Jimmy Connors

Jimmy Connors, also known as James Scott Connors, is an American professional tennis player who was born on September 2, 1952, in East Saint Louis, Illinois.

He held the ATP world number one position for 268 weeks, including 160 straight weeks between 1974 and 1977. During his very lengthy career (1972–1996), he won eight Grand Slam singles championships, including the US Open five times and Wimbledon twice. He is regarded as one of the best tennis players of all time with 149 trophies under his belt, including 109 singles titles classified by the ATP, the most ever in the Open era.

His position in the Top 3 of the world ranking at the end of the singles season for 12 years (from 1973 to 1984)—including five in a row in first place—is one of his most important achievements, perhaps one of the most underappreciated and yet noteworthy (from 1974 to 1978). Record is still unmatched today; neither Lendl nor the Big 3—Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic—have achieved it.

He was a strong-willed left-handed player who was among the first to overuse his two-handed backhand, which he loved to blast as hard as he could from the back of the court as soon as the service was reinstituted.

His unwavering competitiveness, charm, and sense of humor eventually helped him over the years to become one of the players most well-liked by the general public after he was once deemed to be excessively arrogant by the tennis community in the 1970s.

Jimmy Connors wed Playmate Patti McGuire, who was named Playmate of the Year in 1977 and Miss November 1976, and the couple had two children.

Gameplay style

One of the best players throughout the Open era may be Jimmy Connors. Only Bill Tilden, Pancho Gonzales, and Ken Rosewall—whom he defeated in the Wimbledon and US Open finals in his forties—have had careers as lengthy as his in terms of chronology. Jimmy Connors is regarded as one of the best raisers of all time. In addition to his tremendous combativeness, Jimmy Connors’ left-handed game is centered around his powerful two-handed backhand, played flat, and his service returns of exceptional quality. His other talents were defensive shots, including passing shots and lobs (he was one of the finest lobbers ever), all of which were paired with outstanding footwork.

On the other side, his forehand was thought to be his (relative) weak spot, occasionally drifting and inaccurate, particularly on a low, soft, and angleless ball. But in order to have the chance to shoot for it, he already had to be able to control the tremendous aggression emanating from the baseline of his two-handed backhand.

In the 1970s, this two-handed backhand was still not very common and was more or less “frowned upon,” but today, three-quarters of professional players use it. Together with Björn Borg, Connors contributed to its popularization and granted it its letters of nobility. He became a player because of his career’s extraordinary length , extremely popular in the United States. However, Connors went through several phases with American audiences. Unappreciated in the 1970s until the arrival of John McEnroe, who monopolized public grudges at the turn of the 1980s, Connors gained respect as he grew older.

His youthful conceit evolved into a combativeness that was revered by Americans and later admired by Europeans as well; one of his final encounters raised the spirits of the French audience. Connors battled Michael Chang in the 1/16 final of Roland-Garros 1991 for more than three hours before finally giving up in the fifth set, worn out but not before taking the fourth round and the first point on a backhand assault.

