Patrick recalls how his brother John McEnroe made his first foray into the world of tennis

John McEnroe's brother Patrick recently recalled how the former World No. 1 took his first steps in the world of tennis.

John McEnroe was renowned for his exceptional volleying skills and predatory instincts near the net. He captivated the tennis audience with his fiery on-court displays and mercurial personality, and ended up winning seven Slams in singles.

McEnroe is the only male player to have held the top ranking in both singles and doubles in the Open Era. His remarkable tally of 82 wins against just three losses in 1984 still stands as the record for the best winning percentage in a season.

During a recent discussion with Marc A. Sterne, Patrick McEnroe recounted the story of how his older brother got into tennis. Patrick stated that their parents took John to the prestigious Port Washington Tennis Academy to train under the tutelage of coach Harry Hopman.

"So the coach for the Douglaston club says take John out there for a trial at the end of the summer. My parents called up and they go out there with John," Patrick said in a recent episode of 'Courtside: The US Open Podcast'.

Patrick also shared a story about Hopman's reaction upon seeing John.

"Harry Hopman watches him for about two minutes and he says, “We’ll take him, he’s going to be number one in the world." The other story that we don't hear that much about is apparently he said that to every parent that showed up. One time he actually was right," Patrick recalled.

When John McEnroe opened up on beating Bjorn Borg in US Open final

Between the late 1970s and early 1980s, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg had a short yet fierce rivalry on the court. The two legends played some of the most electrifying matches of their time, often facing off in the latter stages of major tournaments.

At the 1980 US Open, McEnroe faced Borg in the final and defeated the Swede 7-6(4), 6-1, 6-7(5), 5-7, 6-4 to successfully defend the title.

"When we shook hands, I could see that he was devastated," McEnroe said about the encounter a while ago. "He had started out the year by winning the Masters, his first-ever major title in New York: This was supposed to have been the other bookend. I sensed he felt I had finally gotten the upper hand on him."

The 1980 US Open final was the ninth meeting between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe. With the win, the American legend took his head-to-head record to 4-5 against Borg.