A report on Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl

Connors at the 1978 ABN Tennis Tournament holding his Wilson T2000 steel racket

Ivan Lendl in the final of the 1984 ABN World Tennis tournament in Rotterdam

Lendl (far right) talking to Judy Murray.

He also had a comfortable head-to-head winning record against his biggest rivals, including a 21-15 record (7-3 in major matches) against John McEnroe, a 22-13 record (4-3 in major matches) against Jimmy Connors, and a 15-7 record (5-4 in major matches) against Mats Wilander.

- Ivan Lendl

His prominent younger opponents included Björn Borg, Vitas Gerulaitis, Ivan Lendl, and John McEnroe.

- Jimmy Connors

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McEnroe at the 2012 French Open in which he won the senior doubles event with his brother Patrick

John McEnroe

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American former professional tennis player and musician.

John McEnroe at the 1979 ABN Tennis Tournament

McEnroe in a Dunlop advertisement published on El Gráfico, 1981

McEnroe with Peter Fleming (left) at Wimbledon, mid 1980s

John McEnroe serving during a Champions Cup Boston match, 2007

John McEnroe in the 2007 Madrid Masters Senior

McEnroe demonstrating his swing at a Vanity Fair party in New York City, 2009

As an 18-year-old amateur in 1977, McEnroe won the mixed doubles at the French Open with Mary Carillo, then progressed through the singles qualifying tournament at Wimbledon and into the main draw, where he lost in the semifinals to Jimmy Connors in four sets.

He made the WCT Final for the third time and beat Ivan Lendl in an epic five-setter.

Tennis

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Racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent or between two teams of two players each (doubles).

French singles player Guillaume Rufin serves to Czech player Tomáš Berdych in a tennis match at the Australian Open

Painting from Cremona; end of the 16th century.

Augurio Perera's house in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, where he and Harry Gem first played the modern game of lawn tennis

Tennis doubles final at 1896 Olympic Games

International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino

Racket of Franjo Punčec in a wooden frame – late 1930s

Two different tennis strings of lengths 12m (left), and 200 m (right)

Convention dictates that the two players shake hands at the end of a match.

Novak Djokovic in a two-handed backhand motion.

A tennis match at Centre Court of Wimbledon in 2007.

McEnroe with Fleming playing as a doubles team at Wimbledon in the 1980s.

An umpire informing two players of the rules.

The two-handed grip gained popularity in the 1970s as Björn Borg, Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors, and later Mats Wilander and Marat Safin used it to great effect, and it is now used by a large number of the world's best players, including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams.

Earlier in Sampras' career, the most Grand Slams won up to that point by other active players was eight (jointly held by Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl).

Björn Borg

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Swedish former world No. 1 tennis player.

Borg (left) celebrating his win over Guillermo Vilas at the French Open final in 1974

Borg (right) playing Tom Okker at Rotterdam Open in 1974

Borg playing a double-handed backhand shot at the 1979 ABN World Tennis Tournament

Borg (left) playing against John McEnroe in 1979

Borg as a sports commentator at the French Open in 1983

Borg and Simionescu in Snagov, Romania, on 24 July 1980

He followed Jimmy Connors in using the two-handed backhand.

Borg then defeated Ivan Lendl for his second Masters title.

Federer at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships

Roger Federer

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Swiss professional tennis player.

Federer hits a forehand at the 2006 US Open, where he became the first man in history to achieve the Wimbledon-US Open double for three consecutive seasons.

Federer was called "Darth Federer" by fans and commentators at the 2007 US Open.

Federer winning the 2009 French Open, and completing the career Grand Slam

Federer won a record 16th major at the 2010 Australian Open.

Federer won a record 17th major, a record-equaling 7th Wimbledon, and returned to No. 1.

Federer receiving serve against Richard Gasquet in the title-clinching match for Switzerland at the 2014 Davis Cup

Federer and Nadal at Wimbledon's Centre Court.

Federer and Djokovic at the Canadian Open in 2010.

Roger Federer has spent a total of 310 weeks and a record 237 consecutive weeks at the top of the ATP rankings.

Federer serving at the Australian Open in 2014

He has won 103 ATP singles titles, the second most of all time after Jimmy Connors, including 20 Grand Slam titles, a record eight men's singles Wimbledon titles, and a record six year-end championships.

His 11 singles titles were the most of any player in two decades, and his record of 74–6 was the best since Ivan Lendl in 1986.

Novak Djokovic, the current men's singles world No. 1.

List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players

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The Pepperstone ATP rankings are the Association of Tennis Professionals' (ATP) merit-based system for determining the rankings in men's tennis.

Novak Djokovic, the record holder of most weeks spent as world No. 1.

Roger Federer spent a record 237 consecutive weeks at world No. 1. in the 2000s.

Ivan Lendl spent the most weeks at the top of the ATP rankings in the 1980s.

Jimmy Connors spent the most weeks at world No. 1 in the 1970s.

Ilie Năstase became the first ATP world No. 1 ranked player on August 23, 1973.

Novak Djokovic holds an all-time record of seven year-end No. 1 rankings.

Pete Sampras finished a six consecutive years as world No. 1 in the 1990s.

John McEnroe finished as the year-end No. 1 for four consecutive years in the 1980s.

Lleyton Hewitt was the youngest male player to hold the world No. 1 ranking, at age 20 in November 2001.

Daniil Medvedev, the current men's singles world No. 1.

Two players, Ivan Lendl and Marcelo Ríos, have reached No. 1 without previously having won a major title.

Since 1973 when the ATP rankings started, there have been 13 years in which one player held the top spot for the entire year: Jimmy Connors in 1975, 1976, and 1978; Lendl in 1986 and 1987; Pete Sampras in 1994 and 1997; Hewitt in 2002; Federer in 2005, 2006, and 2007 (most consecutive years); and Djokovic in 2015 and 2021.

World Championship Tennis

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Tour for professional male tennis players established in 1968 (the first players signed a contract at the end of 1967) and lasted until the emergence of the ATP Tour in 1990.

The titles were split between Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe, winning two each.

1976/7 – Las Vegas – Ilie Năstase defeated Jimmy Connors, 3–6, 7–6, 6–4, 7–5

ITF World Champions

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The International Tennis Federation (ITF) designates a World Champion each year based on performances throughout the year, emphasising the Grand Slam tournaments, and also considering team events such as the Davis Cup and Fed Cup.

When Ivan Lendl was chosen as champion for 1985, the panel's announcement was accompanied with a rebuke for Lendl's criticism of some tournaments and his refusal to play in the Davis Cup.

Other instances when the ITF choices differed from the ATP rankings are 1978 (Jimmy Connors), 1982 (McEnroe), 1989 (Lendl).