‘Advantage Connors’ is a podcast where Brett Connors speaks with his father and American tennis legend, Jimmy Connors. Aged 71 at present, Connors has shared a piece of precious advice he received from his grandmother in his youth, which has stuck with him till date. In the latest episode of the podcast, titled ‘10th Masters, Costa Rica adventures, & lowering expectations’, Connors got deep and emotional with his son.
During his playing days in the 1970s, nothing could distract Jimmy Connors from his game. His eyes were set on achieving excellence, and he was determined to achieve it at any cost. Connors feels proud about his zeal and go-getter attitude when he was young. Even if it meant staying away from his family for long periods, Connors was ready to make that sacrifice to excel in his profession. He attributed his success to his grandmother.
In the podcast, Connors said, “I keep going back to my grandmother, your great-grandmother used to say to me. She goes, ‘You go out and give everything you have for the first half of your life, for the first half, so that you can enjoy the second half.’ And I have never forgotten that because I was willing to do everything because I have more fun. The older you guys get, you and your sister hanging with you mom after 46 years and all that, the more fun I have.”
Jimmy Connors had only started talking about his steely-nerved mentality and hard-boil approach toward his game because he realized how much he had to sacrifice to attain that. With age, he understood the more important facets of life and confessed to his son how his life changed in the last 30 years.
“The way my life has changed over the last 30 years. What was important to me one time is not so important to anymore. The importance of family and friends and health and things that matter on a everyday basis. It’s funny how your life changes. You know, because when I was young, I was bullet-proof. You know, therewas nothing, nothing could affect me. You know, I go out, I travel, I hop on a plane, I go from Tokyo to Brazil to London, you know what I mean. Nothing could affect me, you are bullet-proof,” Connors added.
However, he also realized the importance of family and the near and dear ones later in his life. Unafraid to confess that to his son, Connors has talked about it unapologetically:
“You know, because at the beginning, I missed you guys a lot, I was traveling a lot, I was gone 45 weeks a year and missing you guys and you know, I missed so much that now, anything that I can grab hold of is twice important,” Connors concluded.
Today, after having followed his grandmother’s advice for 50 years or more, Jimmy Connors is a happy man. He travels the world around for fun while also spending quality time with his family. Connors also plays tennis without expectations of any reward. While remembering such anecdotes, Connors’ voice was quivering a bit, showing his emotional self.
Jimmy Connors Was Not the Most Liked, but Managed to Become an Idol
Listening to his grandmother’s advice and chasing his dreams proved handy for Jimmy Connors. The American player won 8 Grand Slam titles in his career – 1 Australian Open, 2 Wimbledon, and 5 US Open. He was also a 4-time semi-finalist in the French Open but never won the clay-court Grand Slam.
Connors’ success came at a cost of his personal life, but it also cost him his reputation among his peers. His aggressive style of play and his on-court behavior did not make him many friends. One of his bitter rivals was another American legend, John McEnroe.
Connors shared an epic rivalry with McEnroe. They both developed a reputation for being ill-tempered and hence, neither had a liking for each other. In a 2022 interview with ABC News, this is what McEnroe had to say about Jimmy Connors.
“Connors was no angel by the way, if people remember him,” said McEnroe.
Years later, in an interview with New York Times, Jimmy Connors was open and honest about his playing style and attitude. In his autobiography, ‘The Outsider’, Connors details every single facet of his life in intricate detail. He may not have been the most liked tennis player in the ’70s, but he played his part in revolutionizing tennis in America.
Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Arthur Ashe, and Jim Courier laid the foundation for spearheading the sport in the country. It was then further advanced by the likes of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and Michael Chang.
