jimmy Connors career statistics Best information -Wikipedia

jimmy Connors, a former No. 1 tennis player from the United States, was born on September 2, 1952. From 1974 through 1977, he held the top Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rating for a total of 268 weeks, a record at the time. jimmy Connors still retains three important Open Era men’s singles records thanks to his lengthy and successful career: 109 championships, 1,557 matches played, and 1,274 match victories. He has won eight major singles titles (five US Opens, two Wimbledons, and one Australian Open, which is a shared Open Era record), three year-end championships, and 17 Grand Prix Super Series crowns. He won three major championships in 1974, becoming just the second player in the Open Era to do so, and was barred from competing in the fourth, the French Open. From 1974 through 1978, jimmy Connors finished first overall in the ATP rankings. He won the US Open and Wimbledon in 1982, was named ATP Player of the Year, and won the ITF World Championship. The year was 1996, and he was 43 years old.

Career Development

jimmy Connors

Connors was brought as a Catholic in East St. Louis, Illinois, which is located across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. His mother and grandmother trained and mentored him as a kid. [3] When he was nine years old, he participated in his first U.S. Championship, the boys’ 11-and-under event in 1961. Gloria, Connors’ mother, brought him to Southern California when he was 16 years old so that Pancho Segura could train him. He attended St. Phillip’s Elementary School together with his brother, John “Johnny” Connor.

Only nine tennis players have won the Junior Orange Bowl title twice in the competition’s 70-year history, and jimmy Connors did so in both the 12- and 14-year-old divisions. In the first round of the Pacific Southwest Open in Los Angeles in 1970, jimmy Connors defeated Roy Emerson to earn his maiden win. When Connors was a freshman at UCLA in 1971, he won the NCAA singles championship and was named an All-American.

He became a professional in 1972, and the Jacksonville Open was his debut competition. When Connors decided not to join the newly formed Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the union that was embraced by the majority of male professional players, in order to compete in and win a series of smaller tournaments organised by Bill Riordan, his manager, he was beginning to gain a reputation as a maverick. To overcome Arthur Ashe in a five-set final, jimmy Connors competed in other events and won the 1973 U.S. Pro Singles, his first big victory. Connor during the 1978 ABN Tennis Tournament with his Wilson T2000 steel racket

jimmy Connors

Eight Grand Slam singles titles were won by jimmy Connors: five at the US Open, two at Wimbledon, and one at the Australian Open. He was not a part of the French Open throughout his prime (1974–1978) since he was prohibited from participation by the tournament because of his involvement with World Team Tennis in 1974. (WTT). [5][6] and in the other four years either opted not to participate or was subject to a ban. Throughout his career, he participated in only two Australian Opens, winning it in 1974 and reaching the final in 1975. Up until the middle of the 1980s, few highly rated players—aside from Australians—flew to Australia for that competition. Thirteen players, including Connors, have won three or more major singles championships in a single year. From 1974 through 1978, Connors made it to the US Open final five times in a row, winning three times, each time on a different court surface (1974 on grass, 1976 on clay and 1978 on hard). During his prime, he made it to the Wimbledon final four out of five times (1974, 1975, 1977 and 1978). He was unable to compete in or opted out of the French Open from 1974 to 1978, yet he was still able to go to the semifinals four times in his latter years of competition.

jimmy Connors dominated the game in 1974. He finished the year with a 99-4 record, winning 15 of the 21 events he competed in, including three of the four Grand Slam singles championships. As previously mentioned, Connors was not permitted to compete in the French Open due to his affiliation with World Team Tennis (WTT), but he won the Australian Open, which took place from late December 1973 to January 1, 1974, defeating Phil Dent in four sets. He also defeated Ken Rosewall in straight sets in the Wimbledon and US Open finals, dropping only 6 and 2 games in those matches, respectively. He was denied the chance to follow Rod Laver as the second male Open Era player to win all four Major singles championships in a calendar year due to his disqualification from the French Open. He opted not to compete in the season-ending Masters Cup amongst the top eight tennis players in the world, and since he skipped the WCT regular season events, he was disqualified from the WCT finals. In 1974, jimmy Connors held the number one spot in the ATP Point Rankings. He was also the winner of the Martini and Rossi Award, selected by a group of journalists[8]; he was rated as the best player in the world by Rex Bellamy, Tennis Magazine (U.S.), Rino Tommasi, World Tennis, Bud Collins, Judith Elian, Lance Tingay, and others. [15]

jimmy Connors

Despite losing to John Newcombe in a tough match 9-7 in a fourth set tiebreak, Connor made it to the finals of Wimbledon, the US Open, and Australia in 1975, but he was unable to claim a victory in any of them. Having an 82-8 record, he won nine of the events he played in. All other tennis organisations, including the ATP, selected Arthur Ashe, who soundly beat Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon, as the Player of the Year, despite the fact that he accrued enough points to maintain the ATP No. 1 ranking during the whole year and was rated first by Rino Tommasi[11]. Once again, he sat out of the Masters Cup and the WCT Finals.

