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Home » John McEnroe’s Speech at 2023 Stanford Commencement (Full Transcript)

John McEnroe’s Speech at 2023 Stanford Commencement (Full Transcript)

Here is the full transcript of tennis legend John McEnroe’s speech at Stanford’s 132nd Commencement Ceremony on June 18, 2023.

Listen to the audio version here:

TRANSCRIPT:

Thank you. I don’t see like I used to, so I’ve got to put these on. Great crowd. Oh, wow. There’s more people here than at football games this year.

Thank you, MTL, for that nice introduction, and thank you to the senior class presidents for inviting me to speak. You’re all officially badasses in my book. Thank you. Most of all, to Stanford’s class of 2023, congratulations. You did it. You’re officially overachievers. Well done. I mean, it is an absolute honor to be here, especially given that it’s Father’s Day.

I never got to walk in cap and gown, so technically, this is my graduation, too. I know that my father, if he were alive, would be one of the proudest people in the stadium. I can’t imagine a better Father’s Day gift than watching your kid graduate from this incredible school. To all you dads and moms out there who sacrificed your child to attend Stanford, well done.

Family Ties to Stanford

To those parents who had to put just one kid through college, consider yourself lucky. I’m the father of six college graduates. You can appreciate my pain. The McEnroe family has a long history with this fine institution.

I attended for one year. My two younger brothers graduated from here. We bleed Cardinal Red through and through. But I do have a bone to pick with Stanford.

In March, I get the invite to be your commencement speaker. While I’m busy figuring out my flights to San Jose, my youngest daughter tells me she was rejected to Stanford Law School. She says to me, “Dad, you’re not going to give that speech, are you? They rejected me. They rejected my cousin, your nephew, and every other person you’ve ever written a recommendation letter for. Dad, you cannot be serious.”

First Professional Athlete Commencement Speaker

I had to throw that one in. Just as I was about to boycott, I found out I would be the first professional athlete ever to speak at Stanford commencement. And I thought this is a big deal, not just for me, but for the school and for sports. Phenomenal athletes have graced this institution.

Here’s a fun fact. Stanford has won more NCAA team championships than any other school. So it’s about damn time they invited the bad boy of tennis to this stage. And don’t worry.

My daughter got into NYU. She gets to live in the greatest city in the world instead of slumming it here in Palo Alto. The funny thing is, I almost never came to Stanford.

Choosing Stanford Over Turning Pro

The summer before my freshman year, my life completely changed. I was in the semifinals of Wimbledon. That was unheard of at the time. Everyone was telling me to turn pro and not to bother with college. But I felt like I wasn’t mature enough, not ready.

I wanted the college experience and to just be a kid for one more year. Plus I wanted to be part of a team. That’s one of the reasons I love playing doubles. By the way, my kids absolutely cringe every time I make tennis analogies.

But fair warning, you’re going to hear a lot of them in this speech. It could be worse. You could be listening to some lame-ass politician telling you how great they are. Back to the analogies.

The Value of Being Part of a Team

For most of your life as a tennis player, you’re out there alone. For better or for worse, it’s just you. And that can be terrifying. So when you get those opportunities to be part of something bigger than yourself, take them.

Trust me, succeeding as a team can be as fun as doing it alone. As mentioned, at Stanford, I was lucky enough to do both. I won the singles title and was part of the 1978 undefeated NCAA championship team under the leadership of the legendary Dick Gould, who is with us here today somewhere. That man won 17 NCAA team titles.

Not too shabby. The respect of your peers is the ultimate achievement, and Dick has it. He gave me great advice, but none of it was about tennis. When someone is at the top of their game, it’s best to stay out of their way.

Humbled at Stanford

That’s one of the gifts of a great coach. I thought I’d be a hotshot when I arrived at Stanford. I thought all the girls would love me and all the guys would want to be me. As it turned out, no one gave a shit.

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Everyone was busy trying to change the world in their own way. They were off building computers and garages and developing tech that would later transform every aspect of our lives. I was just a tennis player. But the atmosphere here made me hungrier for success.

I was humbled a lot in my first quarter. My academic advisor had the bright idea that I’d take advanced calculus, economics, astronomy, and a ridiculously tough English course. I spent all my time studying and wasn’t having nearly enough fun. But I loved living at Rinconada, hanging out at Stern, and spent a lot of my time at the old DU house, where I took part in certain activities that would open my mind a lot more than my classes.

Stepping Outside of Tennis

I met some guys who advised me to take easy courses so I wouldn’t stress out too much. Thank you, Kenny Margerum and the rest of the football team. My favorite course was maybe parapsychology and psychic phenomenon. The high point of that class was how our professor showed us how you could bend a spoon with your mind.

And I believed it. On this campus, I began to step outside myself and see that there was life beyond tennis and academics.