'Public park kid' Jimmy Connors reflects on how they shaped him and his tennis

In his nearly 25-year playing career, International Tennis Hall of Famer and former world No. 1 Jimmy Connors was known for being a maverick, a gritty battler, and a showman—someone who always got people talking one way or another.

The eight-time Grand Slam singles champion attributes some of that trademark toughness to honing his skills as a youngster in public parks—where more than half the tennis in the U.S. is still played in to this day.

This self-described “public park kid” grew up in East St. Louis, Ill., just across the Mississippi River from the Missouri capital, and was raised to play the game by his mother, a teaching pro named Gloria Thompson Connors, and grandmother Bertha Thompson. Undersized in his youth—he eventually grew to 5-foot-10—Connors’ heart was always bigger than his body, something that was apparent even when he first held a racquet in his hands. But that wasn’t the only way in which Connors maximized his potential. His game, persona and never-say-die reflected the venue that raised him, too.

Connors was never much of a country club guy. Maybe that’s why he was so beloved by so much of the country. He was what they came for, after all.