Jimmy Connors

Jimmy Connors is one of the amazing tennis players in the world. He was born in East St. Luis, Illinois on September 2nd, 1952. He was ranked number one from July 29th 1974, until August 29th, 1977. During his all-professional career he held this position for 268 weeks. He won eight grand slam single tittles between 1974 and 1983 and two grand slam double tittles in 1973 and 1975.

Connors is considered one of the top male tennis players in the world and is member of the Tennis Hall of Fame. His tennis career began with the support of his mother Gloria Thompson Connors and his grandmother Bertha Thomson. He grew up in a small town, Belleville, IL. According to Connors, he used to spend time hitting and lifting balls when his mother rolled them to him. He played his first tennis championship in 1961.

In 1972, when Connors refused to become member of the Association of Tennis Professional (ATP), he turned into a maverick tennis player. By this time he participated in small tournaments organized by his manager Bill Riordan. This conflict with the ATP forced him and his manager to file a lawsuit against this association for about 10 million dollars. Connors alleged that he was banned from the French Open because this international event conflicted with the ATP restrictions to Connors freedom in the tennis game. The French Open was the only championship that Connor did not win in 1974

Some of the international tittles he has won are the Grand Slam Single Final tittle during Australian, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open in 1974, 1976, 1978, 1982, and 1983. He won the Wimbledon Open in 1982 also.