The married couple serve their takes on the surprising overlaps between their two worlds: tennis courts and Broadway stages.
Tony Award-nominated Broadway star Melissa Errico, 55, and ESPN commentator Patrick McEnroe, 59, have built their 27-year marriage on a foundation of shared history—first as childhood friends, later as husband and wife, and always as two people navigating high-pressure careers. What’s surprising is just how much a soprano and a tennis player-turned-broadcaster have in common work-wise. From recovery rituals to staying mentally grounded, their marriage highlights the universal importance of health and resilience.
Between U.S. Open matches, Errico, later joined by McEnroe, recently sat down with The Healthy by Reader’s Digest about sleep struggles, stress, and raising three teenage daughters. They also opened up about battling perfectionism—whether it’s learning to accept imperfection onstage, on the court, or in marriage, both agree the secret is protecting joy.
The Healthy by Reader’s Digest: We’re excited to talk to you both about all things wellness and health.
Melissa Errico: One of the things I’ve always felt bridges our two worlds—performing arts and tennis—is the mental maxims. Patrick said things to me that stayed with me. When we re-met as adults—I was 25, he was almost 30—I was rising on Broadway, starring in My Fair Lady and High Society, nominated for Best Actress, all these nice things. And Patrick would say, “Don’t run to the ball, let it come to you.” And I’d stop in my tracks. Or, “Relax your arm, the ball will go faster.”
I thought, Wow. This man who was trying to win the U.S. Open was teaching me that every world-class player except one will lose. Everyone loses. There’s so much losing in winning. Even the ones you do know about—failure and losing are part of the normal course of the day.
The Healthy: How did you learn to cope with that as a performer?
Melissa Errico: We’ve always shared an interest in what we’d call “repair.” If I perform and have two shows the next day, and another the day after, how do I repair and turn around? We come from different worlds, but we share the same drive: push our bodies, then repair. For me, organization is huge. When I began doing concerts and touring with little kids at home, I had to keep everything organized: where’s the music, what am I wearing, what’s the schedule? I worked hard to lower the cortisol of daily chaos. Keeping physical spaces neat—everything in its place—was key to reducing stress. Then there’s hydration. It’s water, water, water. And yes, electrolyte packs or coconut water. That helps when you’re working nonstop.
The Healthy: Absolutely.
Melissa Errico: The big divide between us is sleep. I’m in my early fifties, just starting menopause or at the end of perimenopause, and I don’t know if it’s related, but sleep is a struggle. He can just turn off, but I’ll be up fretting about our three teenage daughters, packing meals … [and] he’ll say, “She’s fine. It’ll be fine.” The algorithms are all over me now—every time I open my phone, it’s menopause, sleep, gut health. I don’t know where to go. My mother had breast cancer and survived; a friend has stage four. So do I do hormone replacement therapy? I don’t know. Instagram says yes, others say no.