US tennis hero John McEnroe and his rockstar wife Patty Smyth once candidly shared the potential deal-breaker in their long-standing marriage. The couple, who have been together for nearly 35 years, faced a moment that could have ended it all when they considered joining a reality TV show. Smyth, who rose to fame with the band Scandal, believes that maintaining a low profile with the former tennis icon is the secret to their enduring relationship . Speaking to People in 2020, Smyth revealed how discussions about participating in a reality series nearly two decades ago ultimately fell through due to her concerns about the impact on their union. “For me, it was a superstition thing,” Smyth said. “I didn’t want to be like, ‘Hey, look at us, we’re this happy couple.’ I just thought if I kept it on the down-low, I had this gut feeling that we would stay together – if I threw it out to the world, that we wouldn’t – because I’ve seen that happen so many times. That [reality show] probably would have broken us up, I bet you.” McEnroe, a three-time Wimbledon champion and BBC commentator, first encountered the Grammy-nominated artist in 1993, leading to their nuptials in 1997. Smyth emphasised that she followed her “instincts” when she met the famously forthright McEnroe, despite her previous marriage to musician Richard Hell between 1985-86, reports the Express . McEnroe meanwhile, was formerly married to Oscar-winning star Tatum O’Neal from 1986 until 1994. McEnroe and Smyth have two children together, and Smyth is thankful for the marriage, claiming it’s a relationship that’s still bearing fruit decades later. Reflecting on their history in 2020, Smyth said, “Twenty-something years later, I’m like ‘Wow’, I still have these feelings when I see him. Never did I think that I would ever be with somebody for this long. … I think we got very lucky.” Yet, always one to inject humour, McEnroe playfully added that there’s another crucial element for their enduring bond, “You’re forgetting the most obvious one,” he quipped in the interview, which led Smyth to divulge their other secret: “Sex. You’ve got to keep the sex going.” McEnroe’s storied career boasts seven Grand Slam victories and a total of 77 singles titles. This was paralleled by a reputation for an outspoken persona on and off the court. In a revealing interview back in 2018 , McEnroe shared insights into his mindset before meeting Smyth, initially resistant to commitment. “I was 35 years old when we started to go out and at that time I thought I don’t want anymore kids, I don’t want to have another marriage,” he said. “I just want to go out with some young girls who don’t want to do anything but have a good time, and then Patty came along. It gave me a second lease on life and she doesn’t get thanked enough. “[Smyth] has allowed me to do my thing. She makes me more whole and a better person. I like to think we work as a team and we’ve made each other better, the sum of the two of us is better than individual parts.”