‘Stand Up, You Motherf**ker.’ – When Jimmy Connors Almost Assaulted a Fan for His Comment on Chris Evert

Back in the day, one of the most well-known tennis couples was Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert. They both dated in the 1970s, when it was unusual for an ATP player to date a WTA player, making them both favourites among their supporters. The influential duo was initially adored by the media and fans, albeit they occasionally made fun of them as well. The eight-time Grand Slam champion once lost his cool over a fan after the latter made a derogatory remark about Evert when they were still dating.

But soon before getting married, their romance faltered, and they called it quits. The timeline of Connors’ connection with Evert is described in his autobiography.

When Jimmy Connors almost accused a fan

Back in the 90s, when both tennis stars were having a great time together. Connors played an exhibition match in Philadelphia playing an exhibit match, where the crowd was screaming, cheering, and rooting for their team and the former tennis player was totally enjoying the atmosphere. However, as the tennis legend described in his autobiography, as soon as he was ready to serve a thrilling match, something crazy happened. 

He recalled the incident and said, before his serve, a voice came from the crowd saying “Hey, Connors! Why don’t you just give it up and go back home to Chrissie?” The former world number one’s response was outrageous as he dropped the ball and rushed to the fan. He explained his reaction and said, “‘Who said that?’ There’s a commotion in the third row, and people are pointing at a guy sitting there with a smug look on his face. I walk over and put my foot up on the advertising board. I know I can’t reach the guy with my fist, but I can take a swipe at him with my racquet. I lean forward. “Stand up, you motherfu***r.”

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The tennis player was immediately stopped by the security guards, and the situation only got worse. The eight-time Grand Slam champion was content to be removed, though, as he was aware that his deed was not particularly valiant.

Connors and Evert’s relationship feud

When his memoirs was published, the real reason behind their breakup became clear. Even after showing each other so much love and care, they disagreed on a crucial matter. The adoption of the 18-time Grand Slam champion caused significant problems in their marriage.

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Whereas Evert wanted to pursue her career, Connors was willing to become a father at a young age.