When I was younger, I thought of giving tennis a shot. I bought a racket but was disappointed in the few occasions to get a game going. Courts were scarce as well as finding persons to play against, at least in Kingston where I was working at the time.
After three-years of limited matchups, I was considering hanging up the racket when I heard a fellow employee mention a girl from one of our other offices that was making a name for herself in neighbourhood competitions. I spurted out, “I can easily take any woman.”
Somehow my silly remark spread and soon the offer of a tennis match to match my mouth was arranged. Arriving at the assigned court with only my trusty racket, I noticed she had brought a duffel bag filled with tennis paraphernalia. There was no need to intimidate me, her reputation already had. Judy was her name and she looked quite athletic – broad shoulders making me look like a lightweight.
After a little warmup, we got down to business. The first game, she won on a tiebreaker but after that more good shots and pressure gave her the first match 6-0 in games. I was exhausted and threw in the towel in, humiliated to the core. A few employees who came to watch had smirks on their faces. After a week or so there was no more mention of my defeat. I then donated my racket to charity never to play again.
Then Jimmy Connors arrived on the scene. In 1971, Connors won the NCAA singles title at UCLA and attained All-American status. He turned pro in 1972,
I was hooked into becoming one of his fans. In fact he became my alter-ego. I would follow his career more than any others. “Jimmy, way to go and good luck.”
Acquiring a reputation as a maverick he won the 1973 U.S. Pro Singles, toppling Arthur Ashe in a five-set final. Connors played in the final of the US Open in five straight years from 1974 through 1978, winning three times. He reached the final of Wimbledon four out of five years during his peak
In 1974, Connors was the dominant player. He had a 99–4 record that year and won 15 tournaments of the 21 he entered. He was ranked No.1.
Connors grew up in East St. Louis. During his childhood he was coached and trained by his mother and grandmother. This relationship was often mocked. The sexist opinions were defended repeatedly over the years by Connors. The Connors family was constantly under scrutiny for the mother-son relationship.
The tennis phenom recalls a childhood memory when a few men beat up his mother at a public tennis court for simply asking them to turn down their music. Connors felt completely helpless watching her getting hurt. He uses that feeling of powerlessness on the court now to prove his control and power that other athletes were to fear.
Connors’ on-court antics, intended to get the crowd involved, both helped and hurt his play. Schwartz on ESPN said, “While tennis fans enjoyed Connors’s gritty style and his never-say-die attitude, they often were shocked. He was a media sensation due to his vulgarity and court antics. His persona was not always appreciated.”
The Connors – McEnroe rivalry is said to have been one of the most contentious and embittered in all of tennis history. Although Connors’ tour record against McEnroe was 14 of 20 matches, McEnroe six years younger than Connors won 12 out of their last 14 meetings.
In 1982, at age 29, Connors in the Wimbledon final faced McEnroe, rated as the world’s top player. Connors, only three points away from defeat came back and won the match claiming his second Wimbledon title, eight years after his first.
In the modern era of power tennis, the style of Connors’s play has often been cited as highly influential. Larry Schwartz said, “Connors biggest weapons were a steadfast spirit, a two-handed backhand and the best service return in the game. Connors made up for a lack of size with determination.”
In 1979 Connors married Playboy model Patti McGuire and live in the Santa Barbara, California with their two children.
Even past his prime, Connors surprised fans with his performance. Jimmy Connors biggest influence in life was his mother. When he finally retired, I lost much interest in tennis.
