In his hometown, McNamee won the boys' singles tournament at the 1973 Australian Open.

McNamee is the only player to switch a grip as a professional, changing from a one-handed backhand to two-handed in 1979.

[3] McNamee played a key role in the founding of the Hopman Cup international tennis tournament in 1988.

He served as tournament director of the Hopman Cup and CEO of the Australian Open until 2006.

[5] In late 2008, it was revealed that McNamee has joined the push for Australia to field a cycling team at the Tour de France – with support from Cadel Evans as a consultant for Australian Road Cycling, a Melbourne-based consortium.