BY MATTHEW PRICE
Published: April 3, 2009

John McEnroe, the feisty tennis champion who won seven Grand Slam titles, will be featured in EA Sports’ “Grand Slam Tennis” for the Nintendo Wii.

The game is slated to ship in June.

No word on whether the Wii-mote can be chucked to the ground in an effort to emulate McEnroe’s famous “You cannot be serious!” tirades.

“It’s great that EA Sports has embraced tennis into its family of games,” McEnroe said in a release.

“I think it’s a solid sign the sport is thriving, and I hope it will continue to generate more interest and excitement in tennis.”

Wimbledon, tennis’ most prestigious championship, will appear exclusively in “Grand Slam Tennis.”

“Having Wimbledon exclusive to this game is huge because Wimbledon is such a special tournament, for the entire sport of tennis and for me personally,” McEnroe said.

McEnroe won three titles at Wimbledon among his 77 career singles titles. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999.

“Having a champion like John McEnroe exclusive to EA Sports’ ‘Grand Slam Tennis’ reflects our commitment to deliver an authentic, entertaining, and deep representation of the sport like never before,” said Dave McCarthy, vice president, EA Sports, in a release. “McEnroe’s success, charisma and passion for tennis easily make him one of the most recognizable and colorful personalities, not just in tennis, but all sports.”

EA Sports’ “Grand Slam Tennis” uses Wii MotionPlus to enhance shot depth and ball placement in the game.

Current players featured in “Grand Slam Tennis” include Andy Roddick, 2003 U.S. Open champion; Roger Federer, winner of 13 Grand Slam singles titles; Rafael Nadal, the current No. 1 player in the world; and Novak Djokovic, 2008 Australian Open champion.

Along with McEnroe, classic players set to appear in “Grand Slam Tennis” include Pete Sampras, winner of 14 Grand Slam singles titles; Bjorn Borg, five-time Wimbledon champion; Boris Becker, three-time Wimbledon champion; and Stefan Edberg, winner of six Grand Slam singles titles.