James Scott Connors is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. He held the top Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) ranking for a then-record 160 consecutive weeks from 1974 to 1977 and a career total of 268 weeks. By virtue of his long and prolific career, Connors still holds three prominent Open Era men's singles records: 109 titles, 1,557 matches played, and 1,274 match wins. His titles include eight major singles titles, three year-end championships, and 17 Grand Prix Super Series titles. In 1974, he became the second man in the Open Era to win three major titles in a calendar year, and was not permitted to participate in the fourth, the French Open. Connors finished year end number one in the ATP rankings from 1974 to 1978. In 1982, he won both Wimbledon and the US Open and was ATP Player of the Year and ITF World Champion. He retired in 1996 at the age of 43.
Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. was an American professional tennis player who won three Grand Slam singles titles. He started to play tennis at six years old. He was the first black player selected to the United States Davis Cup team, and the only black man ever to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. He retired in 1980. He was ranked world No. 1 by Rex Bellamy, Bud Collins, Judith Elian, Lance Tingay, World Tennis and Tennis Magazine (U.S.) in 1975. That year, Ashe was awarded the 'Martini and Rossi' Award, voted for by a panel of journalists, and the ATP Player of the Year award. In the ATP computer rankings, he peaked at No. 2 in May 1976.Ashe is believed to have acquired HIV from a blood transfusion he received during heart bypass surgery in 1983. He publicly announced his illness in April 1992, and began working to educate others about HIV and AIDS. He founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health before his death from AIDS-related pneumonia at the age of 49 on February 6, 1993. On June 20, 1993, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by United States President Bill Clinton.
The 1978 US Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the USTA National Tennis Center in New York City in New York in the United States. It was the 98th edition of the US Open and the third Grand Slam tennis event of the year. The tournament was held from August 28 to September 10, 1978, and the singles titles were won by Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert. This was the first year the US Open was played at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows after having been organized at the West Side Tennis Club venue in Forest Hills since 1915. It was also the first time the tournament was played on hard courts, as opposed to much of its history on grass and a brief stint, from 1975 through 1977, on clay.
Bernard Mitton was a professional tennis player from South Africa.
The 1979 U.S. Pro Indoor was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts that was part of the 1979 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix. It was played at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States and was held from January 22 through January 28, 1979. First-seeded Jimmy Connors won his second consecutive title at the event.
The 1972 Queen's Club Championships, also known by its sponsored name Rothmans London Grass Court Championships, was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament played on grass courts at the Queen's Club in London in the United Kingdom that was part of the 1972 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix and the 1972 Virginia Slims Circuit. The tournament was held from 19 June through 24 June 1972. In the semifinal of the men's singles event 44-year old Pancho Gonzales was leading by a set against John Paish when he was disqualified by the tournament referee after an argument over the replacement of a linesman. Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert won the singles titles.
The 1974 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix was a professional tennis circuit administered by the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) which served as a forerunner to the current Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour. The circuit consisted of the four modern Grand Slam tournaments and open tournaments recognised by the ILTF. The season-ending Commercial Union Assurance Masters and Davis Cup Final are included in this calendar but did not count towards the Grand Prix ranking.
The 1984 South African Open was a tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts in Johannesburg, South Africa that was part of the 1984 Volvo Grand Prix and the 1984 Virginia Slims World Championship Series. It was the 81st edition of the tournament. The women's tournament was held from 30 April through 6 May 1984 while the men's tournament was held from 19 November through 25 November 1984.
The 1974 South African Open, also known by its sponsored name South African Breweries Open, was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts in Johannesburg, South Africa that was part of the 1974 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix. It was the 71st edition of the tournament and was held from 18 November through 26 November 1974. Jimmy Connors and Kerry Melville won the singles titles.
The 1976 Washington Star International was a men's tennis tournament and was played on outdoor clay courts. It was categorized as a four star tournament and was part of the 1976 Grand Prix circuit. It was the 8th edition of the tournament and was held in Washington, D.C. from July 19 through July 26, 1976. Jimmy Connors won the singles title.