In 1976, Connors won the US Open once again (beating Björn Borg) but lost in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. He earned a record of 90-8 and beat Borg four times while winning 12 tournaments, including the U.S. Pro Indoor at Philadelphia, Palm Springs, and Las Vegas. The ATP placed him first for the whole year, and he also held the top spot in the rankings from World Tennis, Tennis Magazine (U.S.), Bud Collins, Lance Tingay, John Barrett,[15], Tommasi, and Tennis Magazine. [11] Björn Borg was awarded the ATP’s player of the year.

jimmy Connors

Although Connor lost to Borg 6-4 in the fifth set in the Wimbledon finals and to Guillermo Vilas in the US Open finals in 1977, jimmy Connors defeated Borg to win the Masters and the WCT Finals. While retaining the ATP No. 1 ranking, World Tennis Magazine and the majority of tennis authorities regarded Borg or Vilas as the sport’s top player, with Connors coming in third.

jimmy Connors lost to Borg in the 1978 Wimbledon final, but the US Open (which was the first major tournament to be played on hard courts) saw Connors overcome a hurt Borg. The U.S. Pro Indoor was likewise won by Connor. Borg, who also won the French Open, was named the player of the year by the ATP and the majority of tennis authorities even though he continued to hold the No. 1 rating in the ATP at the conclusion of the year.

jimmy Connors attained the ATP No. 1 position on July 29, 1974, and maintained it for 160 straight weeks till Roger Federer broke his record on February 26, 2007. From 1974 through 1978, he was the player with the highest ATP year-end ranking. During his career, he was ranked one for a total of 268 weeks. From August 23, 1977 until August 30, 1977, jimmy Connors only briefly let go of his first hold (160 weeks) on the top spot before renewing it for an additional 84 weeks. [20]

jimmy Connors often advanced to the Masters and the semifinals of the three major Grand Slam tournaments from 1979 to 1981, however he did win the WCT Finals in 1980. He often held the third spot in the world throughout those years.

As a result of his victories against Ivan Lendl at the US Open and John McEnroe at Wimbledon in 1982, jimmy Connors had a comeback and recaptured the ATP No. 1 position. He also won five more competitions and advanced to the Masters Cup semifinals. He concluded the year with the second-most points collected after exchanging the top spot with McEnroe, but he was still voted the ATP Player of the Year and the ITF World Champion thanks to his triumphs at Wimbledon and the US Open.

In 1983, Connors, McEnroe, and Lendl alternated holding the No. 1 spot multiple times. Connor eventually finished the year as the No. 3 player in the world after winning the US Open a record fifth time while defeating Lendl in the final.

competitors and contemporaries

Phil Dent, Brian Gottfried, Raul Ramirez, Harold Solomon, Dick Stockton, Roscoe Tanner, and Guillermo Vilas were notable players that played with Connors at the time. Arthur Ashe, Rod Laver, Ilie Năstase, John Newcombe, Manuel Orantes, Ken Rosewall, and Stan Smith were among of his more seasoned competitors. His well-known younger rivals were John McEnroe, Björn Borg, Vitas Gerulaitis, Ivan Lendl, and Björn Borg.

Borg-Connors conflict

With twelve matches on tour throughout his finest years (1974 through 1978), Borg presented jimmy Connors with the greatest challenge. Only four of the matches were won by Borg, but two of those victories came in the 1977 and 1978 Wimbledon championships. Connor surrendered his dominance over the top ranking to Borg at the beginning of 1979, and since Borg is four years younger and has won the past ten meetings between the two, jimmy Connors ended up with an official tour record of 8-15 versus him. They split their four encounters in major title finals, with Borg winning two Wimbledons (1977 and 1978) and Connors taking home two US Opens (1976 & 1978).

