Tennis has always been considered an elite sport. At first, it was played by the "cream" of society, but now any person with sufficient talent and good technique is able to become a tennis player. History has known many champions in this sport who came from the bottom. Among them, Jimmy Connors is a tennis player who not only became a champion, but also achieved the love and recognition of the audience, although he often behaved like a hooligan on the court.
Childhood of Jimmy Connors
James Scott Connors was born in September 1952 in the USA. His mother, Gloria, was fond of tennis in her youth and even ranked thirteenth in the list of US junior tennis players. That is why the barely young Jimmy was two years old, as he was already learning to hold a heavy tennis racket. Having absorbed the love of this game with his mother's milk, the boy quickly learned and made progress.
Behind the small house of the Connors family there was a private court, which made it possible for the guy to devote all his free time to his favorite pastime. In addition, parentsthey took Jimmy with them to all the competitions in which his mother participated. Watching professional tennis players, he gradually formed his own style of play.
First steps in the world of tennis
When Jimmy Connors grew up (he turned 16), Gloria saw that professionally he outgrew her. Therefore, she began to look for a suitable coach for her child. They became Pancho Segura. It was this "veteran of the court" who helped the young man hone his skills.
Jimmy was left-handed from birth, which gave him an advantage over opponents who are used to playing with right-handers. In addition, through the efforts of the new coach, the guy brought his backhand (backhand) to perfection.
After leaving school, Jimmy Connors, thanks to his talent as a tennis player, easily entered a college where athletes were held in high esteem. However, he quickly realized that he would have to choose either the game or study, since he simply did not have enough time for everything.
Throwing out of school, the young man focused on his sports career. Rick Riordan became his coach. With his help, at the age of twenty, Jimmy Connors had already started playing tennis at a professional level.
In his first year, Jimmy won seventy-five tournaments, becoming the first male tennis player in the United States. In 1973, this athlete retained the championship. And the next year was even more successful in the life of Connors, or "Jimbo", as his fans called him.
Peak of popularity
1974 marked Connors' highest achievement. He participated inthree Grand Slam tournaments and won all of them (Australia, Wimbledon, Forest Hills). However, in the fourth tournament (France), he was banned from participating. The judges justified this ban by the fact that Jimmy Connors already plays in the world tennis team.
This event, of course, upset the tennis player, because it was an honor to win all four Grand Slam tournaments. However, even without this, he remained the favorite of the public and the best tennis player in the world.
The next four years, Connors held the title of the first racket of the world. And even losing this title to another, the athlete continued to win in the most prestigious tournaments on the planet.
However, gradually new stars began to light up in the tennis sky, and the public began to get tired of the impudent “tennis hooligan” who celebrates every victory with his signature punch in the air.
Career sunset
Despite his talent, over time, Jimmy Connors began to take a little. At first it was a small defeat. However, in May 1984, the athlete suffered his most crushing defeat from Ivan Lendl in the Grand Slam tournament in Forest Hills. Connors lost to the opponent with a score of 0-6, 0-6. It is not known what caused such a defeat, because the previous two years, Jimmy beat Ivan in US Open tournaments.
After that, Jimmy Connors (photo below) began to appear on the court less and less, preferring to watch the game in the ranks of the spectators. In addition, in one of the matches he received a serious wrist injury. Because of this, he was forced to abstain for almost a year.participation in competitions.
However, this could not last long, because Jimbo loved the game itself, and not just winning and success. That is why, at the very beginning of the nineties, on the eve of his fortieth birthday, Connors decided to once again enter the court.
Triumphant return in 1991
In 1991, Jimmy Connors took part in the Grand Slam tournament held in Forest Hills. From the "veteran of the court", as the audience already considered Connors at that time, they did not expect anything special. The most an aged Jimbo could hope for was to lose to a younger opponent with a decent score. Indeed, at that time, in the Internet ranking of world tennis players, Connors was ranked 936th, and according to official statistics - 174th.
In the first match against young Patrick McEnroe, Jimmy was losing, but unexpectedly for everyone in the last fifteen minutes he was able to literally snatch victory from the opponent.
In the next two "battles" Connors defeated his opponents: Michael Schappers and world No. 10 Karel Nowacek.
Jimbo's fourth opponent was the young Aaron Krickstein, who beat the strongest opponents of the tournament. Being a fan of Jimmy as a child, the young man thoroughly studied all his trademark blows and learned to reflect them.
The match between Krickstein and Connors lasted almost five hours, during which time both tennis players showed an excellent game. However, the veteran managed to become the winner, proving that there is still gunpowder in the flasks. In the last hour of the game, when both athletes practically fell down fromexhausted, the whole stadium (even the opponent's fans) began to shout out the name "Jimbo"!
After this huge win, the fans nicknamed Jimmy Connors "Mr. Open".
Jimbo completed his sports career only after five years. However, feeling more strength in himself, the athlete decided to become a coach of the younger generation.
Coaching
Ceased to play himself, Connors began to teach other athletes. At one time he was the coach of the American tennis player Andy Roddick, who achieved the title of the first racket of the world.
Later, Jimbo's ward was the Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova. However, they did not get along and soon ceased cooperation.
Jimmy Connors: records
During his career, the athlete has achieved significant results. Moreover, many of his records could only be broken recently. He became the record holder for the number of victories at the American Grand Slam tournament (US Open) by Jimmy Connors.
His achievements are great: Connors is the owner of 120 sports titles, and so far no one has been able to surpass him in this regard. In addition, he won 233 singles matches at various Grand Slam tournaments (this record was only broken in 2012).
Among other things, Connors won the semi-finals of the US Open twelve years in a row and the quarter-finals of Wimbledon for eleven years.
The athlete was able to be in the top three tennis players in the world for twelve years in a row and fourteen in the top four.
Having received the title of the first racket of the world in 1974, he was able to hold it for 160 weeks. In total, he was the best tennis player in the world for 268 weeks (the fourth result in the history of tennis).
The only one of the four Grand Slams that Connors didn't win was Roland Garros.
Did Jimmy Connors lose? Of course, there were defeats. However, he won 80% of the matches played.
Jimmy Connors: personal life
Having achieved success in 1974 in career terms, the athlete met his love in the same period. His lover was the US tennis champion Chris Evert. The star couple instantly became America's favorites, after a short engagement, a wedding was even scheduled, but unexpectedly the lovers parted.
Only years later it turned out that Chris, having become pregnant by Jimmy, felt that the child would interfere with her career, and had an abortion. Soon after, the lovers broke up, but were able to maintain friendly relations.
Ms. Connors was destined to become one of the sexiest women on the planet - Playboy model Patty McGuire. Despite the apparent flightiness, this long-legged beauty became a faithful wife to Jimmy and bore him two children.
The history of tennis knows more productive athletes than Jimmy Connors. However, he will forever remain in the memory of the fans as an athlete with a capital letter, who proved that even age and numerous injuries cannot prevent the achievement of the goal.