The 1974 U.S. Clay Court Championships was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament held in Indianapolis in the United States and played on outdoor clay courts. It was part of the men's Grand Prix and women's International Grand Prix. It was the 6th edition of the tournament and was held from August 5 through August 12, 1974. First-seeded Jimmy Connors won the men's singles title and accompanying $16,000 prize money while Chris Evert took the women's title.
The 1974 Italian Open was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament that was played by men on outdoor clay courts at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy. The men's tournament was part of the 1974 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix circuit while the women's tournament was part of the Women's International Grand Prix circuit. The tournament was held from 26 May through 3 June 1974. The singles titles were won by third-seeded Björn Borg and first-seeded Chris Evert.
The 1975 U.S. Clay Court Championships was a combined men's and women's Grand Prix tennis tournament held in Indianapolis in the United States and played on outdoor clay courts. It was the seventh edition of the tournament and was held from August 4 through August 11, 1975. Third-seeded Manuel Orantes won the men's singles title and the accompanying $16,000 first prize money while Chris Evert won the women's singles title.
The 1975 Italian Open was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament that was played by men on outdoor clay courts at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy. The men's and women's tournament was part of the 1975 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix. It was the 32nd edition of the tournament and was held from 26 May through 3 June 1975. The singles titles were won by Raúl Ramírez and Chris Evert.
The 1978 Washington Star International was a men's tennis tournament and was played on outdoor clay courts. The event was part of the 1978 Grand Prix circuit. It was the 10th edition of the tournament and was held in Washington, D.C. from July 17 through July 23, 1978. First-seeded Jimmy Connors won his second singles title at the event after 1976.
The 1979 U.S. Clay Court Championships was a men's Grand Prix and women's Colgate Series tennis tournament. The event was held for the first time at the newly built Indianapolis Sports Center in Indianapolis in the United States and played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 11th edition of the tournament in the Open Era and was held in from August 6 through August 12, 1979. First-seeded Jimmy Connors won the men's singles title and the $25,000 first-prize money. First-seeded Chris Evert-Lloyd claimed the women's singles title and $20,000 first-prize money.
The 1973 U.S. Pro Tennis Championships was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard court at the Longwood Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts in the United States. The event was classified as a Group B category tournament and was part of the 1973 Grand Prix circuit. It was the 46th edition of the tournament and was held from July 16 through July 23, 1973. Unseeded Jimmy Connors won the singles title and the accompanying $12,000 first prize money. Due to a rain-delay the final was played on Monday, July 24.
The 1976 Alan King Tennis Classic was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada in the United States that was sanctioned by the ATP but not part of the Grand Prix or World Championship Tennis circuits. It was the fifth edition of the tournament held from May 10 through 16, 1976. First-seeded Jimmy Connors won the singles title for the first time and earned $30,000 first-prize money as well as a new car.
The 1971 Charlotte Tennis Classic, also known by its sponsored name North Carolina National Bank Open, was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the Olde Providence Racquet Club in Charlotte, North Carolina in the United States.. The men's competition was part of group C the 1971 Grand Prix circuit while the women's competition was a non-tour amateur event without prize money. It was the inaugural edition of the tournament and was held from April 12 through April 18, 1971 Arthur Ashe won the men's singles title, earning $5,000 first-prize money, and Chris Evert won the women's title.
The 1979 U.S. National Indoor Championships was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States. The event was part of the 1979 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix circuit. It was the tenth edition of the tournament in the open era and was held from February 26 through March 4, 1979. First-seeded Jimmy Connors won the singles title and $40,000 first-prize money. It was his fifth singles title at the event after 1973–75 and 1978 which equaled the tournament record set by Wylie C. Grant.
Jimmy Connors [1] 
Tom Okker [2] 
Linky Boshoff / 