Năstase, Ilie

Another adversary of Connors’ in his heyday was Nastase. Nastase defeated Connors in 10 of their first eleven encounters despite being six years older. However, Connors prevailed in 11 of their last 14 encounters. At the 1973 Wimbledon and the 1975 US Open, the two would combine to win the doubles titles.

Guillermo Vilas and Manuel Orantes

jimmy Connors was defeated by Orantes in the 1975 US Open final, although on the tour, Connors had an overall record of 11-3 versus Orantes. Vilas, on the other hand, was much more competitive in all of their encounters and eventually wore down Connors in the 1977 US Open final. In tournaments, Connors could only muster a 5-4 record versus Vilas.

John Newcombe and Rod Laver

In 1975, Connors triumphed in two highly anticipated “Challenge Matches,” which were both hosted by the Riordan organisation and broadcast nationally by CBS Sports from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first match was versus Laver and was advertised as a $100,000 ($503,587 now) winner-take-all contest in February. The score was 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 in Connors’ favour. In an April bout touted as a $250,000 winner-take-all, Connors and Newcombe squared off. By scores of 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, Connors prevailed. Later in 1975, Connors discontinued his business partnership with Riordan. [3]

In four tour tournaments, Connor faced Newcombe; Newcombe won the first two encounters on grass (1973 US Open quarterfinal and 1975 Australian Open final), while Connors won the remaining two encounters on hard courts (1978 Sydney Indoor quarterfinal and 1979 Hong Kong round of 16). On the tour, Connors defeated Rod Laver three times, winning each time.

later decades

With semifinal performances at the French Open, US Open, and Masters Cup in 1984, Connor qualified for both the Wimbledon and WCT finals. After McEnroe, he was the second-ranked player at the end of the year. He advanced to the semifinals of the Big 4 competitions in 1985, placing him fourth overall, a position he would reclaim in 1987 at the age of 35.

When competing against John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl, two players who gained popularity following jimmy Connors peak in the middle of the 1970s, Connor had his best moments. He would go on to compete against athletes who were considerably younger, and in 1991, at the age of 39, he made one of the most incredible comebacks in sports history by making it all the way to the US Open quarterfinals.

McEnroe, John

Rivalry between Connors and McEnroe, in the main

jimmy Connors beat John McEnroe, the reigning champion, in the 1980 WCT Finals. That year, Connor served as the spoiler while McEnroe and Borg competed for the top place. However, Connor returned to the Wimbledon singles final at the age of 29 and faced McEnroe, who by that point had cemented his position as the best player in the world. Eight years after his first Wimbledon victory, jimmy Connors came back from being three points from losing in a fourth-set tie-break to win the tournament, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4. Although McEnroe is six years younger than Connors and had a losing record against Connor until he won 12 of their last 14 encounters, Connor’ tour record versus him was 14–20. They split their two encounters in major championship finals, with McEnroe winning the 1984 Wimbledon in straight sets and Connors taking the 1982 Wimbledon in five sets. Six of their nine Grand Slam matches were won by McEnroe.

A. I. Lendl

Rivalry between Connors and Lendl, main

In the 1982 US Open final, Connos beat Ivan Lendl, another member of the emerging generation of tennis giants, and quickly reclaimed the top spot. Lendl is eight years younger than Connors and had a losing record against jimmy Connors until he won their last 17 matches from 1984 through 1992, after Connors’ peak. Connor had a tour record of 13-22 versus Lendl. jimmy Connors won the 1982 and 1983 US Opens by defeating Lendl head-to-head in major championship finals.

other games

Even after turning 41, jimmy Connors kept going up against younger guys.

Ten years his junior, Mikael Pernfors, was upset by jimmy Connors in the fourth round of the 1987 Wimbledon Championships after falling down 4-1 in the third set and 3-0 in the fourth. The score was 1-6, 1-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2. In July 1988, jimmy Connors won the Sovran Bank Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C., ending a four-year championship drought. It was his 106th career victory. Since jimmy Connors’ prior victory in the Tokyo Indoors against Lendl in October 1984, he had participated in 56 tournaments and lost 11 final matches.

In the fourth round of the 1989 US Open, jimmy Connors upset the third seed (and eventual two-time winner), Stefan Edberg, in straight sets. In the quarterfinal, Connors battled Andre Agassi, the sixth seed, over five sets.

In 1990, his career appeared to be coming to an end after he participated in just three tournament matches and lost them all, falling to position 936 in the world rankings. However, he returned to play 14 events in 1991 after surgery on his ailing left wrist. He had to leave a five-set encounter against 1989 French Open winner Michael Chang in the third round due to a back injury. After scoring a victory against Chang, Connors left the court.

