"Boris Becker, Andre Agassi has a personality, but it's advantageous to be boring" - When John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors lamented tennis' rules system

John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors spoke about personalities in tennis in an old interview. While the former said that it was safe for players to be boring, the latter said he thought the rules were the reason behind a lack of personalities in the sport.

John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors spoke to the New York Times in a joint interview in 1996, and they were asked about "personalities" in the sport. While McEnroe said that the likes of Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, and Jim Courier had personalities, he also stated that it was "advantageous" for the players to be "boring". McEnroe said,

"It's not necessarily that these guys don't have personalities. Becker's got a personality. Agassi has a personality. Jim Courier is a lot more fiery than people realize from outward appearances. But for the players now, it is more advantageous for them to be boring because of the way the press pursues them. It is certainly advantageous to stay out of controversy and hope they don't follow you everywhere you go."

Jimmy Connors said that the tennis rules "squashed" the personality of the players, pointing out the time violations and warnings that a player could receive. He said,

"I've been away from that tour for almost five years, but it seems like the rules now squash all the personality on the court. If you're not ready in 20 seconds now, it's point penalty, warning, warning, point penalty. If you say something negative against ATP or the tournament, aren't you fined for that now, too?"

McEnroe and Connors are two of the finest tennis players of all time and both were also known for their on-court personalities. The two entertained crowds not just with their tennis but also with their tantrums on the court, which many fans found entertaining.

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John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors played 34 matches in their fierce rivalry

John McEnroe at a concert in 2024 (Image Source: Getty)

McEnroe and Connors locked horns on 34 occasions, with the former leading their head-to-head 20-14. Connors dominated at the start of the two's rivalry, winning their first four meetings.

However, John McEnroe gradually started to catch up and registered a few wins over his rival during the late 1970s, notably in the semifinals of the 1979 US Open. The two had several heated encounters during their rivalry but they locked horns in just two Grand Slam finals.

The first of these came at the 1982 Wimbledon Championships, where Connors edged out his rival 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 to win his second title at the grass-court Major. Their second encounter in a Grand Slam final came at the 1984 US Open, with McEnroe winning 6-1, 6-1, 6-2.