John McEnroe's home that was nearly too pricey for him blew Sue Barker away
John McEnroe and Sue Barker are great friends, with the three-time Wimbledon champion showing the TV presenter around his plush New York apartment and art gallery
Sue Barker was left wowed by John McEnroe's luxurious New York residence, a property he struggled to afford during his tennis days. The duo, who are close pals after years working in tandem on the BBC's Wimbledon coverage before Barker retired from tournament presenting duties in 2022, shared some memorable moments.
In 2019, Barker visited McEnroe in his homeland for a BBC documentary celebrating his 60th birthday. She toured his prestigious tennis academy, art gallery and the plush Manhattan apartment where he has lived since the mid-80s.
Despite McEnroe's estimated net worth of £90 million, stretching his finances for the apartment initially proved a challenge.
Recounting the visit in her book, Wimbledon: The players, the place, the magic, Barker said the property boasted "the most stunning views over the city".
She said: "Mac stretched himself to buy the property during his early playing days and it is now a prime asset, proving what a savvy businessman he was even back then."
Today, the apartment, with its four bedrooms, an office, a gallery and a spacious kitchen, is valued at about £7.5million. Barker was also awestruck by McEnroe's downtown Manhattan gallery.
She wrote: "Art is another of his great passions. We had a hilarious moment when I held the bottom of the ladder as John climbed up to remove a couple of paintings from the wall.
"The ladder was a bit wobbly, and I felt under extreme pressure. I carefully put the first painting he handed down on the table. The second one, I held in my hands, admiring it as John descended. How much do you think that one is worth, Sue?'
"Not wanting to look foolish as I really had no idea, I guessed $100,000. 'Just over a million,' he said - and I almost dropped it!
"Holding something so valuable was a first for me. I couldn't believe Mac would trust me with handling it at all. I decided not to go near anything else in his gallery, much to his amusement."
McEnroe, who grew up in Queens near US Open venue Flushing Meadows, feels at home in Manhattan. In the documentary, he said: "I've lived in the same apartment for 35 years. I love being in Manhattan, I grew up in Queens, close to the US Open. But most kids, if not all kids, dream of making it in Manhattan."
McEnroe, one of the BBC's top-paid presenters on a pro rata basis, will return to his punditry and commentary roles at Wimbledon this year. However, Nick Kyrgios will reportedly not be joining him after being dropped from the line-up.
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