Jimmy Connors says tennis doesn't owe him anything using Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic as examples
ATP
Jimmy Connors says he doesn't owe anything to tennis and vice versa and used Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal as an example to hammer home his point about the current state of tennis.
Connors said that in his opinion, he isn't owed a living by the current crop because of what he achieved by the current leading lights and that the same will go for them going forward. One of the most successful players in history, Connors in particular had a storied rivalry with John McEnroe and holds the most wins ever on the ATP Tour, one of the only records that Novak Djokovic is yet to reach.
But despite that, he says that give and take from tennis isn't a thing and shouldn't be as it was him on his own making his own way and he now reaps the rewards from what he did on the court instead of a legacy.
"Listen, I played for over 20 years and I realized two things; one, the game doesn't owe me anything, and two, I don't owe the game anything, and I don't say that disrespectfully because I gave the game everything every time I walked out there," said Connors.
"Federer and Nadal and Djokovic and Murray, and now the guys that are taking over, we benefit from the game. Of course we do. I made a living off of it and I have a great life off of it, but that doesn't mean that because I did that, they owe me anything." Connors added.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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