John Patrick McEnroe could have been the greatest tennis player the sport has ever produced - but his behaviour pales against the memory of  two Aussie superstars who brought a smile to the game.

The spoilt American brat  emerged on the scene after an era that  gave the world Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall, two endearing gentlemen who rarely argued with umpires and ranted only under their breath.

Their behaviour was always exemplary - unlike that of McEnroe, who emerged in the late 1970s as one of the most obnoxious, disagreeable players ever to pick up a tennis racket. He sulked and sneered his way onto Wimbledon's Centre Court as if somebody had just snatched away an imaginary teddy bear.

You always knew when McEnroe was in a bad mood when the umpire started talking about the weather with him. He was the pampered prima donna who never quite grew up. He broke all the rules in the book and for every disputed line call and foot fault, McEnroe was all moodiness and vulgarity.

For my part, he was the ultimate anti-establishment figure who would probably have shouted the odds at Speakers Corner. McEnroe was forever on the warpath and never entirely satisfied with life. The childish outbursts have now passed into legend but perhaps, in hindsight, could be considered as cries of help or signs of weakness.

Perhaps no Wimbledon would have been complete without McEnroe doing what everybody came to expect from him.The tears and tantrums were essential to the Big Mac persona. Where would Wimbledon have been without his violent on-court insults? He was the aggressive loudmouth who never really came to terms with himself, let alone an adoring crowd.