Following his recovery, jimmy Connors had an incredible run to the US Open quarterfinals in 1991, a performance he subsequently referred to as “the finest 11 days of my tennis career.”

[21] On his 39th birthday, he defeated Aaron Krickstein, 24, in 4 hours and 41 minutes, winning 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 after recovering from a 2-5 deficit in the final set. After defeating Paul Haarhuis in the quarterfinals, Connors went on to lose to Jim Courier. In honour of jimmy Connors’ run, ESPN broadcast a documentary 22 years later. [22]

jimmy Connors competed in his last major competition in the 1992 US Open, where he defeated Jaime Oncins in the first round with a score of 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 before falling to Lendl (who was ranked No. 7 at the time) in the second round with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 0-6.

In the third tennis Battle of the Sexes match, which took place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, in September 1992, jimmy Connors faced off against Martina Navratilova. Navratilova was permitted to smash towards the middle of the doubles court, whereas jimmy Connors was limited to one serve every point. Connors won 7-5, 6-2.

However, his playing career would not end after this. In order to advance to the quarterfinals of the Halle tournament in Germany as late as June 1995, three months before turning 43, Connors defeated Martin Sinner and Sébastien Lareau, respectively, by scores of 6-4, 7-6, and 7-6, 6-0. Connors was defeated by Marc Rosset in this quarterfinal, 6-7, 3-6. In April 1996, Connors played his last match on the main ATP circuit, losing to Richey Reneberg in Atlanta 2-6, 6-3, 1-6. [23]

Maverick

For allegedly limiting his independence in the sport, jimmy jimmy Connors and Riordan launched litigation against the ATP and its president, Arthur Ashe, in 1974, totaling $10 million. The cases were a result of the French Open’s 1974 exclusion of jimmy Connors after he had committed to playing World Team Tennis (WTT) for the Baltimore Banners. Due to scheduling issues, the ATP and French authorities rejected the WTT, which prevented any WTT players from competing in the French Open between 1974 and 1978. After falling to Ashe in the 1975 Wimbledon final, Connors dropped Riordan and finally the lawsuits (according to the Wimbledon 1975 official video, his $2 million action against Ashe was still pending when the two faced off in the 1975 Wimbledon final).

He opted to train in the grounds with Ilie Nastase during the procession of previous winners at Wimbledon in 1977 rather than take part in the celebration of the tournament’s 100th anniversary. He also rejected to participate in a reunion of 58 previous champions convened in 2000 to celebrate the new century. In his 2013 book, Connors accused the All England Club for preventing him from visiting the club’s fields to test on a specially made splint for a thumb injury. Connors claimed that this decision caused him to miss the parade in 1977. Connors claimed that because of this, he had to run to meet the doctor at the grounds’ entrance and persuade Nastase to assist him in trying the splint out on a practise court. According to Connors, he then hurried to Centre Court in time for the procession but arrived too late. When he competed in his first-round match the next day, he was jeered. When he made it to the final, he was defeated by Borg in five sets. A month later, Borg was able to momentarily break jimmy Connors’ lengthy reign as the top player in the world.

In addition, from 1974 through 1976, jimmy Connors’ avoidance of the year-ending Masters competition enraged sponsors and tennis administrators. But when the round-robin event relocated to New York City in 1977, he signed up for it. jimmy Connors defeated Borg in the championship match, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, after losing a well-known late-night match against Vilas, 4-6, 6-3, 5-7.

Recognition and awards

Many people rank jimmy Connors as one of the best tennis players in the sport’s history.

[24] jimmy Connors won 109 singles championships, a record for a man.

[25] In addition, he amassed 16 doubles victories, which included the men’s doubles championships at Wimbledon in 1973 and the US Open in 1975. In the open era, no other male professional tennis player has won more matches (1,274) than Connor. His win-loss record over his career was 1,274-282, good for an 82.4 winning percentage. [26] He participated in 401 events, setting a record that Fabrice Santoro broke in 2008. [27]

Despite only competing in the Australian Open Men’s Singles twice and skipping the French Open Men’s Singles for five of his prime career years, jimmy Connors reached the semifinals or better in Grand Slam Singles competitions a total of 31 times and the quarterfinals or better a total of 41 times. The record of 31 semifinals held until Roger Federer broke it at Wimbledon Tennis 2012. Roger Federer broke the previous record of 41 quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2014. Only Connors was able to triumph in the US Open on grass, clay, and hard courts. Additionally, he was the first male tennis player to win Grand Slam singles championships on grass (1974), clay (1976), and hard courts (1978).

