John McEnroe and his wife Patty Smyth are approaching their 30th wedding anniversary, and the Wimbledon legend's wife has shared the simple 'golden rule' that has kept them together for so long: 'keeping the sex going.'
The Golden Rule of Marriage
Speaking to People in 2020, Smyth, now 69, revealed the secret behind their enduring partnership. 'For me, it was a superstition thing,' she 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 disclosed that she and McEnroe had been in preliminary discussions about a reality programme around the turn of the century but seemed relieved it never materialised. 'That probably would have broken us up, I bet you,' she added.
A Second Lease on Life
McEnroe, 67, has also spoken openly about his marriage. During an appearance on In Depth with Graham Bensinger in 2018, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion said: '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
The three-time Wimbledon men's singles champion will once again feature as part of the BBC's live broadcast team this summer. He forms part of an impressive BBC line-up this year, with the likes of Andre Agassi and Eugenie Bouchard also set to bring their expertise to the coverage from SW19.
McEnroe wed singer-songwriter Patty in 1997 following the breakdown of his first marriage to actress Tatum O'Neal. The couple have two children together, along with three children from McEnroe's previous relationship. Smyth scored a top-10 hit with her band Scandal in the 80s.
A Lasting Bond
Smyth acknowledged that past relationships had fizzled out due to a craving for something fresh, but insisted matters were always distinct when it came to her husband. '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.'
