John McEnroe’s 6 Kids: All About His Sons and Daughters (Including Why They Don’t Play Tennis!)

Tennis legend John McEnroe has six talented children in Kevin, Sean, Emily, Ruby, Ava and Anna.

The Open Era title record holder had three kids with his first wife, Academy Award-winning actress Tatum O’Neal. The couple welcomed three children together: Kevin, Sean and Emily.

After splitting from Tatum in 1994, John married Grammy-nominated rock singer Patty Smyth in 1997. John became a stepfather to Patty’s daughter Ruby, while the couple also welcomed their children Anna and Ava.

Despite his success on the court, John steered his kids away from tennis: His son Kevin became an author, while Emily is an actress. Both Anna and Ava have pursued careers in law.

“One of the reasons why I really pushed my kids away from tennis is ‘cause I didn’t want them to have to live up to sort of, ‘You gotta be better than John McEnroe,’ and in addition to the fact that it all be, ‘There’s McEnroe’s kid, how does he act?’ ” he told the In Depth with Graham Bensinger podcast in May 2018. “I wanted to try to have the kids to have a fire in their belly for whatever they wanted.”

Here’s everything to know about John McEnroe’s six kids: Kevin, Sean, Emily, Ruby, Anna and Ava.

Kevin is an author

In 1986, John and Tatum welcomed their first child, Kevin.

Kevin has since become a successful author, penning the 2015 novel Our Town. The book is a fictionalized version of the life and struggles of his maternal grandmother, actress Joanna Moore, with both fame and addiction.

In June 2015, Kevin spoke with PEOPLE about how he got the idea for the book.

“My writing professor told me to write from the opposite sex’s point of view, and I wrote in my grandmother’s voice,” Kevin said. “Even though I only met my grandmother twice, I knew she was viewed as a cautionary tale, as this sort of mess. From then on, I wanted to learn more about her.”

The book was personal for Kevin, as he struggled with addiction issues himself. In July 2014, he was arrested for buying coke, oxycodone and morphine tablets on a New York City street corner. (The cocaine turned out to be baking soda, and the charges were eventually dismissed.) 

Kevin finished the book while at the Betty Ford Center in Palm Springs, Calif., where he stayed for two months. During that time, John visited him.

“When I was in rehab, [my dad] said, ‘We always knew you were going to be a success,’ and that meant a lot to me,” Kevin told PEOPLE. “It took me a lot of ups and downs to figure that out.”

The book even helped bring his parents, John and Tatum, back together after their contentious split. In 2015, they attended a reading of Our Town, where they reconnected, Tatum told Variety in February 2025.

“There is respect now,” she added.

Sean is a photographer

In 1987, John and Tatum welcomed their second child, Sean.

Sean has since grown up to be a photographer. While discussing his first solo photography exhibit in 2016, Sean told PEOPLE about how art was helpful when his family was going through challenging times.

“Growing up, the Met was my sanctuary,” Sean said. “When things were difficult and there were a lot of those times when I was growing up, I would find myself wandering there and I always found it comforting and soothing to imagine myself in the landscapes.”

After a 2015 earthquake in Nepal, the nonprofit CITTA saw some of Sean’s work and asked him to accompany them to photograph the aftermath. In 2016, Sean displayed the photos at Hollywood’s LAM Gallery, where he raised money for the organization.

“The purpose of the show is to immerse people in what it’s like to live in Nepal where they badly need money for infrastructure after massive damage to homes and businesses,” Sean told PEOPLE. “I want to use what is in my power to help the people I met and if my name helps, then that’s great.”

Emily is an actress

In 1991, John and Tatum had their daughter Emily.

Emily has taken after Tatum and pursed an acting career. Her first major role came in 2024’s Futra Days alongside Rosanna Arquette. She also had a notable appearance during the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, after her father guest starred on the show 17 years earlier.

Despite her parents’ achievements, she is motivated to carve her own path.

“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,” she told PEOPLE in 2015. “I think it also gives my siblings and me a huge drive to blaze our own trail.”

Ruby has her master’s degree in teaching

When John married Patty, he became a stepfather to her daughter Ruby, whom he met when she was 9 years old.

“She walked into a situation where there were other kids already and then she was the only one … that wasn’t my blood kid,“ John told In Depth with Graham Bensinger in May 2018. “You have to sort of try to think about that, how hopefully I can try to treat her as much as possible the same as all the other kids. How is she going to view it? How am I going to deal with it?”

Ruby earned her master’s degree in secondary education and teaching from Bard College in 2019, per her LinkedIn. She has also worked as a childcare provider and was even a production assistant for the Grand Slam tennis tournaments Wimbledon and Roland Garros.

Anna and Ava are in the legal field

John and Patty welcomed daughters Anna in 1995 and Ava in 1999.

John and Patty’s youngest children are both pursuing legal careers. When Anna graduated from Fordham University School of Law in 2022, Patty posted a touching message to her on Instagram.

“Our beautiful Anna , graduated Law School yesterday! What a proud moment for all the Smyth’s and McEnroes,” Patty wrote on Instagram. “We love you so much. Get out there and help make this world a better place. ❤️❤️💕🌈🌈.”

Anna is now a litigation strategist at Dubin Research and Consulting in N.Y.C., per her LinkedIn.

Ava, meanwhile, attends New York University’s School of Law, according to her LinkedIn.

Five of John’s kids are married or engaged

There is a lot of love in John’s family — all of his kids but his youngest, Ava, are married or engaged.

Sean was the first to get married, secretly tying the knot with wife Niamh in a 2020 ceremony in Sedona, Ariz.

Later that year on Nov. 12, 2021, Ruby wed Michael Lees. “It was a beautiful day for a beautiful Couple. We are so proud. So much love to you both,” Patty posted on Instagram. “I’m not gonna cry damn it! ❤️❤️🙏🏼❤️🍀🍀.”

Meanwhile, Anna got married to Brian Kerrigan in October 2024.

In March 2025, Emily revealed that she had gotten engaged to her partner Tim Massarelli. “forever & a day @timothyjmass 💒,” she wrote on Instagram.

Most recently in June 2025, Kevin wed Fern Cozine in a Napa, Calif., ceremony.

John has sung with his kids

John founded the Johnny Smyth Band, where he performs as a singer and guitarist. Over the years, he’s brought his children onstage.

During the 2021 US Open at the Citi Taste of Tennis Celebration, Ava joined John to sing a few songs. Most recently, Emily came onstage with John to help close out the ASU+GSV Summit in April 2025.

John goes to Los Angeles Lakers games with his kids

No stranger to competitive sports, John has been spotted taking his kids to a number of Los Angeles Lakers games over the years. During the early 2000s, John was frequently seen taking Kevin and Sean to sit courtside at the games.

During the early 2010s, John was spotted at games with Anna and Ava.