Read The Outsider: A Memoir Online
Authors: Jimmy Connors
Queens Club tournament, 151
of 1972, 90–91, 93–94
of 1984, 283
of 1986, 301
Stella Artois championships (1982), 251–52, 256
Raines, Marty, 359
Ralston, Dennis, 85, 166
Ramírez, Raúl, 97, 170
Rebeuh, Bruno, 323
Rebozo, Bebe, 229
Reneberg, Richey, 324
Resnick, Ash, 138
Revson, Peter, 173, 182, 187
Richey, Cliff, 103, 205
Richie, Brenda, 287
Richie, Lionel, 287
Richmond tournament (1982), 259
Riessen, Marty, 161, 345
Riggs, Bobby, 60, 65, 140, 181, 193, 337, 338
Riggs, Larry, 65
Riklis Grand Prix event, 307
Riordan, Bill, 66, 73–74, 79, 80–83, 85, 89, 95, 104, 115, 116, 126, 128–29, 137–40, 146–49, 155, 156–59, 161–62, 165–66, 169, 174, 188–89, 192, 193
Riordan (Independent Players) circuit, 66–67, 75, 79–82, 97, 109, 355
in Baltimore (1972), 75
National Indoor Championship tournament (1969), 66–67
Roddick, Andy, 313, 373–74, 375, 376, 378
Roger-Vasselin, Christophe, 269
Roland, Gilbert, 17, 46
Rooney, Mickey, 17
Rosewall, Ken, 60, 80, 125–26, 132, 137, 159
Ross, Stanley, 357
Rostagno, Derrick, 325
Rothmans grass-court championship, 93–94
Roundtree, Joe, 219
Sabatini, Gabriela, 325
Sajak, Pat, 305
Sampras, Pete, 320, 324
San Francisco tournament (1982), 260
Scanlon, Bill, 278
Schapers, Michiel, 329
Scheinberg, Rick, 317–18, 319
Schneider, David, 2, 104, 118–19, 122–23, 145, 268–69, 301, 302, 319, 320–21, 334, 337, 338
Schoendienst, Red, 185
Seattle tournament (1982), 260
Sedgman, Frank, 109
Segura, Pancho, 19, 45–48, 50, 51, 52, 53–55, 56–60, 62, 63–64, 65–66, 67, 68, 69, 70–71, 84, 85, 95, 102, 103, 120, 125–26, 128, 136, 138, 140, 145, 152–54, 156, 163, 175, 176–77, 180, 204, 208, 216, 286, 304–5, 385
Segura, Spencer, 51, 52, 53–54, 55–56, 57, 60–61, 62, 65, 69, 70–71, 99, 100, 104, 107, 110, 119, 121–22, 145, 165, 173, 196
Seguso, Robert, 302
Seiko Super Tennis tournament (1984), 300
Senior Tour, 33, 217
Shales, Jeremy, 298–301
Sinatra, Frank, 56, 164, 236, 289
Smith, Stan, 56, 60, 69, 80, 85, 95, 103, 345
Smythe, Pat, 239
Soffer, Donny, 269, 357
Solomon, Harold, 90, 133
South African Open (1974), 107–8
Southern California:
juniors tournament (1970), 68
men’s tournament (1970), 68
Southern Illinois tournament, 35
Sovran Bank Classic (1988), 304
Spelling, Aaron, 54
Spelling, Candy, 54
Staton, Jack, 41
Stewart, Rod, 272
Stockton, Dick, 40, 56, 103, 125, 184, 189, 195, 220–21, 244, 342
Stolle, Fred, 2, 360
Strnadová, Andrea, 325
Summerall, Pat, 330
Svensk, Deborah, 196
Swain, Gary, 349
Swayze, Patrick, 15
Talbert, Bill, 360
Tanner, Roscoe, 72, 151, 176, 182, 250, 345, 346
Taylor, Roger, 80, 98
Team Tennis, 326, 336–37, 362
Tel Aviv tournament (1981), 248
Teltscher, Eliot, 224, 230
Thompson, Al Lynch “Pop,” 5–6, 13–14, 15–16, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26–27, 28–30, 41–42, 49, 50, 51, 58, 65, 84, 87, 88, 90, 123–24, 127, 150, 292–93, 370, 377, 379
Thompson, Bertha “Two-Mom,” 12, 13–14, 16–17, 18, 20, 21–22, 25, 26, 27, 29, 36, 41, 45, 46–47, 49, 50–51, 52, 66, 78, 80, 84, 86–89, 90, 92, 94, 97, 119, 127, 153, 162, 166, 178, 246, 287, 302, 363, 377, 383
Tinling, Ted, 253–55, 256
Tiriac, Ion, 80, 81, 84
Trabert, Tony, 166, 360
Trump, Donald, 313
USLTA circuit, 78, 81
US National Championships, 17
US National Championships, Indoors (Memphis):
of 1980, 232
of 1983, 264
of 1985, 282
US Open, 4, 7, 68, 69, 78, 86, 91, 111, 136, 137, 156, 161, 162, 163, 165–66, 170, 175, 206, 207, 208, 218–19, 233, 262, 288, 321, 324, 339, 360, 374
of 1971, 94
of 1972, 96–97, 105
of 1973, 102, 105
of 1974, 105, 126–27, 128, 131–32, 140
of 1975, 101, 164, 177
of 1976, 101, 176–79
