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Jimmy Connors Saved My Life: A Personal Biography

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Joel Drucker does a great job fulfilling his desire to write a biography about the elusive Jimmy Connors. Like Connors, Drucker grew up in St. Louis and later Los Angeles with an interest in tennis that later allowed him to cross paths with Jimmy Connors, his tennis hero. But it was not always that way as Drucker chronicles his love for the stated elegance of the game and his dissatisfaction with the new "ugly" heroes, Connors, Nastase and McEnroe.

Slowly the Connors mystique captures Drucker and he elegantly writes of his love of tennis while at the same time discussing the struggles of his older brother who suffers from mental illness. The overlay of his personal story only takes about 1/4 of the book with the remainder covering Connors who is a unique human being blessed to be fueled by the overwhelming desire to compete against the world. But this competitive fire has its downside as Connors never really lets anyone close and competes on the tour as a loner while most other competitors socialize and enjoy each other's company.

So with this background, Drucker reconstructs the meteoric rise of Connors' career through his eventual drop below Borg and McEnroe while he leaves his high school tennis career, attends Cal Berkeley and starts a failed career as a tennis journalist. From here he's able to spend time with Connors and get drawn in to the very small inner circle. Drucker floats the idea of a biography which Connors always seems interested in but in the end, Connors remains the loner who is, not letting anyone get close enough to really know him. Connors is a warrior. He has the heart of a lion even though his ability to interact with other humans may not be as advanced as most people would like.

Overall, this is an enlightening, well-written book. I recommend this book for anyone with an interest in tennis or the history of tennis as well as those interested in inter-personal relationships. I suspect we'll see other books from Drucker as he is an excellent writer.

Joel Drucker shows that there is more to tennis than just hitting fuzzy balls over the net. His unauthorized biography of Jimmy Connors, based on much painstaking research and numerous personal interviews with Connors, paints a picture of a great athlete, but one who is both inspiring and disturbing at the same time. Drucker intertwines his own personal story with the career of Connors, and both make for fascinating reading. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in sports and life in general.

Joel Drucker is an indefatigable researcher and an insightful writer. Though tennis writers tend to be at the bottom of the food chain when measured against golf, boxing and baseball writers, Drucker does his profession proud. The biographical information about Connors, based upon meticulous research, is at times, outstanding. He paints a portrait of the tennis great that few have ever seen. Drucker explores Connors' relationship with his mother Gloria and grandmother Bertha in-depth. Indeed, knowing his relationship to them is the foundation of not only his tennis career but also his life.
My main problem with the book is that Drucker was never the insider he portrays himself to have been with Connors. Perhaps, his infatuation with the charismatic "Jimbo" led him to conjure up a make-believe inner circle relationship where none existed. I can stomach this because I do not believe Drucker believes otherwise. I truly think that he viscerally believes he was thisclose to Connors. But he wasn't. To me, this calls into question other assertions and conclusions he made and arrived at. I've examined them thoroughly and have no problem with their efficacy.
Simply put, this is a book that Drucker had to write. Undoubtedly it served as a catharsis, ridding his soul of haunting demons that needed exorcising. As he describes his relationship with his brother, its like hearing chalk screech on the blackboard. Yet, it had to be written.
For the diehard Connors fans, this is a must book. For those who loved tennis in its heyday, you won't find a more compelling book. Most of the other tennis books on the personalities from this period were written, or so they read, solely to capitalize on the subject matter and to make a dollar. This book was written from a soul that is, at times, tormented, yet remains sincere. The result is a one-of-a-kind book that does justice to Connors, tennis and the writer.

