"The way I played, I couldn't have even won the women's title" - When John McEnroe contemplated 'quitting' tennis after shock Wimbledon exit

John McEnroe once bemoaned his performance in his shock loss to Wally Masur at the 1988 Wimbledon Championships. The American was so disappointed by his subpar level of play that he even entertained thoughts of quitting the sport for good.

That year, McEnroe returned to SW19 for the first time since his quarterfinal exit at the 1985 edition of the event. As a previous champion at the grasscourt Major in 1981, 1983 and 1984, the American was considered a favorite for the title, although there were lingering doubts over his form.

The doubts stemmed from John McEnroe's disappointing 1987 season, as he failed to win a single title for the first time in his career. The American took a break from the tour after his quarterfinal exit at the US Open, making a return in 1988 after a six-month hiatus.

Despite missing the last two editions of the grasscourt Major, McEnroe's coach Peter Fleming expressed confidence in his protege's ability to clinch his fourth Wimbledon title.

"Can he win Wimbledon? You had better believe it," Fleming said (via The Guardian).

The American justified his coach's belief with a commanding 6-1, 7-5, 6-1 win over Horst Skoff in his opening match. However, he failed to replicate his winning performance against Wally Masur in the second round. The Australian dominated the clash, claiming a 7-5, 7-6, 6-3 victory to oust the eighth seed.

Distraught over his poor display, John McEnroe lamented that he wouldn't even win the women's title with the level he displayed. He candidly acknowledged the "psychological" barriers hindering his ability to deliver his best performance.

"The way I played, I couldn't have even won the women's title. Psychologically I'm not in the right frame of mind to play my best, and physically, in the last couple of days, my body has let me down," he said.

While the American credited Masur for playing a solid match, he suggested that he might as well "quit" the sport if this was his best effort.

"He played a good, solid match. but if that's the best I've got to give, I'd quit tomorrow. It's like my body went into some sort of letdown. I wasn't even pushing myself to be my best. It's almost enough to make me sick," John McEnroe said (via The New York Times).

John McEnroe: "I'll either come out of it and have a nice couple of years or stay in this mode and play inferior tennis"

Despite contemplating retirement, John McEnroe expressed his reluctance to leave tennis in the hands of players he believed were "no better" than they were before his break.

Nevertheless, the American admitted that he would no longer be able to "coast" on his abilities as he had in the early years of his career. He emphasized that he would need to overcome his barriers or accept playing "inferior" tennis for the remainder of his career.

"It's just there is too much at stake to walk away when these guys are no better than when I left. The first nine years was coasting for me. This will be different. I'll either come out of it and have a nice couple of years or stay in this mode and play inferior tennis," John McEnroe said.

John McEnroe's comeback did not pan out as he had hoped, as he did not win another Major title before his retirement in 1994. The American finished his career with seven Grand Slam titles, 77 tour-level titles and an impressive 170 weeks as World No. 1.