"Jimmy Connors' always been pampered, you must be very attentive to Jimmy" - When Chris Evert spoke about ex-boyfriend's relationship with his mother
Chris Evert once commented on her ex-boyfriend Jimmy Connors' relationship with his mother, Gloria. She mentioned that the American had been pampered throughout his childhood, so anyone who is with him needs to be very attentive to his needs.
Connors shared a deep bond with his mother, who served as his primary coach and mentor until he was 16. She played a pivotal role in shaping his career, laying the groundwork for him to become one of the greatest male tennis players of all time, with eight Grand Slams and numerous other accolades.
In a 1978 interview with Sports Illustrated, Jimmy Connors' ex-girlfriend and 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert explained that because Connors had been pampered from a young age, he was very demanding in their relationship. This created challenges for both of them, as they were young, in love, and had high expectations of each other.
"We fell in love when we were so young before we were friends. Jimmy has always worked harder on the court than anyone, but he's always been completely pampered off. His mom thinks he deserved it that way. So you must be very attentive to Jimmy," Evert said.
"I don't want to sound harsh, please, because much of this also applies to me, to athletes in general. So when we were together, each of us was thinking about ourselves. It's very tough for Jimmy to give on those occasions, because he gives so much on the court, and you come to expect it off," she added.
Evert, who was engaged to Connors before they ended their relationship in 1975, continued:
"And then, of course, most of the time you do get it off the court. Imagine us, two kids, so young, in love for the first time each expecting the other to give."
Jimmy Connors on Gloria teaching him to "beat men": "My mom took a lot of criticism"
During a conversation with his longtime friend Casey Defranco on the Advantage Connors podcast in 2023, Jimmy Connors discussed how his mother, Gloria, faced criticism for teaching him to "beat men" in tennis.
"To beat men. Exactly. It's interesting that you say that, Casey, because my mom took a lot of criticism for that," he said (37:34).
Despite the backlash, Connors noted that this never stopped her from pushing him to improve and excel.
"But that never really took away from her the feeling about wanting me to be a part of the game and try to get better. And, who knows where that was going to take anybody. There was no money back then. ‘What am I going to do? Go win the US Open and get a handshake?'" Connors said.
Gloria died at the age of 82 on January 8, 2007, at her home in Belleville, reportedly from natural causes.