Connors was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Hall of Fame in 1986 and the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998. He also has a star on the Walk of Fame in St. Louis. [28] Jack Kramer, a tennis promoter and Grand Slam champion, listed jimmy jimmy Connors as one of the top 21 players of all time in his 1979 book. He has been compared to baseball star Pete Rose because of his fierce competition and tense relationships with a lot of colleagues. [22] In 1983, Fred Perry rated the top male athletes of all time and divided them into two groups: those who played before World War 2 and those who played later. Borg, McEnroe, Connor, Hoad, Jack Kramer, John Newcombe, Ken Rosewall, and Manuel Santana are among Perry’s finest contemporary players after Laver. [29]

playing manner

Connor, Jimmy (1978)

Connor, Jimmy (1978)

Connors, Jimmy (2007)

Connor, Jimmy (2007)

jimmy Connors’ playing style has often been credited as having a significant influence on the development of the flat backhand in the present age of power tennis. Regarding jimmy Connors, Larry Schwartz of ESPN.com said, “He had the finest service return in the game, an unbreakable spirit, and a two-handed backhand. It is impossible to determine which contributed more to jimmy Connors’ success. jimmy Connors was smaller than most of his rivals, but he didn’t let that stop him; his tenacity made up for his little stature.” [30] jimmy Connors has said that he has a competitive temperament “There is always someone prepared to go the extra mile or inch, and I was one of them. I didn’t care if it took me 30 minutes or five hours (laughter). You had to be the finest, or the best you had that day, in order to defeat me. But I was very into the game for that reason. If I succeeded, I succeeded; if I failed, I didn’t handle failure very well.” [2]

His on-court theatrics, intended to engage the fans, both aided and hindered his performance. Schwartz remarked, “Tennis fans admired jimmy Connors’ tough demeanour and never-say-die attitude, but they were frequently shocked by his antics. His sometimes crude on-court antics, such as giving the linesman the middle finger after disputing a call or strutting around the court with the handle of his tennis racket between his legs—occasionally, he would yank on the handle in a grotesque manner, to the delight or disapproval of his fans—did not help his approval rating. Connors frequently argued with umpires, linesmen, the players union, Davis Cup officials, and other players in the beginning of his career. In a rare display of disapproval at Wimbledon, he was even booed for skipping the Parade of Champions on the opening day of the Centenary in 1977.” [30] He developed a reputation as the brat of the tennis world due to his abrasive demeanour both on and off the court. Bud Collins, a tennis pundit, gave jimmy Connors the moniker “Brash Basher of Belleville” in honour of the St. Louis suburb where he was raised. [31] In several of the best matches of his career, Connors used audience energy—whether it was favourable or negative—to his advantage by manipulating and maximising it. [32]

In the beginning of his career, jimmy jimmy Connors adopted a method that his mother, Gloria jimmy Connors, a teaching professional, had taught him: hitting the ball on the rise. At the age of 16, Gloria sent her son to Southern California to work with Pancho Segura. Segura improved Connors’ ability to strike the ball on the rise, allowing Connors to return the force and speed of his opponents. Segura was the game’s supreme mastermind from start to finish. Arthur Ashe neutralised this tactic in the 1975 Wimbledon final by slowing the ball down, leaving only soft trash shots (lobs, drop shots, and dinks) for Jimmy Connors to attempt.

jimmy Connors was one of the few players that hit the ball flat, low, and mostly from the baseline during a time when the serve and volley was the rule, with Björn Borg being the exception. Connors used a semi-Western grip and limited net clearance while striking his forehand. [33] His forehand was seen as his biggest weakness by contemporaries like Arthur Ashe and analysts like Joel Drucker, particularly under pressure since it lacked the safety margin of strong forehands played with topspin. Despite being precise and talented, his serve could never compare to the speed and strength of his opponents, hence it was never a very effective weapon for him.

He wasn’t as successful in doubles as he was in singles due to his lack of a commanding serve and net game, as well as his individualist style and maverick tendencies, though he did win Grand Slam titles with Ilie Năstase, make it to a final with Chris Evert, and win 16 doubles championships over the course of his career.

Racket development

At a period when most other tennis players played with wooden rackets, Connors used the “Wilson T2000” steel racket, which employed a system for stringing that had been discovered and patented by Lacoste in 1953.

