‘Had Two of the Greatest Minds’- Jimmy Connors Reflects on the Impact of His Mom and Mentor on His Playing Career

Almost thirty years later, Jimmy Connors is still taking fans back to school. The American sensation hardly took his eye off the ball when he finessed the tennis world with his riveting showdowns. Regarded as one of the most successful players, he even finished year-end No. 1 for three years (1975-1978) and decorated his resume with eight major titles, five of which came at the Flushing Meadows Slam. Luckily for Connors, he had a strong support system. According to him, those assets only added more firepower to his wit.

The 72-year-old drew the curtains on his career in 1996, and has since indulged in extending rare insight into the sport. But first, let’s rewind.

Connors made up for dominating force in the sport back in the 70s and 80s. Before contestants sensed a natural decline in his athleticism due to aging, the Hall of Famer was a major threat to other top-tier players. Although his biggest rival, John McEnroe, held a 20-14 advance over him on tour-level events, Connors still ended his 24-year-long run with a staggering 1274 wins, which remains a record. Like every player, even he experienced times when he stumbled along the path.

Luckily for the former World No. 1, his mother Gloria Connors, who served as his coach during his formative years, always curated practical solutions for his needs. During a December 14th episode of ‘Advantage Connors’ with his son Brett Connors, the American star narrated that his mom and mentor, Pancho Segura, were two of the ‘greatest minds’ working for him. They were the cornerstone of what led Connors to develop an envy-worthy work ethic.

He said, “I would give everything I had for a certain amount of time. That came from your grandma…They said that ‘don’t burn him out, but always give him something to work on, that he can take into the match immediately’…I had two of the greatest minds and the greatest hearts working for me, which was my mom and Pancho. They were as excited about me getting better, winning as I was. The only way I could have not been successful is if I would have messed up. Even though I did a few times..because they invested way too much in me…I was very lucky. Very very lucky.”

Crucial takeaways and discussing the modern face of the sport is a regular for Connors. He even handed his verdict on Serbian Novak Djokovic‘s surprise partnership move with Sir Andy Murray.

Jimmy Connors believes Andy Murray could help Novak Djokovic feel ‘comfortable’

Fans were left speechless when 24-time Major winner Novak Djokovic announced Andy Murray as his latest coach. A surprise move, indeed, but it held merit. Nole was unable to push the barrier on the Grand Slam stage this season and with hopes of changing that, he added the Briton to his arsenal. After sharing a thrilling rivalry since they were 14, the duo’s synchronization as a team should be comforting. And Jimmy Connors agrees.

The American spoke about their alliance during an episode on his podcast: “I think it enters a comfort zone. They have competed against each other, they know each other’s game, they have spent time together – not only on the court, playing great matches – but also off the court. The older you get, it’s tougher to push yourself. You look at ‘Djoker’ and he does everything to get himself in prime condition.”

Connors has a point. Djokovic is poised to go beyond his 24 Slam record and with the emergence of fiesty talents like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the Serb needs everything he can play to advance. The gold medalist will be seen in action at the Australian Open in 2025, where the Serb and Murray will debut their coaching partnership.