Sports rivalries only serve to increase the emotional investment and personal connection between the athletes and fans. When two formidable adversaries square off, it is impossible to remain unaffected. Since tennis is primarily an individual sport, it values rivalries like these. Among them is the well-known rivalry between Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe.
Every time the players faced off on the court, they did not do so as mere professionals but as rivals striving for the highest honor the game could bestow. As a result, the rivalry had an air of intensity that added intrigue to the game. The intense emotions that arise from a rivalry this intense will eventually seep outside of the court, as Jimmy Connors demonstrated when he voiced his bitter hatred toward his opponent.
The legendary rivalry between Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe When McEnroe started competing in tennis, Connors had already claimed four grand slam victories. Both players played with aggression and never shied away from expressing their intense feelings. Connors prevailed when the players faced off in the 1977 SW19 semi-finals. That was only the start of their rivalry, though, as McEnroe eventually overcame his countryman to win the rivalry by a score of 20 to 14. In addition, McEnroe nearly matched Connors’ record of eight Grand Slam victories against McEnroe’s seven.
Their rivalry began in 1977 with Connors’ victory and ended in 1991 with McEnroe’s victory. READ MORE: ‘One of the Greatest Moments of My Life’ – John McEnroe Explains How Bjorn Borg Accepted Him for Who He Was The players pushed each other to be better, and they never met before the semi-finals in grand slam events. Connors openly expressed his dissatisfaction for his rival, saying, “Mac is the one player I can watch limping around the court and feel good about saying ‘F**k that guy.”