ATP singles titles: 109

• 109 listed by the ATP website

	Year	Tournament name and location	Surface	Finalist	Score
1	1972	Jacksonville Florida International (États-Unis)	Dur (int.)	Guillermo Vilas	7-5, 6-4
2	1972	Roanoke Virginia International (États-Unis)	Dur (int.)	Vladimír Zedník	6-4, 7-6
3	1972	Queen’s (Londres) Grass Court (Angleterre)	Gazon	John Paish	6-2, 6-3
4	1972	Columbus Buckeye Classic (États-Unis)	Dur	Andrew Pattison	7-5, 6-3, 7-5
5	1972	Cincinnati Western Championships (États-Unis)	Terre battue	Guillermo Vilas	6-3, 6-3
6	1972	Albany Golden Gate Pacific Coast (États-Unis)	Moquette (ext.)	Roscoe Tanner	6-2, 7-6
7	1973	Baltimore International Indoor (États-Unis)	Dur (int.)	Sandy Mayer	6-4, 7-5
8	1973	Roanoke Virginia International (États-Unis)	Dur	Ian Fletcher	6-2, 6-3
9	1973	Salt Lake City Utah International (États-Unis)	Dur (int.)	Paul Gerken	6-1, 6-2
10	1973	Salisbury U.S. National Indoor (États-Unis)	Dur (int.)	Karl Meiler	7-6, 7-6, 6-3
11	1973	Hampton Coliseum Mall International (États-Unis)	Dur (int.)	Ilie Năstase	4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3
12	1973	Paramus Garcia Tennis Classic (États-Unis)	Dur (int.)	Clark Graebner	6-1, 6-2
13	1973	Boston US Pro Championships (États-Unis)	Dur	Arthur Ashe	6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
14	1973	Columbus City National Buckeye (États-Unis)	Dur	Charlie Pasarell	3-6, 6-3, 6-3
15	1973	Los Angeles Pacific Southwest Open (États-Unis)	Dur	Tom Okker	7-5, 7-6
16	1973	Québec Rothmans International (Canada)	Moquette (int.)?	Marty Riessen	6-1, 6-4, 6-7, 6-0
17	1973	Johannesburg South African Open (Afrique du Sud)	Dur	Arthur Ashe	6-4, 7-6, 6-3
18	1974	Australian Open (Melbourne) (Australie)	Gazon	Phil Dent	7-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
19	1974	Roanoke Virginia International (États-Unis)	Dur?(int.)	Karl Meiler	6-4, 6-3
20	1974	Little Rock Arkansas International (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Karl Meiler	6-2, 6-1
21	1974	Birmingham International Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Sandy Mayer	7-5, 6-3
22	1974	Salisbury U.S. National Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Frew McMillan	6-4, 7-5, 6-3
23	1974	Hampton Coliseum Mall International (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Ilie Năstase	6-4, 6-4
24	1974	Salt Lake City Utah International (États-Unis)	Moquette?(int.)	Vitas Gerulaitis	4-6, 7-6, 6-3
25	1974	Tempe Arizona International (États-Unis)	Dur	Vijay Amritraj	6-2, 6-3
26	1974	Manchester Northern Grass Court (Angleterre)	Gazon	Mike Collins	13-11, 6-2
27	1974	Wimbledon (Angleterre)	Gazon	Ken Rosewall	6-1, 6-1, 6-4
28	1974	Indianapolis U.S. Clay Court (États-Unis)	Terre battue	Björn Borg	5-7, 6-3, 6-4
29	1974	US Open (Forest Hills) (États-Unis)	Gazon	Ken Rosewall	6-1, 6-0, 6-1
30	1974	Los Angeles Pacific Southwest Open (États-Unis)	Dur	Harold Solomon	6-3, 6-1
31	1974	Londres Dewar Cup (Angleterre)	Moquette (int.)	Brian Gottfried	6-2, 7-6
32	1974	Johannesburg South African Open (Afrique du Sud)	Dur	Arthur Ashe	7-6, 6-3, 6-1
33	1975	Freeport International Tennis Open (Bahamas)	Dur?(o)	Karl Meiler	6-0, 6-2
34	1975	Birmingham International Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Billy Martin	6-4, 6-3
35	1975	Salisbury U.S. National Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Vitas Gerulaitis	5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0
36	1975	Boca Raton Boca West International (États-Unis)	Dur	Jürgen Fassbender	6-4, 6-2
