Players involved: Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe
- Jimmy Connors. Five-time Grand Slam singles champion
Jimmy Connors, born in 1952, was one of the greatest tennis players of his time. Coached by his mother, Gloria, Connors was one of the first few players to hit the ball flat and mostly down the baseline. Raising the ball, his game will be very influential for future generations of tennis players. “Jimbo” turned professional in 1972 and became world No. 1 in 1974. In fact, he won three of the four Grand Slams that year and missed the fourth. Roland GarrosBecause of the lawsuit filed against “ATP”.
Connors From 1974 to 1977, he spent a record 160 consecutive weeks at the top of the ATP rankings. After Björn Borg lost his throne for a week on August 23, 1977, he regained it for another 84 weeks until the spring of 1979. Australian Open (1974), Wimbledon (1974) and US Open Championship (1974, 1976, 1978). Since 1979, Connors has not performed as well as he did in his prime. She had not reached a Grand Slam final since her 1978 US Open title, and yet she remained ranked No. 2 in the world. His young rival McEnroe even provocatively stated that he would like to see what it would be like to play against Connors “in his prime”.
- John McEnroe, the youngest ever US Open champion, who was now world no.1
Born in 1959, John McEnroe has stunned the tennis world since his first tour in 1977 when, as a 17-year-old amateur, he advanced from the qualifying round to the semi-finals at Wimbledon. “Mac” was very talented, his game based on precision and touch with a symbolic and deadly delivery. In 1979, he became the youngest US Open champion, defeating Vitas Gerulaitis (7-5, 6-3, 6-3). He also created quite a sensation by edging Björn Borg (7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6) to win the WTC final.
In 1980, McEnroe became world No. 1 for the first time, albeit for just four weeks. That year, he lost to Bjorn Borg in the Wimbledon final (1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6 Winning the legendary tie-break in the fourth set with McEnroe (18-16))which is still considered one of the best games of all time. A few months later, “Mac” got his revenge by beating Bjorn Borg in New York to defend his US Open crown (7-6, 6-1, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4). In 1981, he confirmed his new victory in the game by winning his first Wimbledon crown and his third consecutive US Open title, each time defeating Borg in the final. In November, after trading the No. 1 spot several times with the Swede, McEnroe had held the No. 1 spot since August.
Venue: Wembley
The Wembley Pro tournament was founded in 1934. Before the Open era, when professionals were not allowed to participate in Grand Slam tournaments, it was one of the most prestigious events in professional tennis. Past champions included old legends like Ellsworth Vines, Don Budge, Ken Rosewall and Rod Lever. In 1976, the tournament was renamed after its main sponsor, Benson & Hedges, but its reputation remained. Since then, the three players to win at Wembley have been ranked world No. 1: Jimmy Connors (1976), Bjorn Borg (1977) and John McEnroe (1978-1980).
Facts: both Connors and McEnroe are fined after the match
Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe both were known for their shocking behavior on the court in the polite world of tennis. They were even vulgar at times and tthe heir’s constant quarrels with the officials made them infamous in the gentleman’s sport. There was something personal about their rivalry. the two players genuinely disliked each other and were little more than tennis adversaries, arguing openly and sometimes violently on the court. This made all their matches extremely exciting for the fans.
The 1981 Wembley final was no exception. Both players will be heavily fined after the match, Connors for shouting obscenities on court, McEnroe for racket abuse, ball abuse and chair abuse.
McEnroe, the favorite as world No. 1 and three-time defending champion, got off to a better start. He won the first set 6-3 and the second 6-2, but an incident in the second set may have turned things around. During a particularly lengthy argument between McEnroe and the chair umpire over a ball abuse warning, Connors sat on one of the linesman’s chairs in a successful attempt to make the crowd laugh. Jimbo knew that the British fans did not like McEnroe’s tantrums very much; In London, Mack’s nickname was “Superbrat”. This little joke won him the support of the crowd.
In the third set, Connors, seemingly unable to take any more of his rival’s childish behavior, came out to the net and called McEnroe over, apparently saying that a father would tell his son not to be a jerk. Jimbo won the third set 6-3, and Mack nearly lost his temper for good. In the fourth set, she lost her composure after she said she hit the roof and was called in. “Are you even watching?” he asked the referee. 6-4 for Connors who sealed the set with a lovely topspin lob.
The tension reached its peak in the deciding set. The chair umpire, who had already made several controversial decisions and twice called the score wrong, was now challenged by both players on any close calls. At one stage, McEnroe twisted his ankle a bit and was not happy when the umpire asked him to play. During the change, he blamed the official for his “stupidity” and insisted that he is not known for faking injuries.
Moments later, it was Connors’ turn to get mad at the referee after a close call. “We play for more than three hours, we were trying to pay attention. I know you’re very tired, running around and all, but if you could pay a little attention…”
However, Connors easily won the final set, 6–2, to win his first title since Rotterdam in March. The public didn’t know it at the time, but they had witnessed the first step in his return to world No. 1.
McEnroe could now be banned from the tour for 21 days due to the fines he earned in the final. “Playing tennis is not fun anymore,” commented the world number 1. according to The Washington Post. “There are so many rules, I don’t think anyone knows them all. Tennis is a great sport, and if it’s going to survive, you can’t suppress everyone’s personality. I will not appeal the suspension. It does not affect exhibitions or Davis Cup.
“If I thought the supporters of this council were human beings, I would appeal, but it’s pointless… I’ve lost every appeal I’ve ever made. It’s so frustrating that I’m not going to bother.”
What next? McEnroe and Connors would eventually play 34 times on the tour
McEnroe would get his revenge on Connors in January 1982 in the Masters Cup round robin (6-2, 7-5). In 1982, Jimbo then defeated his opponent in the Wimbledon final (3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4), and after winning the US Open title against Ivan Lendl (6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4), he would regain the world No. 1 ranking.
The two American tennis stars have met a total of 34 times, with McEnroe leading 20-14. They last met on tour in Basel in 1991, a final clash that McEnroe won 6-3, 6-3. Their rivalry will go down as one of the most famous in tennis history, not only because of the undeniable intensity and technique of their matches, but also because of their personal frustration and emotional involvement.
