"My dad was No. 1 at tennis, and my mom won an Oscar" - When John McEnroe's daughter Emily disclosed 'enormous pressure' to match her parents' success

John McEnroe (L), his ex-wife Tatum O
John McEnroe (L), his ex-wife Tatum O'Neal and daughter Emily (R) (Image Source: Getty)

Tennis legend John McEnroe and Hollywood star Tatum O'Neal's daughter Emily once opened up about the immense pressure she and her siblings felt to match their parents' success. McEnroe and O'Neal were married for six years, from 1986 to 1994, and had three children, Kevin, Sean and Emily.

McEnroe and O'Neal enjoyed remarkable success in their respective careers. The American tennis legend won seven Grand Slam singles titles, clinched nine Major doubles crowns, and attained the World No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles.

Meanwhile, Tatum O'Neal made history as the youngest person to win an Academy Award, taking home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress at just 10 years of age for her standout performance in the 1973 film 'Paper Moon.'

In a 2015 interview with People, John McEnroe's daughter Emily shed light on her childhood ambition to win an Oscar even earlier than her mother had. However, she admitted that she soon came to the realization that the dream was out of reach.

Emily acknowledged that her parents had been the best at their respective careers, which placed "enormous pressure" on her and her siblings to live up to their achievements. However, she conceded that it also fueled their motivation to carve their own paths.

"When I was growing up, I used to think, 'I have to get my Oscar before my mom,' and then I passed that age quickly. I was like, 'Well, that's absolutely not going to happen,'" Emily said.
"My parents have been the best at their careers. My dad was number one at tennis and my mom won an Oscar so that put enormous pressure on us. I think it also gives my siblings and me a huge drive to blaze our own trail," she added.

John McEnroe's daughter Emily: "There was an expectation that I would be really good at playing sports"

John McEnroe (Source: Getty)
John McEnroe (Source: Getty)

During the same interview, John McEnroe's daughter Emily spoke about the expectations placed on her to excel at sports due to the former World No. 1's tennis success. She revealed that the pressure even caused her to contemplate adopting her mother Tatum O'Neal's last name for tennis.

"In a lot of ways it was great. But it was also hard. There was an expectation that I would be really good at playing sports. We would talk about, 'Should we just go by O'Neal for tennis?'" Emily said.

Emily also fondly reminisced about attending the 2004 Oscars with her mother, disclosing that the night allowed her to gain a fuller appreciation for O'Neal's groundbreaking win as the youngest Academy Award recipient.

"I was just a year older than she was when she won for Paper Moon. It was hard for me to fully grasp what it meant to be the youngest person ever to win an Oscar. But the beauty of the night was that it allowed me to celebrate her and understand more deeply all she had accomplished," John McEnroe's daughter said.

John McEnroe's daughter Emily has established an acting career of her own, starring in the feature film 'Futra Days' and an episode of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm.' She's also credited as Scarlett Johansson's voice double for 'Ghost In The Shell.'

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Edited by Urvi Mehra
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