John McEnroe explodes at teenage fan after refusing picture with airport staff forced to step in

John McEnroe had a reputation for having a short temper during his legendary tennis career.

Now footage has emerged of the 66-year-old blowing up at a persistent young fan who wanted to take a photo with the tennis star.

McEnroe was at the airport returning home from the Australian Open, where he had been working as a pundit.

In the video, McEnroe emerged from his car with his luggage and guitar strapped to his back, where the boy came up and asked for a photo.

“Not right now mate,” McEnroe replied sharply. But the boy wasn’t willing to give up that easily, repeatedly asking for a photo.

“I'm going to need you to stay away from me, OK?” he was captured saying as he headed into the terminal.

But, the boy continued following before McEnroe’s staff got involved.

“This guy, just get away,” McEnroe snapped.

“Move him out of the way please,” an official wearing a lanyard said, but as a theme of the interaction, the boy kept persisting.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I am leaving, time's up,” McEnroe said to him before the boy tried to take a photo anyway.

'Can I just take a photo?' the boy pleaded.

McEnroe clearly had enough of being patient, 'Will you stop?' he yelled.

'Stop! Jesus. I mean, are you kidding me?' he added, before finally, a clearly annoyed McEnroe went on to tell the boy to “go F— yourself.”

John McEnroe's career

McEnroe quickly rose to the top of professional tennis after making his debut in 1978. Just a year later, he would win the US Open for the first time.

It was a sign of the success to come. Over his 14-year career, he would take home seven Grand Slam titles, including three at Wimbledon and four at the US Open.

After retiring in 1992, he quickly established himself as one of the best tennis broadcasters and analysts.

The tennis legend has been in Melbourne, commentating on the Australian Open, which saw Carlos Alcaraz, who was visibly annoyed at the referee during the match, win the men’s singles, and Elena Rybakina win the women’s.

Alcaraz has now completed the coveted career Grand Slam of lifting all four majors, doing so aged 22 years and 258 days, making him the youngest men's singles player to achieve the feat.

McEnroe’s illustrious tennis career featured multiple on-court and off-court outbursts.

The most famous being his outburst at the 1981 Wimbledon final.

Clearly frustrated at a call made by the referee, he came up with the unforgettable 'you cannot be serious' line.

It was a statement that has become one of the greatest lines in tennis, so iconic that McEnroe himself would later use it as the title of his autobiography.

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