Jimmy Connors

Jimmy Connors Speaker Biography

World Tennis Champion, Eight-Time Grand Slam
Tournament Singles Winner, including five U.S. Opens

An indefatigable fighter, the champion every fan wanted to watch, a compelling player who was groomed for greatness by the coaching of his mother and grandmother, Jimmy Connors may have done more to raise the profile of tennis than any other competitor in a golden stretch for the game in the 1970s and 1980s. The only player ever to win the US Open on three different surfaces (grass, clay, and hard courts), he was the world’s top ranked player for five consecutive years (1974-78). He set a modern era record for men with 109 tournament victories.

Career Highlights

Jimmy Connors won eight Grand Slam singles championships: five U.S. Opens, two Wimbledons, one Australian Open. He did not participate in the French Open during his peak years (1974–78) and only played in two Australian Opens in his entire career, winning it in 1974 and reaching the final in 1975.

In 1974, Connors was by far the most dominant player. He had a stunning 99–4 record that year and won 15 tournaments, including all the Grand Slam singles titles except the French Open. The French Open did not allow Connors to participate due to his association with World Team Tennis (WTT). However, he won the Australian Open, defeating Phil Dent in four sets. He also beat Ken Rosewall in straight sets in the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open. His exclusion from the French Open may have prevented him from becoming the first man player since Rod Laver to win all four Major singles titles in a calendar year.

Connors reached the final of the US Open in five straight years from 1974 through 1978, winning three times with each win being on a different surface (1974 on grass, 1976 on clay and 1978 on hard). He reached the final of Wimbledon four out of five years during his peak (1974, 1975, 1977 and 1978). Despite not being allowed to play in the French Open in his prime, he was still able to reach the semifinals four times in his later years. In the open era, Connors is one of only six men to win three or more Grand Slam singles titles in a calendar year.

Connors reached the world no. 1 ranking on July 29, 1974 and held it for 160 consecutive weeks (a record until it was surpassed by Roger Federer on February 26, 2007). He was considered the year-end no. 1 player from 1974 through 1978 and held the world no. 1 ranking for a total of 268 weeks during his career.

Book

Connors’ autobiography is scheduled to be released in May 2013 from Harper Collins. In The Outsider, Connors tells the complete, uncensored story of his life and career, setting the record straight about his formidable mother, Gloria; his very public romance with America’s sweetheart, Chris Evert; his famous competitors and his personal life.

Post-Competitive Career

In addition to being a brand endorser for the some of the biggest Fortune 500 companies, Jimmy has recently served as a commentator and analyst for the Tennis Channel and the BBC.