Jimmy Connors

Jimmy Connors, born in 1952, American professional tennis player, one of the top players in the world in the 1970s and 1980s. He won eight grand slam singles tournaments, including one Australian Open (1974), two Wimbledon titles (1974, 1982), and five United States Opens (1974, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1983).

James Scott Connors was born in East Saint Louis, Illinois, where his mother, Gloria, who managed his career for many years, was a professional tennis instructor. She taught him the game and instilled in him the aggressiveness that characterized his play. Connors attended the University of California at Los Angeles for one year, winning the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's singles title in 1971.

Turning professional in 1972, the left-handed Connors won his first two professional tournaments. In 1974 he took three grand slam tournaments: the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. He was barred by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) from competing in the other major tournament, the French Open, because he had signed a contract to play with World Team Tennis, a professional league opposed by the ATP and French Open organizers. During his career Connors had the most success at the U.S. Open, which he won when it was played on three different surfaces: grass (1974), clay (1976), and hard courts (1978, 1982, 1983). In 1991, at the age of 39, he reached the semifinals of the tournament, defeating several much younger opponents.

Connors won 109 professional singles titles during his career. He won grand slam doubles titles with Romanian player Ilie Nastase at Wimbledon in 1973 and at the U.S. Open in 1975. In 1993 Connors helped found a seniors tennis tour for male players at least 35 years old. During his career he also served as spokesman for a number of commercial products.