Water Fountain Romance: Patrick McEnroe and Melissa Errico's Enduring Love Story
The enduring marriage of ESPN personality Patrick McEnroe and acclaimed actress Melissa Errico began with an unexpected connection by a grade school water fountain decades ago.
Both McEnroe, 59, and Errico, 55, attended Buckley Day Country School in Long Island, a time when McEnroe shared a close friendship with Errico’s brother, Michael.
“There was his younger sister,” McEnroe shared during an exclusive chat with Us Weekly. “The age difference between an eighth grader and a fourth grader is quite substantial. Yet, I always harbored a small infatuation with her.”
He further elaborated, “We shared a distinct moment by the water fountain that remains vivid for both of us. As we moved through the school, we experienced this brief, significant connection.”
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Errico, fresh off her celebrated London concert hall debut with her acclaimed show Sondheim in the City Live!, recounted the memorable encounter with striking clarity.
“It was by the water fountain near the science classroom,” Errico recounted to Us. “The school corridors were silent. Our eyes met, followed by a prolonged moment of stillness. Years later, when we reconnected in our twenties, that specific water fountain encounter was a shared memory for both of us.”
McEnroe, presently an ESPN commentator following his extensive professional tennis career, disclosed the story of how he and Errico reconnected in their adult years.
Following a mandatory break from tennis due to shoulder surgery in his late twenties, McEnroe attended a performance by Errico’s musician brother, Michael, at a New York City club.
While eager to watch his friend’s show, McEnroe admitted to having a secondary motive. “I was scanning the room, hoping to spot Melissa,” he elaborated.
After surveying the crowd, McEnroe saw Errico departing and spontaneously asked her out for an unexpected date.
“We ended up having dinner and drinks at The Corner Bistro,” McEnroe recounted. “We initially seemed to share no common ground. Melissa was unfamiliar with tennis, and I knew nothing of the theater world.”
He then quipped, “Yet, here we are, nearly three decades onward, and I’ve become quite knowledgeable about Stephen Sondheim.”
The couple exchanged vows in December 1998 and are proud parents to three daughters: Victoria, 19, and the 16-year-old twins, Diana and Juliette.
Despite their outwardly disparate career paths, Errico clarified that she and her spouse possess more similarities than an observer might initially perceive.
“In many aspects, we, the athlete and the performer, are quite alike,” Errico noted. “We are accustomed to encountering obstacles. We're used to starting fresh each day. You will experience numerous defeats. You will lose more often than you triumph.”
McEnroe characterized becoming comfortable with defeat as an inherent aspect “of the profession.”
“As we often share with our three teenage daughters, we consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have pursued our passions and transformed them into careers,” McEnroe stated. “Our individual paths continue to develop and change.”
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He concluded, “My affection for her only grows stronger.”
The couple’s ongoing development has been showcased prominently this summer, with McEnroe serving as a key figure in ESPN’s live broadcast of the 2025 US Open, and Errico making arrangements to present her production, The Streisand Effect, in Los Angeles and New York City later in the year.
“Barbra [Streisand] serves as an inspiration; not that I aim to replicate her entirely, but she was an innovator,” Errico explained. “She began her career in theater and forged her unique path. I've chosen to view her as a sort of artistic mentor I require. Despite the excellence surrounding me, I constantly seek fresh influences and new motivators.”
For complete details on Errico’s forthcoming performances, kindly refer here.