I read this book with great interest, as I befriended Jimmy Connors at the local tennis courts in several years ago, shortly before this book came out, and got a chance to talk to him on an almost daily basis about a variety of subjects while practicing strokes against the tennis wall. He was quite humble and that does not quite match the nature of the narcissist described by the author in this book. This book is very well-written and researched, but during the couple of years I knew Connors, I found him to be quite self-effacing when it came to his immensely successful career and persona. He looked back on it like it was a fun and exciting time then, but had clearly moved on and was trying to find a new purpose in his life. He did not appear unhappy, as indicated, just somewhat bored and always coming up with new ideas of what he wanted to do next with his life. He really wanted to do something meaningful for ordinary people who enjoyed playing tennis, but also still clearly enjoys being in the company of top players, as is evident from his coaching of Andy Roddick. He appeared anything but selfish, as he volunteered for the homeless and clearly cares a lot about animals.
I observed that Jimmy was in a lot of pain sometimes, but he never once complained. In spite of his pain, Jimmy kept coming back to practice his play against two of the best local tennis players (a couple), and from what I observed, he bonded the most with the female, older player, a seasoned tennis pro. Jimmy, by himself on one side of the court, managed to wear out these other two players on the other side completely, which was quite amazing. After all, he was in his early 50s and in pain. While on the courts playing, I did notice, like the author, that he changed into a different persona. He expects everyone to give their best at all times and got frustrated when this did not happen. I find this to be an admirable quality that pushes people to be their best, and I'm sure this part of Jimmy's persona influenced the author's life profoundly and perhaps saved it.
Jimmy always did appear most comfortable around women, as the author indicates, but in a strictly platonic way. He seemed very devoted to his wife, Patti, and children who occasionally came to the local courts, as well. I observed several times that he was indeed not as friendly or close to other men, but what do you expect from a person who is taught to beat other men at all cost and win no matter what. Call it paranoia, as the author does, but is it really surprising?
Having met many highly intelligent people throughout my life, I'd say Jimmy Connors is one of the smartest people I've ever met, and he may not hold a Ph.D, but he does not need one either. I can understand the author's fascination with Connors, however, as Connors is a very interesting person.
They always say it's lonely at the top, and to get there, I think you have to be somewhat of a narcissist, highly competitive, power hungry and have a very positive attitude. It's the survival of the fittest....
This book focuses mostly on the young Jimmy of the past and, of course, on the author himself. Jimmy has clearly moved on with his life, still has a strong spirit, is very competitive, healthy and focused, but has definitely mellowed. He is an admirable human being, unique in many ways, and if more people would adopt his positive attitude and determination, he could save many people's lives. An interesting book, and especially for those who wish to find direction in their lives.

Written by MV, California

Drucker is truly the thinking person's tennis writer. He understands the game on every level: technical, strategic, psychological. He is also an exceptionally good writer -- a storyteller on a par with Michael Lewis. Finally, and perhaps most striking of all, he is not afraid to lay bare his own sensibilities, directly and without flinching. This is a book about much more than tennis. It is about childhood heroes that shape us, about coming of age, and about coming to terms with the private demons that stalk us all.

Frank Sinatra famously said, "You're only honest when you sing."
Drucker is honest when he writes.

Joel Drucker writes an excellent autobiography of himself and intertwines it with a biography of Connors. Since Connors never did give him permission to write an authorized biography, you are left wondering what was really going on in Connors' mind. The book is great for tennis fans. The only thing I would change is he goes into a little too much detail on certain matches--giving a point by point detail for quite a few matches. Other than that small criticism, the book is a great read.

Joel's book is much more than I expected. There were definitely detailed descriptions of Connors tennis history and his big matches, such as with McEnroe, Lendl, Krickstein, etc. But this book is much deeper than your typical sports biography.

Joel delved very deeply into the persona of Jimmy Connors. In doing so, Joel was able to better understand himself and the struggles that he faced. And as I read the book, I also felt that I better understood myself and what was important to me. For example, at one point in Joel's career he discussed a potential career change with Jimmy. Jimmy talked about moving forward one step at a time. It was the perfect advice from Jimmy Connors, whose game, as Joel describes, is based on perfect footwork and taking every point and match one step at a time. Joel also discusses Jimmy's love and extreme dedication to the game, and how Jimmy's whole life growing up was dedicated to becoming a better tennis professional.

After reading Joel's book, I became a fan of Jimmy Connors. Not because Jimmy was as smart or witty or naturally talented as John McEnroe. But because Jimmy was the ultimate warrior who dedicated his life to becoming the best tennis player he could possibly be. And when he competed in tennis, the craft of his life, he never gave up or backed down. From Joel's analysis of Jimmy, Joel was then better able to face the difficult challenges in his own life with a Connors-like attitude. I found this very inspirational.

It felt as if this wonderful book had been written for me personally. Jimmy Connors saved my life too. From the day that I saw a photograph of a young Jimmy Connors in a tennis magazine - long hair flying, shiny steel racquet, and two hands on the backhand - I was mesmerized by the guy. I was twelve at the time (same age as the author), but never quite outgrew my obsession with Connors. Not only did I want to play exactly like him, but I applied his attitudes towards the problems and hurdles in my daily life growing up in South Africa. I could so well relate to the emotions that the fiery tennis star evoked in Mr. Drucker, as the author navigated his own problems with social shyness, his brother's mental illness, and a succession of career failures. The inspiration that Connors provided with his in-your-face approach and never-say-die attitude was a welcome change from the ordinary and the mundane in life, and in our family terms like "Connors jersey" (the sleeveless vest that was a trademark) and "Connors fifth-set tie-break comeback" (for a rally from any tight situation) came into everyday parlance.

