Tennis’ greatest male players of all times: (Part Two) Jimmy Connors – Tennis Special
Let’s continue looking into the glorious past of tennis and refresh our memories to remember the all time greats in the history of the sport. As I said in Part One of this series, you cannot nominate a single player as the greatest
of all times and the one sitting above all others. However, many big names are still there who are categorised as the masters of the sport. We will be reviewing the career of another legendary American tennis player who shall never be forgotten because of
his tremendous achievements in the field of tennis.
Jimmy Connors – the United States of America
You will keep on finding amazing performers in ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) but less will fall in the category of legends like the former number one, Jimmy Connors. Currently 59 years of age, James Scott Connors, as
the man is formally named, has been one of the finest tennis players the American soil has ever produced. Turning pro in 1972, his 24-year professional career is a tale of pure hard work, brilliance and class. He dominated his era and reined the world number
one spot for 160 consecutive weeks to set a milestone. Although Roger Federer breached his record by holding the top spot for 237 consecutive weeks, yet Connor’s class is said to be unique from all.
The American won eight Grand Slam titles in his career, five of which came on his home soil in New York, the US Open Championships. Connors also lifted gold at the All England Club twice and was victorious at the Melbourne Park
once in his career. However, being so successful on the other playing surfaces, Connors domination didn’t prevail on the red clay surface of Roland Garros French Open. More or less like Federer, Connors tended to choke out on the clay courts and couldn’t complete
his Career Slam. He was the semi-finalist at the French Open on four different occasions but couldn’t advance further in the coveted clay court Grand Slam event in his entire career.
Connors won staggering 1242 matches in the professional circuit, losing just 277, and bagged a total of 108 championship titles to have a major impact on the history books. The legendary American registered most of his victories
on the hard courts, winning 509 matches and clinching 44 ATP titles. His statistics speak for the man himself and the greatness he achieved during all those years. Merely two years after stepping into the professional circuit, Connors became the world number
one in men’s category and stuck on to that position for years to come. The left-handed American was the first player to remain on the top spot in ATP World Rankings for more than 200 consecutive weeks. Connors is the only male player in the history of tennis
to win more than 100 championship titles in his illustrious career, something every professional player dreams off but doesn’t get even near to achieve it. Even the current world number one, Federer, is on number 75 in his title count.
Players like Jimmy Connors are rarely born again and are always remembered for the entertainment and brilliance they deliver to the tennis lovers. However, he is not the only one to be committed to memory; a number of other legends
are yet to be disclosed in the following parts of this series.
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