John McEnroe and his wife Patty Smyth are approaching their 30th wedding anniversary, and the singer has revealed that a raunchy principle is key to their enduring marriage. McEnroe, a three-time Wimbledon men's singles champion, will return to the BBC's live broadcasting team this summer for the 2026 championships.
Patty Smyth's Raunchy Golden Rule
Speaking to People in 2020, Smyth declared: "You've got to keep the sex going!" when asked about the secret to her marriage with the tennis legend. However, she also stressed the importance of maintaining a low profile despite being a celebrity couple. "For me, it was a superstition thing," the 69-year-old singer said. "I didn't want to be like, 'Hey, look at us, we're this happy couple.' I just thought if I kept it on the down-low, I had this gut feeling that we would stay together - if I threw it out to the world, that we wouldn't - because I've seen that happen so many times."
Smyth also revealed that she and McEnroe had discussed a reality show around the turn of the century but were thankful it never materialised. "That probably would have broken us up, I bet you," she added.
McEnroe's Second Lease on Life
McEnroe, who turned 67 in February, has also spoken openly about his marriage. During a 2018 appearance on In Depth with Graham Bensinger, he admitted: "I was 35 years old when we started to go out and at that time I thought I don't want any more kids, I don't want to have another marriage. I just want to go out with some young girls who don't want to do anything but have a good time, and then Patty came along. It gave me a second lease on life and she doesn't get thanked enough."
He added: "[She] has allowed me to do my thing. She makes me more whole and a better person. I like to think we work as a team and we've made each other better, the sum of the two of us is better than individual parts."
Wimbledon Return and BBC Line-Up
McEnroe, known for his rebellious behaviour on court and distinctive commentary, will be part of a stellar BBC line-up for Wimbledon 2026, which also includes Andre Agassi and Eugenie Bouchard. The former world No. 1 has two children with Smyth, who achieved a top-10 hit with her band Scandal in the 1980s, plus three children from his earlier marriage to actress Tatum O'Neal.
Smyth confessed that previous relationships collapsed due to a craving for something fresh, but said matters were always different with McEnroe. "If you get to know somebody and get really intimate, it can get more exciting and just more of a real journey. That's a gift," she said. "Twenty-something years later, I'm like, 'Wow, I still have these feelings when I see him.' Never did I think that I would ever be with somebody for this long... I think we got very lucky."
