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Jimmy Connors
Singles
Connors in 1994
Full name	James Scott Connors
Country (sports)	United States
Residence	Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Born	(1952-09-02) September 2, 1952 (age 72) Belleville, Illinois, U.S.
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Turned pro	1972
Retired	1996
Plays	Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Gloria Connors Pancho Segura
Prize money	,641,040
Int. Tennis HoF	1998 (member page)
Career record	1274–283 (81.82%) (81.8%)
Career titles	109 (1st in the Open Era)
Highest ranking	No. 1 (July 29, 1974)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	W (1974)
French Open	SF (1979, 1980, 1984, 1985)
Wimbledon	W (1974, 1982)
US Open	W (1974, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1983)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	W (1977)
Grand Slam Cup	1R (1991)
WCT Finals	W (1977, 1980)
Doubles
Career record	174–78 (68.9%)
Career titles	16
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	3R (1974)
French Open	F (1973)
Wimbledon	W (1973)
US Open	W (1975)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	W (1981)
Coaching career (2006–2015)
Andy Roddick (2006–2008) Maria Sharapova (2013) Eugenie Bouchard (2015)

James Scott Connors (born September 2, 1952) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. He was known for his fierce competitive spirit.

Connors held the top Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) ranking for a record 160 weeks in a row. This was from 1974 to 1977. In total, he was ranked No. 1 for 268 weeks during his career. He holds three major records for men's singles in the Open Era: 109 titles, 1,557 matches played, and 1,274 match wins.

His wins include eight major singles titles. He won the US Open five times, Wimbledon twice, and the Australian Open once. In 1974, he won three major titles in one year. He couldn't play in the fourth, the French Open, because of a ban. Connors was the year-end No. 1 player from 1974 to 1978. He retired from tennis in 1996 when he was 43 years old.

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Tennis Career Highlights

Early Years and First Wins

Connors grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois. His mother and grandmother coached him from a young age. He played in his first U.S. Championship at age nine. When he was 16, he went to Southern California to train with Pancho Segura.

In 1970, Connors won his first professional match. In 1971, he won the NCAA singles title while at UCLA. He became a professional player in 1972. He quickly won his first tournament, the Jacksonville Open.

Connors chose not to join the new Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) at first. Instead, he played in smaller tournaments. In 1973, he won his first big title, the U.S. Pro Singles. He beat Arthur Ashe in a tough five-set final.

Dominating the Courts (1974–1983)

Connors at the 1978 ABN Tennis Tournament with his steel racket

In 1974, Connors was the best player. He won 15 tournaments and had a record of 93 wins and only 4 losses. He won three of the four Grand Slam titles that year. He won the 1974 Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. He couldn't play in the French Open because of his involvement with World Team Tennis. This stopped him from winning all four major titles in one year.

In 1975, Connors reached the finals of Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. But he didn't win any of them. He won nine other tournaments that year. He kept his No. 1 ATP ranking.

In 1976, Connors won the US Open again, beating Björn Borg. He won 12 tournaments that year. He was ranked No. 1 by the ATP for the whole year.

In 1977, Connors lost in the Wimbledon and US Open finals. But he won the Masters and the WCT Finals. He won eight tournaments this year.

In 1978, Connors beat Borg in the US Open final. This was played on a hard court for the first time. Connors won the US Open on three different surfaces: grass (1974), clay (1976), and hard (1978). He won ten tournaments in 1978.

Connors became the world No. 1 on July 29, 1974. He held this spot for 160 weeks in a row. This was a record until Roger Federer broke it in 2007. He was the year-end No. 1 player from 1974 to 1978. In total, he was No. 1 for 268 weeks.

From 1979 to 1981, Connors often reached the semifinals of major events. He won the WCT Finals in 1980. He was usually ranked third in the world during these years.

In 1982, Connors had a great comeback. He beat John McEnroe in a close five-set match to win Wimbledon. He then beat Ivan Lendl to win the US Open. After the US Open, he became the ATP No. 1 again. He was named ATP Player of the Year.

In 1983, Connors won the US Open for a record fifth time. He beat Lendl in the final. This was his 100th tournament victory.

Later Career (1984–1996)

In 1984, Connors reached the finals of Wimbledon and the WCT finals. He also made it to the semifinals of the French Open, US Open, and Masters Cup. He won five tournaments and finished the year as the No. 2 player. In 1985, he reached the semifinals of three major tournaments. He was ranked No. 4 in the world that year, and again in 1987, when he was 35.

In 1988, Connors won his first title in four years. He won the Sovran Bank Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C. This was his 106th career title. He also won a title in Toulouse.

In 1989, Connors won his last career tournaments in Toulouse and Tel Aviv. He still holds the record for most men's singles titles in the Open Era with 109. At the 1989 US Open, he beat the third seed, Stefan Edberg. He then pushed Andre Agassi to five sets in the quarterfinals before losing. He ended 1989 ranked 14th in the world.

