‘Tennis Has Become Impoverished’ – Jimmy Connors Lashes Out at Next-Gen Players for Not Having That Burning Desire to Keep Winning

Modern-day tennis has seen a lot of changes. With the retirement of legendary players such as Serena Williams and Roger Federer, there’s a big gap to fill for the next generation. However, according to former American tennis star Jimmy Connors, tennis is losing its quality. While Djokovic and Nadal are still there, they are in the twilight of their careers.

While these two have played a lot of tennis and set the benchmark for longevity in the sport, it’s understandable that the younger generation is struggling to do the same. Here’s what Connors had to say about it.

Jimmy Connors worried about the future of tennis

The eight-time Grand Slam champion Jimmy Connors is worried about the intensity with which the current-generation players perform on the court. Connors believes that it will also impact the way the upcoming generation of tennis players will perform.

“Tennis has become impoverished, for top players only the Grand Slams count,” Connors said while speaking in the ‘Advantage Connors’ podcast.

Read more: ‘He Feels Betrayed’- When Chris Evert Empathized With Jimmy Connors After His Manager Sued Him for $5 Million

Speaking further about the excessive hype of the Grand Slam tournaments, Connors said, “In my day, every game counted. We played more, and it was important to win against other great rivals. There were rivalries that ran all year round and even in smaller tournaments, you could see great tennis. Everyone gave their best.”

He further added, “Today the emphasis is only on the Grand Slam tournaments, the others are just a preparation. Many guys think they have already had a good season when they have reached a semifinal or Grand Slam final. This, for me, is an impoverishment.”

Connors about the modern-day rivalry

Jimmy Connors vs. John McEnroe used to be one of the most intense rivalries at the time. If we see today, the top three, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic, have a similar intensity in their rivalry. However, they are good friends off the court. This, according to Connors, is affecting the toughness of rivals.

Terming the modern-day rivalries as ‘soft’, the former world number one said that it would never happen between him and McEnroe who were rivals even off the court.

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Further, the American legend also blamed the money and business involved in today’s tennis, which could be the probable reason for it. Recently, Nadal and Federer’s bromance was visible during Federer’s retirement at the Laver Cup. The two are really close friends. However, does it really soften them up when they face each other on the court? Well, that’s for fans to judge. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.