37	1975	Hampton Coliseum Mall International (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Jan Kodeš	3-6, 6-3, 6-0
38	1975	Denver/WCT United Bank Classic (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Brian Gottfried	6-3, 6-4
39	1975	North Conway Volvo International (États-Unis)	Terre battue	Ken Rosewall	6-2, 6-2
40	1975	Hamilton Princess Tennis Classic (Bermudes)	Terre battue	Vitas Gerulaitis	6-1, 6-4
41	1975	Maui Island Holidays Pro Tennis (États-Unis)	Dur	Sandy Mayer	6-1, 6-0
42	1976	Birmingham/WCT International Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Roscoe Tanner	6-4, 3-6, 6-1
43	1976	Philadelphie/WCT U.S. Pro Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Björn Borg	7-6, 6-4, 6-0
44	1976	Hampton Coliseum Mall International (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Ilie Năstase	6-2, 6-2, 6-2
45	1976	Palm Springs American Airlines Tennis (États-Unis)	Dur	Roscoe Tanner	6-4, 6-4
46	1976	Denver/WCT United Bank Classic (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Ross Case	7-6, 6-2
47	1976	Las Vegas Alan King Classic (États-Unis)	Dur	Ken Rosewall	6-1, 6-3
48	1976	Washington Star International (États-Unis)	Terre battue	Raúl Ramírez	6-2, 6-4
49	1976	North Conway Volvo International (États-Unis)	Terre battue	Raúl Ramírez	7-6, 4-6, 6-3
50	1976	Indianapolis U.S. Clay Court (États-Unis)	Terre battue	Wojtek Fibak	6-2, 6-4
51	1976	US Open (Forest Hills) (États-Unis)	Terre battue	Björn Borg	6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4
52	1976	Cologne Cup (Allemagne)	Moquette (int.)	Frew McMillan	6-2, 6-3
53	1976	Tournoi de tennis de Wembley (Londres) Indoor (Angleterre)	Moquette (int.)	Roscoe Tanner	3-6, 7-6, 6-4
54	1977	Birmingham/WCT International Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Bill Scanlon	6-3, 6-3
55	1977	Saint-Louis/WCT Classic (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	John Alexander	7-6, 6-2
56	1977	Las Vegas Alan King Caesars Palace (États-Unis)	Dur	Raúl Ramírez	6-4, 5-7, 6-2
57	1977	Dallas Finales/WCT (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Dick Stockton	6-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3
58	1977	Maui Island Holidays Pro Tennis (États-Unis)	Dur	Brian Gottfried	6-2, 6-0
59	1977	Sydney Australian Indoor Championships (Australie)	Dur (int.)	Ken Rosewall	7-5, 6-4, 6-2
60	1977	Las Vegas/WCT Challenge Cup (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Roscoe Tanner	6-2, 5-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-5
61	1978	Masters New York (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Björn Borg	6-4, 1-6, 6-4
62	1978	Philadelphie/WCT INA. U.S. Pro Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Roscoe Tanner	6-2, 6-4, 6-3
63	1978	Denver United Bank Tennis Classic (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Stan Smith	6-2, 7-6
64	1978	Memphis U.S. National Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Tim Gullikson	7-6, 6-3
65	1978	Rotterdam/WCT ABN World Tennis (Pays-Bas)	Moquette (int.)	Raúl Ramírez	7-5, 7-5
66	1978	Birmingham John Player Tennis (Angleterre)	Gazon (int.)	Raúl Ramírez	6-3, 6-1, 6-2
67	1978	Washington Star International (États-Unis)	Terre battue	Eddie Dibbs	7-5, 7-5
68	1978	Indianapolis U.S. Clay Court (États-Unis)	Terre battue	José Higueras	7-5, 6-1
69	1978	Stowe English Leather Grand Prix (États-Unis)	Dur	Tim Gullikson	6-2, 6-3
70	1978	US Open (Flushing Meadows) (États-Unis)	Dur	Björn Borg	6-4, 6-2, 6-2
71	1978	Sydney Australian Indoor Championships (Australie)	Dur (int.)	Geoff Masters	6-0, 6-0, 6-4
