By TennisUpToDate.com

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One last moment in the spotlight would come at the 1991 US Open. Connors, who turned 39 during the New York fortnight, accepted a wildcard and rolled back the years. He’d only played three matches in 1990 and was now largely inactive. After surviving a five setter in round one with Patrick McEnroe, brother of John, Connors embarked on a fairytale run to the semi-finals, taking the scalps of players such as Paul Haarhuis and Aaron Krickstein. The run was ended by Jim Courier. Connors would describe the journey as being the best eleven days of his tennis career.

Connors spent a total of 268 weeks at world number one, finishing year-end number one on five occasions. His longevity was record-breaking. Connors still holds the record for most matches played (1,557) and most matches won (1,274) in the Open Era. His record of 109 Singles titles came under threat from Federer but the Swiss maestro ended six short. Novak Djokovic captured his 100th title this season. However, the Serb is playing sparingly and has been put in his place by the Carlos Alcaraz/Jannik Sinner duopoly in the sport’s more prestigious events. Ten further titles look unlikely to be added.

The Illinois native focused on doubles in the embryonic years of his professional career primarily. Connors managed to win two Grand Slam doubles titles alongside fellow maverick Ilie Nastase (1973 Wimbledon and 1975 US Open). Additionally, Connors won 14 other titles in doubles. Following his retirement from the Main Tour, Connors then took up residency on a fledgling seniors circuit with old foe McEnroe. He didn’t last as long on the tour as his old sparring partner, though.

Connors is regarded as one of the game’s best ever returners, alongside such luminaries as Andre Agassi, Djokovic and Alcaraz. He relied heavily on his baseline game, being less comfortable at the net. The fiery American also possessed outstanding competitive intensity. He enjoyed the heat of competition and pressurising opponents with mind games.

Coaching and personal endeavours post tennis

The pathway a good number follow after retirement is coaching but Connors only briefly worked in this capacity, experiencing short partnerships with Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick. He’s more recently created a successful podcast with his son that’s creating headlines through Connors’s punchy views. In traditional broadcast media, Connors has worked infrequently. He did work as a summariser for the BBC on Wimbledon, calling a few finals for the public service broadcaster.

At the peak of his success, Connors was in a relationship with fellow tennis star Chris Evert. The two even lost a mixed doubles Grand Slam final. The media glare was overbearing for two young superstars and played a part in the relationship ending. Years later, in his fascinating autobiography The Outsider, Connors alleged that Evert had an abortion while they were together. Evert was angered by this accusation.

After being briefly engaged to a former Miss World, Marjorie Wallace, Connors married Playboy model Patti McGuire. They’ve had two children together, Brett and Aubree. Connors’s mother Gloria died in 2007, aged 82, a couple of years after he’d undergone hip replacement surgery. Connors was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998. Another honour he received is a star on the St Louis Walk of Fame. He was twice named ATP Player of the Year, in 1974 and 1982.

Business interests occupied Connors after he retired. In tandem with brother John, he invested in the Argosy Gaming Company. The business owned riverboat casinos on the Mississippi River. Bankruptcy was narrowly averted in the late 1990s, followed by a closure of the company. Other TV credits included auditioning to be a host of the gameshow Wheel of Fortune and a cameo, in 2019, during an episode of the hugely popular Family Guy sitcom.

His aforementioned autobiography, The Outsider, won an award at the British Sports Book Awards in the best autobiography/biography category. Connors remains a passionate character, unafraid of ruffling feathers in the tennis community. This is evident on the Advantage Connors podcast. Now 73, Connors fire is undimmed and could still be holding his proud record of most ATP titles at least for another decade. Alcaraz and Sinner have a great benchmark to chase.