Jimmy Connors
James Scott Connors ( born September 2, 1952 in Belleville, Illinois ) is a former American professional tennis player.
Connors, who played his last game at the age of 43 years on the professional tour, won in his career total of eight Grand Slam tournaments in singles and two Grand Slam tournaments in doubles. Five years in a row (1974-1978) ended Connors a season at the top of the tennis world rankings and was a total of 268 weeks, the world No. 1 ranking. The American, who distinguished himself especially in his early years through his controversial behavior both on and off the tennis court, was one of the most dominant tennis players of the 1970s and early 1980s.
In a total of 25 years as a professional Connors won 108 tournaments in singles competition, and 15 titles in doubles, including the U.S. Open five times, Wimbledon twice and once the Australian Open. Only the success at the French Open, where he failed four times in the semifinals, Connors was denied in his career. In addition, he once won the Masters and reached the 1984 Davis Cup final with the American team. In its balance sheet are 1242 games won over 277 games lost.
Tennis career
Jimmy Connors ' professional career began in the 1972 season, after he had in the years before the American College Championship won among other things, in singles and has participated in several Grand Slam tournaments as an amateur. The breakthrough on the professional tour already succeeded in his debut season in which he won no less than five tournaments. In the 1973 season followed by eleven other individual instruments yea, also the doubles title at Wimbledon. But off the field Connors made headlines by refusing his entry into the newly formed players union ATP and left out a lot of the major season tournaments. Instead, he played on one of his manager Bill Riordan newly created tournament series.
On the tennis court Connors reached at the beginning of his career, sometimes unpopular methods by inciting the public against his opponents and insulted the referee and opponents. 1974 signed the American contract a match for the World Team Tennis game series, and he has been banned by the ATP for the French Open. Connors and Riordan responded with a lawsuit against the association and its president Arthur Ashe on the grounds that the ATP cabinets it in its backlash. In fact, the French Open was the only Grand Slam tournament of the 1974 season, the Connors could not decide for himself, and the lock may be prevented the first player Grand Slam win since Rod Laver in 1969. During the 1974 season could Connor's first time taking the top position of introduced last year tennis world rankings and hold this position for the same record number of 160 weeks. The record was only broken in 2007 by Swiss Roger Federer.
In his fourth professional season in 1975 Connors reached in all Grand Slam tournaments in which he competed as title holder, turn the final, but lost all three encounters. At the Australian Open after the Americans should never even run again. Only the doubles title at the U.S. Open was ultimately in his Grand Slam record of success that year. In the finals of Wimbledon, there was a media-savvy duel because Connors met Arthur Ashe, the chairman of the players' union ATP. Ashe won the match in four sets, and a short time later, Connors pulled his complaints back and parted with Riordan Manager. In 1976, the fourth Grand Slam triumph, as if he could defeat the Swede Bjorn Borg at the U.S. Open. Although the dispute was settled with the ATP, Connors continued to provide a negative headlines. So he refused in the 1977 season, attend an event to celebrate the centenary of the Wimbledon Tournament and was booed as a result in his tournament matches. However, he reached the final, where he was Björn Borg this time however inferior. In the same season, Connors was the first time the season final Masters win ( where he did not compete in the years 1974 to 1976, despite the successful qualification).
In 1978, Connors two other Grand Slam finals. At Wimbledon, he was again Björn Borg inferior, but in the final of the U.S. Open the Americans saw the successful revenge against the Swedes and the third U.S. Open triumph of his career. It should be the last Grand Slam title for the next nearly four years for Connors. From 1979 to 1981 he played while still successful in the four major tournaments and was able to play for the semi-finals in nine tournaments eight times, but won in all experiments no further Grand Slam titles. It was not until the 1982 season succeeded Connors ( who should return to this position only for a few weeks after losing the top of world rankings on 9 April 1979 ), the renewed step in a major final. In the battle against the younger American John McEnroe in the final of Wimbledon Connors could enter through a five-set win the sixth Grand Slam triumph of his career. Later in the season followed by the fourth title at the U.S. Open, this time in the final against Ivan Lendl. Against Lendl should succeed him in the following year at the U.S. Open, the first successful title defense of his career at a Grand Slam tournament. However, it was also the last major tournament victory for him, because although it 1984 again the final in Wimbledon reached, but there was able to win against John McEnroe only entire four game wins the match history. 1984 Connors succeeded the third jump in the semifinals of the French Open, where, how, followed by a defeat in the following year.
It was not until the 1988 season, to Connors to win a tournament on the ATP Tour again. The once aggressive player a respected, elderly personality had become on the tour. Much attention was for this reason his winning streak at the U.S. Open in the 1991 season ( after 1990 only three tournament games contested and has already spoken openly about a career end ) when he penetrated to the semifinals to there eventually his compatriot Jim Courier to subject. Until the 1996 season into Connors played a few isolated tournaments on the tour until he finally ended his career after 25 years as a pro. In 1998, Jimmy Connors was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
From July 2006 to May 2008, he was the coach of his compatriot and former world number one Andy Roddick.
According to a study from Northwestern University in 2010, according to Jimmy Connors was the time of the study most successful tennis players of all time.
In July 2013 he was engaged by Maria Sharapova as a coach, but the two broke up after only one game back.
Private life
In the 70s saw a relationship between Connors and the former number one women's world rankings Chris Evert stir. It came to an engagement, which was released again in 1975.
In 1980 he married Patti McGuire, with whom he has two children, son Brett and daughter Aubree Leigh. The family lives in Santa Barbara, California. Patti McGuire ( born September 5, 1951 in Dexter, Missouri) was U.S. Playmate of the Month for November (1976 ) and U.S. Playmate of the Year 1977. In German Playboy she was in April 1982 with the photos from the U.S. November issue of 1976 once again represented.
Statistics and Records
- With 109 individual titles Connors holds the record for most tournament wins in the individual competition.
- 160 weeks consecutively Connors was the No. 1 world ranking, a record which was surpassed by the Swiss Roger Federer on 27 February 2007. Overall, Connors was 268 weeks at the top of the world rankings, only Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Ivan Lendl were successful.
- Connors is the only player to win the U.S. Open in his career on three different surfaces. In 1974 he won the discharged on grass courts tournament, 1976, he triumphed on clay and the years 1978, 1982 and 1983 on hard court.
- With 1222 professional victories Connors holds the record in the list of players with the most professional match successes.
- Connors holds the long-term records for various statistics around the world tennis rankings. To the Americans, the player with the most years in the top two players in the world rankings (8, along with Roger Federer ), most years, among the top three in the world rankings (12 ), the top four (14 ), and the Top Ten (16) Top 50 (18 ) and top 100 (19 years). The last three records he shares with his compatriot Andre Agassi.
Grand Slam success
Win
Final Loss
Career Record
Results in brackets = statistics from amateur years
Digits = 1st - 3rd Round of the tournament; AF = knockout stages; VF = quarter-finals; HF = semis; F = final; S = tournament victory;