Edberg, Becker and Sampras. Federer should have kept that element of his game active throughout his career in order to give his opponents one more difficulty to deal with when playing against Federer.
Yes at his best he'd beat anyone today or before fact!!!!!!!
“than”
VG clips
McEnroe would have beaten the crap out of every 'modern' player.
@1.00 oelala