5 of the Biggest Egos in Tennis History

Charlie Jones and Kim Doren, authors of Game, Set, Match: A Tennis Book for the Mind, claimed that tennis players have the biggest egos by far.

One would believe so just by watching one of John McEnroe’s tennis game. But McEnroe isn’t the only tennis player with a big ego, although he might have the biggest.

Before we list the names, let us remind you that ego varies. Some tennis players exhibit the entitlement attitude while for others, it’s a display of their unpretentious character. Either way, these people are a classic example of egotism.

#5 Serena Williams

“I always believe I can beat the best, achieve the best. I always see myself in the top position.”

Williams appearing on this list may not be acceptable to her fans. Beyond everything, she won Grand Slam after Grand Slam. It’d be natural for her to develop such an overbearing ego. Time and again, however, she showed the world how an outburst could verge into the abusive realm. Her questionable antics on-court was because of the Psycho Serena, she said. Yes, she gives her multiple personalities names.

#4 Marat Safin

“The Olympics is not for tennis and tennis does not need the Olympics. It is not my goal in life to win a gold medal.”

Safin was accused of being a hellraiser throughout his playing career, which he recently refuted. Safin was perceived as the tennis player who thirsted for achievements. There’s nothing wrong with this except that he was too lazy to practice. He would stop it abruptly or won’t be too serious about it. Safin was also known for his emotional outbursts on court coupled by racquet-smashing. He did it as least thrice in his career.

#3 Novak Djokovic

“I want the same thing I’ve wanted since I was seven years old. I want to be No. 1.”

In a world full of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal who exudes unique charm on and off the court, it would be hard for a Djokovic to stand out. He was always the second fiddle. So he did what he wanted to do when he became #1—call himself king! His family even said that the old king was dead, referring to Federer.

#2 Nick Kyrgios

“I don’t have a doubt that if I wanted to win Grand Slams, I would commit. I’d train two times a day. I’d go to the gym every day. I’d stretch. I’d do rehab. I’d eat right.”

Kyrgios is an enigmatic tennis player, reminiscent of Federer’s style by bringing something new to the court now and then. But his arrogant attitude stinks. He always challenges tennis authorities and throws a fit if they could not accommodate his unreasonable requests. Thus, fines and disciplinary actions are foremost to Kyrgio’s vocabulary.

#1 John McEnroe

“The only thing ‘championship’ about Wimbledon is its prestige.”

McEnroe is dubbed as the King of Ego. If the article is going to list down all his pontifical displays, a page would not be enough.

He hated losing and would show to the people how much he hated it right at the moment. The acid-tongued player taunted Nadal as McEnrole wanted him to show more ego instead of downplaying his chances of doing such. While playing, that was McEnroe—known for his ego than his tennis style.

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