In the 1970s, tennis stars Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors were engaged to be married after a long relationship. However, things didn’t work as per their expectations, and their wedding eventually had to be called off.

The cause behind their breakup was unknown to many until Connors’s biography, “The Outsider,” was published in 2013. Some details regarding his time spent with Evert were published in that book.

Similarly, the 8-time Grand Slam champion had also mentioned a few of their early dating memories. Connors once reflected on the media’s relentless pursuit of him and his then-girlfriend, Chris Evert, when they were dating.

Jimmy Connors reflects on the media’s dark side during his dating days with Evert

Back in 1974, Evert and Connors both won the Wimbledon Championship singles titles, and their relationship attracted a lot of media attention. Right then, they were also enjoying their first-ever night out in a playboy club. 

However, things didn’t pan out the way they expected. Connors, in his memoir, mentioned a rather brutal side of the media reflecting on that particular night and stated, “On our first night out as a couple, we emerged from the Playboy Club to find 40 photographers waiting for us. We felt like the Beatles, having to run through the streets of London to escape the paparazzi. It was nuts, especially when Chrissie outran me! But we didn’t mind; it was all one big adventure.”

Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors’ achievements on the court

Connors is widely regarded as one of the best ever. In the same vein, Evert is largely regarded as one of the sport’s all-time greats. Interestingly, both players finished first in their respective circuits.

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However, Evert had maintained her no. 1 rating for a longer time frame than Connors. Connors won eight singles Grand Slams, while Evert won eighteen throughout the course of her career. In addition, Evert holds the record for most French Open victories by a female tennis player with seven.

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Evert and Connors are regular on-court commentators at tennis events these days. We’ve seen them taking turns on stage together in numerous award ceremonies.