In his prime, Jimmy Connors personified the spirit of
the American Wild West. He strode on court like a gunfighter,
ready to take on all-comers, and usually, he saw them all
off! There was only one 'Jimbo' and there was nothing he
liked better than a good scrap.
Connors, the 'street-fighter', was always a strong contender
for any title, playing with a steel racket, the T-2000,
throughout his career. He wielded it like a club and remained
faithful to it throughout his career, using it long after
it had been discarded by others and discontinued by the
manufacturer.
In general his game had weaknesses. His strokes, whilst
effective, were not in the classical mode and his serve
was rather limited. Even so, opponents found him hard to
beat for the one true weapon he did possess was a devastating
double-handed backhand and an ability to control points
with his ground-strokes, especially from the back of the
court.
He was also one of the fittest players on the circuit and
always prepared to run down balls, never giving up what
many would consider lost causes.
Connors first came into the world spotlight when the sport
started to boom in the early seventies, and played a major
role in influencing its development with his exciting approach
to the game and personal charisma, all of which made him
a major attraction whenever and wherever he competed.
He was great at interacting with the crowds with jocular
asides, often aimed at officials but well out of their earshot,
as were many of the uncouth gestures he made, again always
making sure his back was to the umpire! All-in-all, his
aggressive style of play coupled with his antics, ensured
he was credited with changing "the genteel game of
tennis into a sport of pugilism in designer shorts!"
His rivalry with Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and, to a lesser
extent, Ivan Lendl, ensured that the professional game received
high profile press coverage. In fact that rivalry remains
good for the box-office even today on the senior tour for Over 35s,
which Connors went on to successfully establish after his
eventual retirement.
He won Wimbledon twice during a remarkable career which
spanned some 23 years, reaching the singles final on three
other occasions. His first triumph was in 1974 when he defeated
the popular Australian Ken Rosewall in straight sets. Then
as defending champion and favourite, he suffered a high
profile defeat in the 1975 final, losing to Arthur Ashe
1-6, 1-6, 7-5, 4-6, unable to counteract what has been described
as "one of the cleverest tactical displays ever seen
on Centre Court."
That final was also the occasion when a Connors fan urged
him loudly from the stands, bellowing "Come on, Jimmy"
at his frustrated hero only to receive an equally acerbic
and loud response: "I’m trying, for Christ’s
sake!"
His second triumph came seven years later, in 1982, when
it was his turn to topple the top seed and defending champion,
McEnroe, in the final. The previous year McEnroe had ended
Borg’s long five year reign as Wimbledon champion
and the American was expected to establish himself in a
similar manner over the coming years. That forecast was
cut short by the battling Connors who prevailed over his
rival in the fifth, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4.
When Connors eventually retired, he had amassed 109 titles,
a record which will be hard to beat in this hectic professional
day. In addition to the aforementioned Wimbledon successes,
he also won five US Opens (1974, 1976, 1978, 1982 &
‘83) and the Australian Open (1974). In doubles, in
partnership with Ilie Nastase, the titles at Wimbledon (1973)
and the US Open (1975) fell to their combined efforts.
Connors also has the unique distinction of having won the
US Open on three different surfaces, on grass in 1974, clay
in 1976 and then on the hard-courts of Flushing Meadows.
He was 31 years of age when he won his last one and eight
years later, at 39, he was still battling on, reaching the
semi-finals where he lost to Jim Courier.
His fighting qualities were also evident in Paris where
you would least expect his style of play to be successful.
He never won the French Open but he did reach the semi-finals
twice and made the last eight three times.
His most successful year was 1974 when he played and won
three of the four Grand Slam championships. He might well
have made a clean sweep of it but was sidelined from the
French having been barred for signing up to a World Team
Tennis contract.
Connors will always be remembered as a player who never
gave up, was hard-hitting and extremely focused on the task
in hand. Spectators watching Connors play always knew he
would give more than a hundred percent, even when a score
line against him would suggest the opposite.
Written by Henry Wancke
JIMMY CONNORS
Singles Champion: 1974, 1982
Singles Runner-up: 1975, 1977, 1978, 1984,
Doubles Champion: 1973