In 1990, Connors played only three matches due to a wrist injury. His ranking dropped to No. 936. But after surgery, he came back in 1991. He had an amazing run to the 1991 US Open semifinals. He called it "the best 11 days of my tennis career." He won several tough five-set matches, including one on his 39th birthday. He finally lost to Jim Courier in the semifinals.

In 1992, Connors continued to play well. He beat world No. 3, Michael Stich, at Memphis. He played in his last major tournament at the 1992 US Open. On his 40th birthday, he won his first-round match. He then lost to Lendl in the second round.

In September 1992, Connors played Martina Navratilova in a "Battle of the Sexes" match. Connors won the match.

He continued to play until April 1996, when he lost his last ATP Tour match in Atlanta. He was almost 44 years old.

Rivalries with Other Players

Connors had many famous rivalries during his career.

Björn Borg

Connors and Borg were big rivals, especially from 1974 to 1978. Borg won two Wimbledon finals against Connors (1977, 1978). Connors won two US Open finals against Borg (1976, 1978). Connors described their rivalry as "fire and ice."

Ilie Năstase

Ilie Năstase was another rival. Even though Nastase was six years older, he won many of their early matches. Later, Connors won more often. They also teamed up to win doubles titles at Wimbledon (1973) and the US Open (1975).

John McEnroe

Connors and John McEnroe had a very intense rivalry. McEnroe was 6.5 years younger. In 1982, Connors beat McEnroe in a thrilling five-set Wimbledon final. McEnroe won their Wimbledon final in 1984. Connors said they were "fire and fire" because they were so similar.

Ivan Lendl

Connors also had a rivalry with Ivan Lendl. Connors beat Lendl in the 1982 and 1983 US Open finals. Lendl was eight years younger than Connors. Lendl won most of their matches later in Connors' career.

Being a Maverick

Connors was known for being a bit of a rebel. In 1974, he was banned from the French Open. This was because he had signed a contract to play for World Team Tennis (WTT). The ATP and French officials didn't like WTT because of scheduling problems.

At Wimbledon in 1977, he didn't join a parade of past champions. He said it was because he was trying on a special splint for a thumb injury. He also often argued with umpires and linesmen. His strong personality and actions on court sometimes surprised fans.

Playing Style

Jimmy Connors (1978)

Jimmy Connors (2007)

Connors' playing style was very important in modern tennis. He was known for his strong spirit and his two-handed backhand. He also had one of the best service returns in the game. Even though he was smaller than many players, he made up for it with his determination.

He loved to get the crowd involved, whether they cheered or booed. He used this energy to his advantage in matches. His mother taught him to hit the ball "on the rise." This meant hitting the ball just after it bounced. This helped him use his opponents' power against them.

While many players used a "serve and volley" style, Connors mostly played from the baseline. He hit the ball flat and low. His serve was accurate but not as powerful as some other players. He used a steel racket called the "Wilson T2000" for many years. Most other pros used wooden rackets. In 1987, he finally switched to a graphite racket.

Life After Playing Tennis

Commentating

After retiring, Connors became a tennis commentator. He worked for NBC-TV for the French Open and Wimbledon. He also commentated for the BBC and the Tennis Channel. He often had lively discussions with John McEnroe during broadcasts.

Coaching

In 2006, Connors became the coach for American tennis player Andy Roddick. Roddick reached the US Open final that year. Their partnership ended in 2008. In 2013, Connors briefly coached former women's world No. 1 Maria Sharapova.

Author

In 2013, Connors wrote his autobiography called The Outsider. It won an award for "Best Autobiography/Biography."

Personal Life

Connors was engaged to fellow tennis star Chris Evert from 1974 to 1975. They both won the singles titles at Wimbledon in 1974. This was called "The Lovebird Double" by the media.

He is married and has two children, a son named Brett and a daughter named Aubree. They live in the Santa Barbara, California area.

In 2005, Connors had hip-replacement surgery. His mother, Gloria, passed away in 2007.

Career Statistics

Professional Awards

ITF World Champion: 1982
ATP Player of the Year: 1974, 1982
ATP Comeback Player of the Year: 1991

Distinctions and Honors

Connors is often seen as one of the greatest tennis players ever. He won a record 109 singles titles in the Open Era. He also won 16 doubles titles, including Wimbledon in 1973 and the US Open in 1975. He has won more matches (1,274) than any other male professional tennis player in the Open Era.

He reached the semifinals or better at Grand Slam events 31 times. He reached the quarterfinals or better 41 times. This is impressive because he only played the Australian Open twice. He also skipped the French Open for five of his best years.

Connors is the only male player to win the US Open on three different surfaces: grass, clay, and hard.

He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998. He also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

Images for kids

Jimmy Connors (1978)
Jimmy Connors (2007)