72	1979	Birmingham International Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Eddie Dibbs	6-2, 3-6, 7-5
73	1979	Philadelphie INA. U.S. Pro Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Arthur Ashe	6-3, 6-4, 6-1
74	1979	Dorado Beach/WCT T.O.C. (Porto Rico)	Dur	Vitas Gerulaitis	6-5, 6-0, 6-4
75	1979	Memphis U.S. National Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Arthur Ashe	6-4, 5-7, 6-3
76	1979	Tulsa Bank of Oklahoma Classic (États-Unis)	Dur (int.)	Eddie Dibbs	6-7, 7-5, 6-1
77	1979	Indianapolis U.S. Clay Court (États-Unis)	Terre battue	Guillermo Vilas	6-1, 2-6, 6-4
78	1979	Stowe English Leather Grand Prix (États-Unis)	Dur	Mike Cahill	6-0, 6-1
79	1979	Hong Kong Classic (Chine)	Dur	Pat Dupré	7-5, 6-3, 6-1
80	1980	Birmingham International Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Eliot Teltscher	6-3, 6-2
81	1980	Philadelphie U.S. Pro Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	John McEnroe	6-3, 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
82	1980	Dallas Finales/WCT (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	John McEnroe	2-6, 7-6, 6-1, 6-2
83	1980	North Conway Volvo International (États-Unis)	Terre battue	Eddie Dibbs	6-3, 5-7, 6-1
84	1980	Canton Grand Prix (Chine)	Moquette (int.)	Eliot Teltscher	6-2, 6-4
85	1980	Tôkyô Indoor Seiko World Super Tennis (Japon)	Moquette (int.)	Tom Gullikson	6-1, 6-2
86	1981	La Quinta Grand Marnier ATP (États-Unis)	Dur	Ivan Lendl	6-3, 7-6
87	1981	Bruxelles Belgian Indoor Championships (Belgique)	Moquette (int.)	Brian Gottfried	6-2, 6-4, 6-3
88	1981	Rotterdam ABN World Tennis (Pays-Bas)	Dur (int.)	Gene Mayer	6-1, 2-6, 6-2
89	1981	Tournoi de tennis de Wembley (Londres) Indoor (Angleterre)	Moquette (int.)	John McEnroe	3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
90	1982	Monterrey Copa Monterrey (Mexique)	Moquette (int.)	Johan Kriek	6-2, 3-6, 6-3
91	1982	Los Angeles Pacific Southwest Open (États-Unis)	Dur	Mel Purcell	6-2, 6-1
92	1982	Las Vegas Alan King Caesars Palace (États-Unis)	Dur	Gene Mayer	5-2, ab.
93	1982	Queen’s (Londres) Grass Court (Angleterre)	Gazon	John McEnroe	7-5, 6-3
94	1982	Wimbledon (Angleterre)	Gazon	John McEnroe	3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4
95	1982	Columbus National Revenue Tennis (États-Unis)	Dur	Brian Gottfried	7-5, 6-0
96	1982	US Open (Flushing Meadows) (États-Unis)	Dur	Ivan Lendl	6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
97	1983	Memphis U.S. National Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Gene Mayer	7-5, 6-0
98	1983	Las Vegas Alan King Caesars Palace (États-Unis)	Dur	Mark Edmondson	7-6, 6-1
99	1983	Queen’s (Londres) Grass Court (Angleterre)	Gazon	John McEnroe	6-3, 6-3
100	1983	US Open (Flushing Meadows) (États-Unis)	Dur	Ivan Lendl	6-3, 6-7, 7-5, 6-0
101	1984	Memphis U.S. National Indoor (États-Unis)	Moquette (int.)	Henri Leconte	6-3, 4-6, 7-5
102	1984	La Quinta Congoleum Classic (États-Unis)	Dur	Yannick Noah	6-2, 6-7, 6-3
103	1984	Boca West Paine Webber Classic (États-Unis)	Dur	Johan Kriek	7-5, 6-4
104	1984	Los Angeles Pacific Southwest Open (États-Unis)	Dur	Eliot Teltscher	6-4, 4-6, 6-4
105	1984	Tôkyô Indoor Seiko World Super Tennis (Japon)	Moquette (int.)	Ivan Lendl	6-4, 3-6, 6-0
106	1988	Washington Sovran Bank Classic (États-Unis)	Dur	Andrés Gómez	6-1, 6-4
107	1988	Toulouse Nabisco Grand Prix Olympia (France)	Dur (int.)	Andrei Chesnokov	6-2, 6-0
108	1989	Toulouse Grand Prix de Toulouse (France)	Dur (int.)	John McEnroe	6-3, 6-3
109	1989	Tel Aviv Riklis Tennis Center Classic (Israël)	Dur	Gilad Bloom	2-6, 6-2, 6-1

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