The real questions are: Am I getting better as a person? And is what I'm doing bringing me and the ones around me happiness?
John McEnroe
Stanford University Commencement, 2023
Video starts at 13:14 — the moment this quote was spoken
The Story Behind This Quote
McEnroe challenges the "winning is everything" mentality. He shares that after succeeding at something, you expect the skies to open and happiness to rain down — but that rarely happens. Victory can be isolating. He watched Carlos Alcaraz, ranked number one in the world and younger than most graduates, completely freeze under pressure at the French Open. McEnroe knows the feeling: as a perfectionist since age 12, the worst pressure is the kind you feel internally. His friend Billie Jean King told him "pressure is a privilege" — at first he thought she was nuts, but realized she has a point: a lot of people would kill to be in your seats.