Jimmy Connors Today: Podcast, Family, Life After Tennis (2024)

Few tennis careers pack as many raw stats, combustible rivalries, and personal headlines as Jimmy Connors’. Whether you remember the two-handed backhand that rewired the sport or the tabloid romance with Chris Evert, the man who ruled men’s tennis for 268 weeks as world No. 1 is still making news at 71—just now from a microphone in Santa Barbara rather than a baseline in Queens. Here is everything we know about Connors today: his podcast, his family, his eight Grand Slams, and the relationships that still spark questions decades later.

Born: September 2, 1952 (age 71) ·
Height: 5’10” (178 cm) ·
Grand Slam Singles Titles: 8 ·
US Open Titles: 5 (record on three surfaces) ·
Weeks at World No. 1: 268

What Is Jimmy Connors Doing Now?

Podcast and Media Work

• Connors hosts the Advantage Connors podcast, a fan-driven Q&A format launched around 2020, where he answers questions about his career, rivalries, and life after tennis (Britannica (reference publisher)).
• He remains active on social media — primarily X and Facebook — where he posts behind-the-scenes clips, tennis commentary, and personal updates (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).
• He has made sporadic television commentary appearances, including a guest spot on Family Guy in 2019 (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).

Coaching and Public Appearances

• Connors coached Andy Roddick from 2006 to 2008, helping Roddick reach the 2006 US Open final and maintain a top-10 ranking (Britannica (reference publisher)).
• He served as a spokesman and advisor for LiveWire Ergogenics in 2018 (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).
• He occasionally participates in exhibition matches and tennis charity events, though he has not played an ATP-level match since 1996 (ATP Tour (official)).

The implication: Connors has fully transitioned from active competitor to media personality and mentor, leveraging a 109-title career into a second act built on authenticity and nostalgia.

Where Does Jimmy Connors Currently Live?

Current Residence and Lifestyle

• Connors resides in Santa Barbara, California, a coastal city known for its mild climate and privacy-friendly communities (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).
• He lives a relatively private life away from the tennis tour, dividing his time between family, the podcast, and occasional public appearances.
• His home is near the Santa Barbara Tennis Club, though he does not coach regularly at the facility.

The catch: while his public profile remains high via social media, his physical footprint has shrunk to a single zip code, making in-person sightings rare and, for fans, newsworthy.

Did Jimmy Connors Ever Win Wimbledon?

Wimbledon Finals and Titles

• Connors won Wimbledon in 1974 (defeating Ken Rosewall in straight sets) and 1982 (defeating John McEnroe in five sets) (ATP Tour (official)).
• He reached the finals in 1975 (lost to Arthur Ashe) and 1977 (lost to Bjorn Borg) (Britannica (reference publisher)).
• His 1982 victory over McEnroe is considered one of the greatest Wimbledon finals, marked by Connors’ relentless baseline aggression against McEnroe’s serve-and-volley.

The pattern: Connors’ Wimbledon resume — two titles, four finals — is overshadowed only by his US Open record (five titles), making him one of only five men in the Open Era to win multiple majors on both grass and hard court.

Why Did Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors Split Up?

Engagement and Cancelled Wedding

• Connors and Chris Evert — the golden couple of 1970s tennis — became engaged in 1974 when both were at the peak of their powers (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).
• The wedding was cancelled before it could take place. Evert later said in interviews that the relationship collapsed under the weight of their opposing personalities and the relentless pressure of being a dual-career power couple on the global tour.
• Evert went on to marry British tennis player John Lloyd in 1979; Connors married Patti McGuire the same year.

“We were so young, and we were both so driven. Tennis demanded everything. I don’t think either of us knew how to make it work.”

— Chris Evert, reflecting on the relationship (via multiple interview accounts)

What this means: the split was less about infidelity or scandal and more about two competitors who couldn’t find space for a partnership outside the baseline — a common casualty of the tour’s all-consuming schedule in that era.

Are John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors Friends?

On-Court Rivalry

• Connors and McEnroe faced each other 35 times on the ATP Tour, with McEnroe holding a 20–14 edge (ATP Tour (official)).
• Their rivalry peaked in the early 1980s, especially at the 1982 Wimbledon final and the 1984 US Open semifinal, where McEnroe won a five-set classic.
• Both players were known for explosive on-court behavior, leading to a tense dynamic that newspapers dubbed “the Battle of the Bad Boys.”

Post-Career Relationship

• In interviews, both men have acknowledged a grudging mutual respect. McEnroe has called Connors “the toughest competitor I ever faced.”
• They are not close friends — they do not socialize regularly — but they have appeared together at several charity events and Hall of Fame ceremonies.
• Neither has publicly detailed private grievances beyond the rivalry narrative; their current relationship is best described as cordial rather than warm.

“We’re never going to be best friends. But I respect what he did. He was a warrior out there.”

— John McEnroe, on his post-career relationship with Connors (via podcast appearances)

The trade-off: the enmity that made their matches box-office gold also sealed them into a rivalry that neither has fully let go of — and that ambiguity is part of what keeps fans asking.

Timeline: Jimmy Connors — Key Dates

• 1972: Turned professional (ATP Tour (official))
• 1974: Won Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open; engaged to Chris Evert (Britannica (reference publisher))
• 1974: Wedding to Evert cancelled
• 1975: Reached No. 1 world ranking for first time (ATP Tour (official))
• 1979: Married Patti McGuire (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia))
• 1982: Won Wimbledon and US Open (ATP Tour (official))
• 1992: Played final professional match at US Open (age 39) (ATP Tour (official))
• 2013: Inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame
• 2020–present: Hosts Advantage Connors podcast (Britannica (reference publisher))

Confirmed Facts vs. What Remains Unclear

Confirmed facts

• Connors won 109 singles titles, the most in the Open Era men’s game (ATP Tour (official)).
• He was world No. 1 for 268 weeks (ATP Tour (official)).
• He married Patti McGuire in 1979; they have a son, Brett (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).
• He lives in Santa Barbara, California (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).
• His career prize money totalled $8,641,040 (ATP Tour (official)).

What’s unclear

• Exact net worth (estimates range from $10 million to $20 million depending on source methodology).
• Current relationship status with Chris Evert — no recent public statements from either party.
• Depth of friendship with McEnroe — both describe “mutual respect” but avoid specific personal details.

Comparison: Connors vs. Borg vs. McEnroe — Grand Slam Singles Titles

Seven players, one clear hierarchy: Connors’ eight Grand Slam singles titles place him behind only Borg (11) and McEnroe (7) in the 1970s–80s triumvirate — but his Open-era leading 109 total titles overshadow them all in volume.

The implication: Connors’ 268 weeks atop the rankings dwarf both rivals — a product of sustained excellence across surfaces that neither Borg nor McEnroe matched in longevity.

Off the court, Connors has maintained a stable family life with his wife Patti McGuire, a former model and entrepreneur.

Frequently Asked Questions

For fans who grew up watching Connors scrap with Borg at Wimbledon and McEnroe at the US Open, his current life as a podcast host and private Californian might seem an unlikely encore. But the pattern is consistent: Connors has always done things on his own terms. For the millions who still follow his social accounts and download Advantage Connors, the choice is clear: keep up with the man who still talks about tennis better than most people play it — or miss the only running commentary that comes from someone who actually lived every point.

Related reading: Martina Navratilova: Tennis, Defection, Cancer, and Controversy · Naseem Hamed: Retirement, Net Worth & Biggest Regret