"It happened quicker than i would have thought" - John McEnroe recalls his volatile path to becoming World No.1

Retired tennis star John McEnroe recently reflected on his journey to the top of the tennis world and said that he reached there sooner than he thought he would.

The American is among the greatest tennis players of all time and enjoyed a stellar career during which he won seven Grand Slam singles titles, among other accolades.

While speaking on the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, McEnroe recalled his journey in the sport. The 63-year-old stated that he was the best junior in the world and while his hopes were high, he did not assume he would become the World No.1. McEnroe also said that by the time he reached the top, he felt like it was overdue.

"You never know (being the best) when you're a kid.," said the 63-year old. "You know, I was the best junior in the world but everything is unpredictable. I mean, I had high hopes but I don't think anyone assumes you're gonna be No. 1 in the world. You hear a few murmurs from people that you have the ability to do it.

"I got some positive feedback but it's a long way to go and prove it. So, it happened quicker than I would have thought in a way, but it felt like it was a long time coming by that time."

McEnroe was the World No.1 for a total of 170 weeks throughout his career. He attained the ranking for the first time in March 1980, overtaking his rival Bjorn Borg. The American thus became only the fifth man to become the World No.1 since the ATP rankings were introduced. He attained the top spot in the rankings on 14 separate occasions during his career.