Connors–McEnroe rivalry

The Connors–McEnroe rivalry was a series of competitive matches between American tennis players Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, who played 34 times between 1977 and 1991.^[1][2]

Connors and McEnroe played again in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. With regard to their matches, Connors has stated, "Something like that never goes away, especially between Mac and myself...To have carried on this rivalry for so many years, and for you still to be talking about it, must mean that we made our mark somewhere."^[3] This rivalry is said to have been one of the most contentious and embittered in all of tennis history.^[4][5]

Head to head

Official Matches (McEnroe 20–14 Connors)

Legend (McEnroe-Connors) Grand Slams (6-3) Masters (2-0) WCT Finals (2-1) ATP International Series (10-10) Note: The walkover in the 1985 Chicago final does not count as a win. Year Tournament Surface Round Winner Score 1977 Wimbledon Grass SF Jimmy Connors 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4 1977 Boston Clay R32 Jimmy Connors 5–7, 6–2, 7–5 1978 Indianapolis Clay QF Jimmy Connors 3–6, 6–1, 6–1 1978 US Open Hard SF Jimmy Connors 6–2, 6–2, 7–5 1978 Masters, New York City Carpet RR John McEnroe 7–5, 3–0 RET 1979 Pepsi Grand Slam, Boca Raton Clay SF Jimmy Connors 6–3, 6–4 1979 Las Vegas Hard SF Jimmy Connors 7–5, 6–4 1979 WCT Finals, Dallas Carpet SF John McEnroe 6–1, 6–4, 6–4 1979 US Open Hard SF John McEnroe 6–3, 6–3, 7–5 1980 Philadelphia Carpet F Jimmy Connors 6–3, 2–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 1980 Memphis Carpet F John McEnroe 7–6, 7–6 1980 WCT Finals, Dallas Carpet F Jimmy Connors 2–6, 7–6, 6–1, 6–2 1980 Wimbledon Grass SF John McEnroe 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4 1980 US Open Hard SF John McEnroe 6–4, 5–7, 0–6, 6–3, 7–6 1981 Wembley Carpet F Jimmy Connors 3–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–2 1981 Masters, New York City Carpet RR John McEnroe 6–2, 7–5 1982 Philadelphia Carpet F John McEnroe 6–3, 6–3, 6–1 1982 Queen's Grass F Jimmy Connors 7–5, 6–3 1982 Wimbledon Grass F Jimmy Connors 3–6, 6–3, 6–7, 7–6, 6–4 1982 San Francisco Carpet F John McEnroe 6–1, 6–3 1983 Queen's Grass F Jimmy Connors 6–3, 6–3 1983 Cincinnati Hard SF John McEnroe 6–7, 6–1, 6–4 1983 Wembley Carpet F John McEnroe 7–5, 6–1, 6–4 1984 WCT Finals, Dallas Carpet F John McEnroe 6–1, 6–2, 6–3 1984 Roland Garros Clay SF John McEnroe 7–5, 6–1, 6–2 1984 Queen's Grass SF John McEnroe 6–2, 6–2 1984 Wimbledon Grass F John McEnroe 6–1, 6–1, 6–2 1984 Toronto Hard SF John McEnroe 2–6, 6–2, 6–3 1984 US Open Hard SF John McEnroe 6–4, 4–6, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3 1985 Chicago Carpet F John McEnroe W/O 1985 Montreal Hard SF John McEnroe 6–2, 6–3 1986 San Francisco Carpet F John McEnroe 7–6, 6–3 1987 Montreal Hard QF Jimmy Connors 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 1989 Toulouse Carpet F Jimmy Connors 6–3, 6–3 1991 Basel Indoor Hard SF John McEnroe 6–1, 6–3

Head-to-head tallies

The following is a breakdown of their head-to-head results:

• All matches: McEnroe 20–14
• All finals: McEnroe 8–7
• Grand Slam finals: Tied 1–1
• Grand Slam matches: McEnroe 6–3
• Masters matches: McEnroe 2-0
• WCT Finals matches: McEnroe 2-1
• Clay court matches: Connors 3-1
• Grass court matches: Connors 4-3
• Hard court matches: McEnroe 6-3
• Indoor matches: McEnroe 10-4

Invitational Matches (McEnroe 9-6 Connors)

Year	Tournament	Surface	Round	Winner	Score
1979	Frejus	Carpet	F	John McEnroe	6-4, 6-3
1979	Aix-en-Provence	Carpet	3P	John McEnroe	6-4, 6-3
1979	Montpellier	Carpet	F	Jimmy Connors	7-6, 2-6, 7-5
1979	Frankfurt	Carpet	SF	Jimmy Connors	7-5, 6-4
1980	Brussels	Carpet	SF	John McEnroe	6-1, 7-5
1980	Suntory Cup, Tokyo	Carpet	F	Jimmy Connors	7-5, 6-3
1980	Challenge of Champions, Chicago	Carpet	F	John McEnroe	6-2, 6-4, 6-1
1981	Suntory Cup, Tokyo	Carpet	F	Jimmy Connors	6-4, 7-6
1981	Challenge of Champions, Chicago	Carpet	F	Jimmy Connors	6-7, 7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 6-4
1982	Challenge of Champions, Chicago	Carpet	SF	Jimmy Connors	6-1, 5-7, 6-2
1984	Suntory Cup, Tokyo	Carpet	SF	John McEnroe	4-6, 6-3, 6-4
1984	Challenge of Champions, Las Vegas	Carpet	RR	John McEnroe	6-3 4-6 6-2
1987	Challenge of Champions, Atlanta	Carpet	SF	John McEnroe	6-4, 6-4
1988	Challenge of Champions, Atlanta	Clay	RR	John McEnroe	7-5, 6-1
1988	Scottish Grass Court Championships, Edinburgh	Grass	F	John McEnroe	7-6, 7-6

ATP Rankings

Year-end ranking timeline

Player	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996
Jimmy Connors	3	1	1	1	1	1	2	3	3	2	3	2	4	8	4	7	14	936	49	84	370	672	419	1300
John McEnroe					21	4	3	2	1	1	1	1	2	14	10	11	4	13	28	20

See also

• Borg–Connors rivalry
• Lendl–McEnroe rivalry
• Connors–Lendl rivalry
• List of tennis rivalries

References

1. "Connors-McEnroe Head-to-Head". ATP World Tour. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
2. "Ten great tennis rivalries". The Independent. July 8, 2008. Retrieved 2010-12-08. John McEnroe v Jimmy Connors. Time span: '77-91 (34 matches) Head to head: McEnroe 20, Connors 14. Grand Slam finals: Two; one win each. Wimbledon: Two finals, 1982, 84; One each. Two fierce personalities who fought like puppies in a sack on the court, and during points in a sporting sense. Fire and fire. And they didn't stop at playing each other when it was a Mac-Jimmy day. They played the umpire, the audience, the ball boys, you name it, in order to get any advantage going.
3. John Roberts (1999-09-23). "Tennis: Connors still stirred by rivalry with McEnroe". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
4. Douglas Robson (2007-08-27). "Will the U.S. embrace the Roger-Rafa rivalry at Open?". USAToday. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
5. Tennis Confidential by Paul Fein pg. 98 Paul Fein. Tennis Confidential. Retrieved 2009-06-21.