Jimmy Connors: Today with Pat Kenny, RTÉ Radio 1, 10.00am The St. Louis area of the United States has produced several world-class tennis players, including Wimbledon champions Arthur Ashe and the doubles team of Ken Flach and Robert Seguso. But the most famous player from that city is Jimmy Connors, the bad boy of 1970s' tennis who talks about his colourful life and times as documented in his new autobiography, The Outsider on today’s programme.
Jimmy came from the wrong side of the tracks in St Louis, or more accurately, the wrong side of the river. He was born in 1952 in East St. Louis, where his grandfather, John Connors, had been the mayor. His father, Jim Connors Sr., oversaw toll collection on the Veterans Bridge in the city.
His grandmother, Bertha Thompson played tennis as did her daughter, Gloria, Jimmy’s mother. Gloria coached Hollywood celebrities in the game before she married Jim Sr. Like a lot of frustrated parents, she realised her tennis ambitions through her son. And what achievements. He won eight Grand Slam singles titles and two Grand Slam doubles titles with Ilie Năstase.
He was also a runner-up seven times in Grand Slam singles, a doubles runner-up with Năstase at the 1973 French Open, and a mixed doubles runner-up with Chris Evert at the 1974 US Open.
In 1974, Connors became the second male in the open era to win three or more Grand Slam singles titles in a calendar year.
Connors is also the only person to win US Open singles championships on grass, clay, and hard courts. His relationship with Chris Evert began in a flurry of celebrity glory but ended sadly. The former tennis star says that she is "extremely disappointed" that Connors has revealed private details about their relationship in The Outsider.
Jimmy was 19 when he started dating Evert, who was 17. They both won Wimbledon singles titles in 1974 while engaged, but the wedding was called off. Connors says both were unfaithful to each other and he hints that Evert became pregnant and decided to have an abortion at 19.
As a child the tennis champ suffered a vision problem, an "ocular motor sensory deficit." He had problems reading, so he naturally sought an area of interest outside of school-books. Jimmy phoned his mother "ten times a day" although he insists he was not a mama’s boy. The tennis genius was utterly devastated when she died.
His father was often absent from the home, and Jimmy junior desperately wanted his approval,hence his compulsive attention to bouncing a ball early on and perfecting his abilities on the court. Jimmy is 60 now and has had three hip replacements. No doubt he will recall the days when he was a fit - and indeed hip - young tennis king of the courts.
