John McEnroe received historic Wimbledon fine after heated umpire spat

John McEnroe was once slapped with a hefty fine for breaking Wimbledon's code of conduct not once, but twice.

McEnroe, who has explained why his kids don't play tennis professionally, was known for his fiery playing style and iconic outbursts at umpires, including the infamous: "You cannot be serious." He won seven Grand Slam titles in the singles and is now a familiar voice in the Wimbledon commentary booth for the BBC.

Already making waves during the tournament, McEnroe has pointed out the "unfair" treatment of Novak Djokovic at SW19 and issued a warning to another male player after a surprising loss in London. Throughout his career, the 66-year-old was no stranger to controversy, especially around the All England Club.

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In 1981, McEnroe, who would go on to win the men's singles title that year, clinched an opening-round victory over Tom Gullikson. However, his behavior on the court landed him in trouble, as he was cited for two violations of the players' code of conduct.

McEnroe was called out for 'verbal or physical abuse on court' during his match against Gullikson. Each violation resulted in a $750 fine, for a total of $1,500.

This fine was reportedly the first of its kind issued by Wimbledon's management committee against a player while the tournament was still underway. But McEnroe was also warned that any further misconduct could result in a $10,000 fine and a possible suspension.

"Mr. McEnroe has been seen by the referee of the Committee of Management and warned that any further misconduct will be interpreted as 'aggravated behavior' under major offenses of the players' code of conduct," said the statement by club secretary C.J. Corringe. "Under that rule, a player is liable for an additional maximum fine of $10,000 and/or suspension."

Tempers flared at Wimbledon when McEnroe was penalized with two penalty points after he swore during an altercation with an official. Not long after, he verbally abused umpire Edward James, calling him "an incompetent fool" audibly across Court 1 and on live TV.

McEnroe later conceded that his outburst stemmed from his subpar performance when he admitted: "It was my fault because I was feeling jittery. I think it was definitely wrong, and no doubt I will pay for it tomorrow."

Despite threats of suspension looming over McEnroe, such action would apply to subsequent tournaments, not the 1981 Wimbledon Championships, where he ultimately reached the final and triumphed over Bjorn Borg in four sets.

Fred Hoyles, the Wimbledon referee, was reputedly inclined towards issuing a sterner immediate reprimand rather than saving it for future events.

After partnering with Peter Fleming in a doubles match today, McEnroe had a meeting with Hoyles but remained tight-lipped about the ruling. When Hoyles was pressed for his take on the situation, his response was curt: "I'm not excited by it."