Major Controversies Surrounding Jimmy Connors: A Detailed Timeline

Public opinion and media debates around Jimmy Connors—discover key moments of controversy.

Jimmy Connors, an American former professional tennis player, achieved the world No. 1 ranking by the ATP for 268 weeks, finishing as the year-end No. 1 five times. Connors holds Open Era men's singles records for titles (109), matches played (1,557), and match wins (1,274). His accomplishments include eight major singles titles and three year-end championships. In 1974, he won three major titles but was barred from competing in the French Open. Connors retired from professional tennis in 1996.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Controversies & Scandals

1972: Turning Professional

In 1972, Jimmy Connors turned professional and won his first tournament, the Jacksonville Open, followed by victories at Roanoke, Queen's Club, Columbus, Cincinnati and Albany. He also refused to join the ATP, opting to play in tournaments organized by his manager, Bill Riordan.

1974: Shunning the Masters Championship

From 1974, Jimmy Connors irritated sponsors by shunning the end-of-year Masters championship from 1974 through 1976.

1974: Lawsuits Against ATP and Arthur Ashe

In 1974, Jimmy Connors and Riordan began filing lawsuits against the ATP and its president, Arthur Ashe, due to Connors being banned from the French Open for playing World Team Tennis (WTT).

1976: Shunning the Masters Championship

From 1974, Jimmy Connors irritated sponsors by shunning the end-of-year Masters championship from 1974 through 1976.

1977: Declining Wimbledon Centenary Parade

In 1977, Jimmy Connors declined to participate in a parade of former champions at Wimbledon's centenary, practicing instead with Ilie Nastase. In his 2013 autobiography, Connors blamed this on the All England Club's handling of a thumb injury issue.

1977: Booed at Wimbledon

In 1977, Jimmy Connors was booed at Wimbledon for snubbing the Parade of Champions on the first day of the Centenary, a rare show of disapproval at the event.

February 1986: Default in Boca Raton Tournament

In February 1986, Jimmy Connors was defaulted in a Boca Raton tournament semi-final against Ivan Lendl after protesting a line call and receiving code-of-conduct warnings. He was later banned for 10 weeks and fined $20,000 by the Men’s International Professional Tennis Council.

1989: Final Tournament Wins and US Open Run

In 1989, Jimmy Connors won the final tournaments of his career at Toulouse and Tel Aviv. At the 1989 US Open, Connors defeated Stefan Edberg in the fourth round and pushed Andre Agassi to five sets in the quarterfinals, ending the year ranked 14th in the world.

1992: Matches and Controversy in 1992

In 1992, Jimmy Connors beat Michael Stich in Memphis, leading to Stich accusing Connors of unfair on-court behavior. Connors reached the semifinals at Memphis, losing to Mal Washington. He made it to the quarterfinals at Indianapolis before losing to Boris Becker. At the 1992 US Open, Connors defeated Jaime Oncins in the first round on his 40th birthday, but lost to Ivan Lendl in the second round.

November 21, 2008: Arrested Outside Basketball Game

On November 21, 2008, Jimmy Connors was arrested outside an NCAA basketball game between the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of California at Santa Barbara after refusing to comply with an order to leave an area near the entrance to the stadium.

May 2013: Autobiography Allegations

In May 2013, Jimmy Connors wrote his autobiography in which he alleged that Chris Evert was pregnant with their child and that she unilaterally decided to have an abortion.