of 1978, 210, 216, 259, 355
of 1979, 226
of 1980, 27, 241–42
of 1981, 246–47
of 1982, 243, 259, 260
of 1983, 243, 275–79, 281
of 1984, 283
of 1987, 304
of 1988, 310–11, 313
of 1989, 311
of 1991, 323, 326–33, 335
of 2003, 373
of 2006, 313
US Pro Indoors, 184
of 1975, 129, 174
of 1980, 230
of 1982, 250
US Pro Tennis championships, 46, 282
of 1950, 46
of 1951, 46
of 1952, 46
of 1973, 103
US Tennis Association tournaments, Missouri Valley Section of, 39
Van Dillen, Erik, 47, 57, 65, 85, 172
Van Dyke, Dick, 240
Van Halen, Eddie, 227
Vilas, Guillermo, 23, 163, 177, 208–9, 288–89, 290, 294–97, 342, 346
Vines, Ellsworth, 54
Wallace, Marjie, 172–74, 180, 182, 184, 187–88, 213
Wayne, Aissa, 106
Wayne, John, 106
WCT circuit, 78, 79, 80, 97, 148–49, 193–95
Challenge Cup, 192
in Dallas (1980), 233
in Dallas (1984), 283
Denver tournament, 148–49, 168
St. Louis Arena semi-finals of, 191
see also
Challenge Match
WCT circuit, Toronto tournament, 186
of 1983, 264
of 1984, 283
WCT Tennis Invitational (1980), 230
Wembley:
of 1976, 180
of 1981, 3–5, 6–7, 9–11, 247, 248
Western Open tournament (1940), 17
White, Vanna, 305, 307
Wightman Cup, 93
Wilander, Mats, 278, 286
Wiley, Don, 242
Wimbledon, 4, 8–9, 73, 78, 86, 91, 93, 102, 111, 112, 115, 119, 131, 136, 145, 152, 156, 160–61, 165, 170, 189, 206, 218, 233, 252, 253, 259, 260, 262, 288, 299, 304, 320, 339, 348, 349
of 1958, 139
of 1972, 8–9, 94–96, 97
of 1973, 97–98, 105
of 1974, 105, 117, 119–21, 123, 124–27, 128, 132
of 1975, 155–59, 190
of 1976, 176, 182
of 1977, 197–205
of 1978, 210
of 1979, 226
of 1980, 124, 238–41
of 1981, 244, 246
of 1982, 254–58
of 1983, 268, 270, 273
of 1984, 281, 283
of 1985, 292
of 1986, 301
of 1987, 303, 304
of 1988, 310
of 1991, 324–25, 326, 329
of 2005, 373
of 2006, 373
Woodburn, Joel, 325
Woods, Earl, 147, 224
World Cup, 176
Wortman, Frank “Buster,” 33–34
WTT circuit, 113–14
Zoecke, Markus, 314
Mom and Dad enjoyed a busy social life in the early days of their marriage.
My trifecta of coaches: Mom, Two-Mom, and Pancho Segura at a tournament in the 1940s. When they were younger, Pancho tried to romance Mom but faced competition from Jimmy Evert, Chrissie’s father. They both failed.
Mom striking a pose in her early teens when she was a rising star on the women’s professional circuit. Later, she coached Hollywood celebrities like Mickey Rooney and Errol Flynn.
Hitting with Mom on our homemade court in Belleville. Playing tennis left-handed was natural for me.
My older brother, Johnny, and me running moonshine in our go-cart.
Me and Johnny in our basement practicing the technique taught to us by our grandfather, Pop, a former prizefighter who once sparred with Joe Louis. “I can take a punch,” Johnny used to say proudly, neglecting to add he knew how to throw one, too.
Me and Pop. He was responsible for developing my footwork by making me jump rope every day. I can still hear him saying, “Pick up your feet, Jimmy. Just another 20 minutes.”
Johnny, Mom, and me after a tournament. Johnny loved tennis but it wasn’t his life, which allowed Mom to devote herself to my game.
(Courtesy of Art Seitz)
Mom may have made some mistakes along the way, but I knew she always had my best interests at heart.
(Courtesy of Art Seitz)
Even while cruising the Venice canals, my buddy Nasty was always on the lookout for beautiful women. Fortunately, I had one of my own at home, so I could just relax.
Nasty, my friend Gerry Goldberg, and me on the loose in Florida. This is just trouble!
(Courtesy of Art Seitz)
Nasty and me performing with the Monte Carlo philharmonic. I think I’ll keep my day job.