Jimmy Connors Net Worth, Early Life, Career, Assets
Jimmy Connors is a retired American tennis player with a net worth of $30 million. Throughout his illustrious career, he secured eight Grand Slam singles titles—including five U.S. Opens, two Wimbledons, and one Australian Open—as well as two Grand Slam doubles titles at the U.S. Open and Wimbledon. Connors was also a runner-up in seven Grand Slam singles finals, one Grand Slam doubles final, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles final.
He achieved the top ranking for a then-record 160 consecutive weeks from July 1974 to August 1977, totaling 268 weeks at No. 1 throughout his career. Connors won 17 Grand Prix Super Series titles and was the first male player in the Open Era to maintain a No. 1 ranking for more than five years and over 200 weeks. He also held a year-end top-ten ranking for an Open Era record of 16 years. His innovative two-handed backhand and fierce competitive spirit transformed the game of tennis, establishing him as a formidable presence on the court.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born on September 2, 1952, in Belleville, Illinois, Jimmy Connors grew up in East St. Louis in a Catholic household. His early tennis training came from his mother and grandmother. At just nine years old, he participated in his first U.S. Championship in 1961. In 1968, Connors moved to Southern California for advanced coaching under former star Pancho Segura. He achieved significant early success, winning the Junior Orange Bowl twice and making his adult debut at the Pacific Southwest Open.In 1971, while a freshman at UCLA, Connors won the NCAA singles title and earned All-American honors. He turned professional in 1972 and clinched his first tournament victory at the Jacksonville Open shortly after.
Professional Career Peak
Jimmy Connors dominated the tennis scene in 1974, holding the ATP No. 1 ranking with an impressive 99-4 record. He triumphed in 15 of the 21 tournaments he entered that year, including the Australian Open, U.S. Open, and Wimbledon. However, he was barred from competing in the French Open due to his affiliation with World Team Tennis. In 1975, Connors reached the finals of all three major tournaments but did not secure any titles that year despite winning nine other tournaments with an 82-8 record. He bounced back to win the U.S.
Open in 1976, followed by victories at both the Masters and WCT Finals in 1977, and another U.S. Open title in 1978. From 1974 to 1978, he maintained his status as world No. 1 for a record-setting 160 consecutive weeks, consistently reaching finals during this period. In 1980, Connors defeated defending champion John McEnroe at the WCT Finals and again bested him in five sets at Wimbledon two years later while also winning against Ivan Lendl at the U.S. Open.
Although he finished ranked No. 2 behind McEnroe that year, he was honored as Player of the Year by the ATP due to his significant victories.In 1983, Connors made history by winning the U.S. Open for a record fifth time and ended that year ranked No. 3. Despite facing challenges later in his career—including dropping to No. 936 in world rankings by 1990—he made an extraordinary comeback at age 39 by reaching the semifinals of the U.S. Open in 1991 before retiring from professional tennis in 1996 after losing to Richey Reneberg.
Net Worth
During his career, Jimmy Connors earned approximately $8.6 million from tournament prizes alone, supplemented by tens of millions more from endorsements.
Major Rivals
Jimmy Connors faced numerous notable rivals throughout his career, including Björn Borg during his peak years in the mid-to-late-70s, as well as Ilie Năstase, Manuel Orantes, Guillermo Vilas, John McEnroe, and Ivan Lendl.
Other Distinctions
Over his career, Connors amassed a male record of 109 singles titles, played 1,557 matches, and achieved victory in 1,274 matches. He also won 16 doubles titles and participated in a then-record of 401 tournaments. Notably, he reached at least the semifinals of Grand Slam Singles events 31 times, becoming the only player to win the U.S. Open on three different surfaces: grass, clay, and hard courts. In recognition of his contributions to tennis, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998.
Personal Life and Business Interests
Jimmy Connors was briefly engaged to fellow tennis player Chris Evert from 1974 to 1975, with whom he had two reconciliations before parting ways permanently. He was also engaged to former Miss World Marjorie Wallace but never married her; instead, he wed Playboy model Patti McGuire in 1979.
The couple has two children together—Brett and Aubree—and resides in Santa Barbara, California. In the 1990s, Connors partnered with his brother John as an investor in Argosy Gaming Company, holding about 19% ownership of riverboat casinos on the Mississippi River. Later on, in 2018, he became an advisor and spokesperson for LiveWire Ergogenic Inc., a real estate company.
Assets
In June 2021, Jimmy Connors listed his mansion located in Montecito, California for $9.5 million but later removed it from the market; its current value is estimated to be over $12 million. Through remarkable achievements both on and off the court, Jimmy Connors remains an enduring figure in tennis history whose legacy continues to inspire future generations of players.