A new documentary, John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection, has been called, in US Vogue, “the best tennis film ever made”. This in itself is not necessarily the greatest praise you could heap on a work of art: it is like calling a footballer “the greatest English left-sided midfielder of the 21st century”. But the writer goes even further and nominates it as “among the very best films on any sport that I’ve ever seen”.
That, for me, is a stretch. In the last decade there’s been Senna, Free Solo, Icarus and, if you’re loose with your definition of a sport film, OJ: Made in America. But In the Realm of Perfection does do something powerful and meaningful. It takes an individual you thought you knew inside out and makes you look at him anew. This really is McEnroe as you have never seen him before.
Related: Breaking point: how John McEnroe's biggest meltdown was turned into a movie
Related: John McEnroe: ‘I’ve definitely mellowed. I don’t have that killer instinct’ | Sean Ingle
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