In this book, Drucker again and again emphasizes how Gloria indoctrinated Connors to "win at all cost", and how she promoted the "us and them" attitude in order to get his "tiger juices" flowing. These attitudes were no doubt responsible for his legendary fighting spirit, but they also caused him to remain aloof, even paranoid, and ultimately Jimmy remained a loner on the tennis circuit. Drucker keeps his promise to stay "strictly within the lines", meaning that he is very careful to avoid writing any "smut" about Connors. One small criticism, though, is that almost nothing is mentioned about several important interpersonal relationships in the life of Connors Thus, little is revealed about his relations with brother John, wife Patti, and even with onetime fiancée, Chris Evert, with whom he seems to have retained a special friendship. For instance, in her earlier autobiography, Chrissie anecdotally tells of how - while staying with different hosts in suburban Johannesburg during the 1973 South African Open Tennis tournament - she would slip out of her bedroom window late at night in and Jimmy would be waiting in a borrowed VW in the street to take her out!

Joel Drucker is an intellectual sports writer. His unauthorized biography accurately conveys the atmosphere of excitement that surrounded Jimmy Connors and his rivalries during the "golden age of tennis". Drucker helps to define the key role that Connors played in the revolution that swept professional men's tennis in the early 70's. He also brings us closer to an understanding of the Connors psyche than probably any other writer. But ultimately the book is much more than just about a tempestuous tennis star and his ambitious mother. I have been waiting for thirty years for a book like this. I just hope that Jimmy reads it. It does him proud.

Joel's biography of Jimmy Connors is long overdue and is a must for anyone interested in the history of Open Tennis. As Mary Carillo writes in the introduction to the book, Connors was the most important player in the Open Era. Not necessarily the best, but certainly the most important. He made tennis matter to the man in the street.

I defy anyone who remembers watching Connors play, from becoming emotionally involved in what was going on. There have been great players in the Open Era: Laver, Sampras, Borg, Federer, McEnroe. But none I think were quite able to connect with a crowd in the way Connors could.
And it is this which I will principally remember him for.

I was seven years old when I watched my first tennis match on television: it was the 1974 Wimbledon final between Connors and Rosewall. To this day I still recall that chirpy, pugnacious little left-hander with his mop of straight black hair and that metal Wilson racquet that he wielded in his left hand, pummelling ground strokes to all corners of the court and for which poor Rosewall had no answer. I also seem to recall his pas-de- deux with Chrissie as they celebrated their Wimbledon victories together on centre court.

Above all he was such a contrast with what had gone on before: the Smiths, Lavers, Newcombes and Rosewalls with their short hair and impeccable manners and upright, unshowey 1950's demeanour.

Then came Jimmy. No wonder they described 1974 as a Revolution on Church Road. He did to lawn tennis what the Rolling Stones had done to British society 10 years earlier. He smashed his way through the revered walls of SW18 and turned the place upside down. He grabbed those genteel female spectators with their horn-rimmed specs and rubber-flowered hats and gave them a damn good shake. No wonder they all loathed him!

The tennis was astonishing. Joel is brilliant in his covereage of his US Open exploits. But you could write volumes on his Wimbledon exploits alone - as a Brit I can testify to this, seeing it all at first hand: his precocious victory over Rosewall in '74, the '75 semi against Roscoe Tanner then considered the fiercest server in the business whom Connors reduced to ashes, and for whom Ashe himself rose like a Phoenix to provide sweet revenge by defeating Connors in the final; the epic battles against Borg in '77 and '81, the victory against McEnroe EIGHT years after his first win, the '84 semi against Lendl whom he destroyed with a quite astonishing display of return of serve and a remarkable recovery in the 4th round in '87 against Michael Pernfors from 2 sets to love down and trailing 0-4 in the third to come back and win. I can tell you that even as reserved a place as Wimbledon has never seen scenes like that!

And we haven't even discussed the Open - but buy the book because Joel covers it admirably.

One further tip - his matches (and those of the other great players) are available on-line to purchase, covering all the grand-prix tournaments from the mid-70s onwards. Do try and get them if you can. You'll see what I mean

Meantime, many thanks Joel for this book. Long overdue and a fitting tribute not only to one of the greatest players of the Open Era but one who is a living testament to the adage: Never Give Up!

Now go and buy the book!!

Terrific! This book reminds me of the movie movie "Almost Famous" (the kid who is a Rolling Stone reporter, follows his favorite band and learns lessons on life), but with a theme that sings much better than any band.

There was a time when no one placidly played golf while the storm glads gathered overhead. Rather, with Connors as his backdrop, Drucker reminds us when tennis and Connors were king. Back then, we were glued to our weekend TV watching monumental battles of Connors against Borg, McEnroe and Agassi, not to mention Connors against himself. The tennis was great, the personalites were large and Connor's made us all pay attention both on and off the court. Now (for me, at least) the sizzle is gone, other than the glimpse of Anna K. or the latest fashion disaster from the Williams sisters.

If you like reading the sport books of Feinstein, Deford and Lupica, you are going to love Drucker. But in the end, he'll remind you why you loved tennis and why Connors made you love it, whether you liked Connors or not.