Whenever John McEnroe clenches a fist to punctuate another searing backhand volley or passing shot on the Champions Tour, the reaction of the thousands who come to watch him play is pretty much the same. First they applaud - showing their appreciation of a talent that they remember had won three Wimbledon titles in the early 1980’s.

Then, after witnessing his face contort with desire and determination and hearing his self-exhortation to ‘come on’, they look to their neighbour, perhaps a touch surprised, and say something like: “Look, it still really matters to him!” Finally they wait, and hope, for a tantrum. Usually they don’t have to wait long.

Hit-and-giggle tennis alone does not do anything for McEnroe. A few laughs in the right places are fine, but his motivation is, and has always been, to compete. He still wants to beat every single player that faces him across the net, and he still loses the most infamous temper in the history of the sport if things don’t go quite to his liking.

At 47 years old, McEnroe gives away a decade to many of his adversaries, but that is all part of the challenge. He believes he is in better shape than at any time during the past 15 years. He trains regularly in New York, both on court and in the gym, and at the tournament in the Algarve in August, he brought a fitness trainer with him. Nobody was really too surprised that he ended up winning the title but he insisted: “It’s really tough to win these tournaments now.”

A keen art enthusiast, respected television commentator and father of six, McEnroe has plenty to keep him busy off the court, but, with the Champions Tour expanding this year, his game has prospered. His form excites him, as does the opportunity to test it against other former Grand Slam champions.

McEnroe has never really been a man with which to argue. So it’s probably best to just sit back and listen when he observes: “If I win a third of the events I play, it’s amazing. Look at these guys; they’re tough and they’re in great shape. This Tour is way different to what it was five or even eight years ago. I’ve got to push it hard for these next couple of years because I’m right on the edge of something special. I’m really close to playing very, very well. I can’t go away and come back in three or four years when I’m 50 or 52. I’ve got to do it now.”

If he is successful this week, it will be his fourth London title on the senior circuit and he was adamant when he concluded: “I’ll be ready. Put it this way, if I play my best, these guys that came in recently may not know what hit them. I feel like kicking some ass. I can hardly wait. As a matter of fact, I would bet money on myself. I believe in my tennis playing ability, particularly on the indoor surface that they have at the Royal Albert Hall.”

My Favourite....

Film: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Book: Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

Song: Led Zepellin 2

Meal: Italian Dishes

Luxury Item: Ipod

My Ideal Dinner Guests

Nelson Mandela

Kurt Cobain

Brett Favre