[34]

[35] When the majority of other professionals had switched to new racket technology, materials, and designs by 1984, he continued to play with this chrome tubular steel racket. [35]

Connors moved to the Wilson ProStaff, a new mid-size graphite racket made specifically for him, during the Tokyo Indoor in October 1983, and played it on the 1984 tour.

[36] But in 1985, Connors was once again using the T2000. When he secured a deal with Slazenger to use their Panther Pro Ceramic racket in 1987, he finally made the move to a graphite racket. Connors joined Estusa in 1990. [35]

To give his style of play the correct “feel,” Connors wrapped lead tape around the racket head.

Commentating

In 1990 and 1991, Connors provided commentary for NBC-coverage TV’s of the French Open and Wimbledon competitions. Connors and John McEnroe, among others, provided commentary for the BBC throughout the Wimbledon championships in 2005, 2006, and 2007. This provided times of tense debate between the two erstwhile adversaries. 2014’s Wimbledon saw Connors return to the BBC commentary booth. Since the 2009 US Open competition, Connors has also worked as a pundit and analyst for the Tennis Channel. [37]

Coaching

At the beginning of the Countrywide Classic event in Los Angeles on July 24, 2006, American tennis player Andy Roddick stated that Connors will serve as his coach. Roddick competed in the U.S. Open final in September 2006 but fell to Roger Federer. Roddick declared the end of their 19-month engagement on March 6, 2008.

Former No. 1 in the world for women Maria Sharapova announced on her website in July 2013 that she had hired Connors as her new coach. After just one match together, Sharapova confirmed on August 15, 2013, that she had parted ways with Connors.

Author

Connors released The Outsider, his autobiography, in 2013. It earned the “Best Autobiography/Biography” prize at the British Sports Book Awards. [38]

Private life

Connors and Chris Evert, a fellow tennis professional, were engaged from 1974 to 1975. At the 1974 Wimbledon Championships, they both won a singles match, a victory that the media dubbed “The Lovebird Double.” They called off their engagement just before the 1975 Wimbledon tournament. Before permanently severing their ties, Connors and Evert temporarily made amends in 1976 and 1978. In his autobiography, which Connors published in May 2013, he claimed that Evert had aborted their unborn child on her own initiative when she was pregnant with their kid. [39] [40][41]

From 1976 until 1977, Connors was betrothed to former Miss World Marjorie Wallace; nevertheless, in 1979, Connors wed Playboy model Patti McGuire. They reside in the Santa Barbara, California region with their two children, Aubree and Brett. [42][43]

As he and his wife “never missed an episode” of Wheel of Fortune, Connors applied to host the NBC daytime version of the game show in the autumn of 1988.

[44] Rolf Benirschke, however, was given the position. According to programme creator Merv Griffin, numerous press outlets sought to get their hands on Connors’ audition video, but Griffin refused to release it because he stated “it wouldn’t have been fair to Jimmy.” [45]

He invested with his brother John in the Argosy Gaming Company, which ran riverboat casinos on the Mississippi River, in the 1990s. The two had a 19% stake in the business, which had its headquarters in East Alton, Illinois, a suburb of St. Louis. [46] In the late 1990s, Argosy barely avoided bankruptcy, and John Connors, the brother of Connors, personally filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. In the liquidation, Connors’ business, Smooth Swing, paid Union Planters Bank, which had foreclosed on John, $1.9 million to buy the Alystra Casino in Henderson, Nevada. John Connors had revealed intentions to feature a Jimmy Connors theme area when he built the casino in 1995. [47] After it was closed in 1998, it attracted criminals who stole the copper pipes and the homeless. Under Connors’ ownership, the casino was never reopened and was completely destroyed in a fire in May 2008. [48]

At Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Connors had successful hip replacement surgery in October 2005.

[49]

Gloria Connors’ mother passed away on January 8, 2007, at the age of 82.

[50]

Connors was detained on November 21, 2008, outside an NCAA basketball match between the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of California at Santa Barbara after he disobeyed a request to vacate a location close to the stadium entrance.

[51] A court dropped the accusations on February 10, 2009. [52] [53]

LiveWire Ergogenics, Inc. made the announcement that Connors had joined the company as a spokesperson and adviser on July 24. The company’s primary areas of interest are the purchase of real estate for special purposes and the licencing and administration of turnkey, fully compliance manufacturing facilities for cannabis-based goods and services. [54]