"I had difficulties playing with Jimmy Connors... didn't want to talk to me" - When John McEnroe opened up about his troubled times in Davis Cup

John McEnroe once opened up about the struggles he had playing alongside Jimmy Connors at the Davis Cup. The American duo were part of Davis Cup's Team USA back in 1984.

McEnroe is one of the most decorated players in the Davis Cup's history, having won the tournament on five different occasions. His final triumph came in 1992 when the Americans boasted a dream team featuring him, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, and Rick Leach. They cruised past Team Switzerland with a 3-1 win in the final.

Following his triumph, the American legend opened up about the significance the team held for him. It is worth noting that McEnroe won his first four titles consecutively in 1979, 1980, 1981, and 1982 following which he suffered a 10-year drought before getting his hands on the coveted trophy one last time, in a year where he was facing a personal struggle.

"I think it was the greatest Davis Cup experience that I have ever been a part of, just being able to play with the group of guys that I was with, and a lot of what Davis Cup is about is your team and being able to play as a team. And I think, for me, it was the most, the best group that I was ever with."

However, while talking to the media following his 1992 Davis Cup win, John McEnroe specifically mentioned the troubles he had playing alongside Jimmy Connors, one of his biggest rivals, in 1984. Though they managed to reach the final that year, they were crushed 1-4 by Sweden in the final.

"I had the difficulties in '84 playing with Jimmy and Jimmy didn't want to talk to me, and we weren't getting along as a team at that time, and so that made it difficult and then there was," McEnroe said.

The two men may not have been the best of friends but boast one of the greatest rivalries in tennis history.

A breakdown of one of tennis' greatest rivalries: John McEnroe vs Jimmy Connors

John McEnroe - Source: Getty

In a generation-defining rivalry, John McEnroe faced Jimmy Connors 34 times in his career, from 1977 to 1991, with the former leading their head-to-head 20-14. It is also worth noting that it was Connors who led the rivalry initially, winning six out of their first seven matches. McEnroe led Connors 6-3 at Grand Slams, 2-0 in Masters, and 2-1 in WCT Finals (Year-end Finals).

The Southpaw dominated their rivalry on the hard courts, having a 10-4 lead on indoor hardcourts and 6-3 on hardcourt matches. However, the pendulum swung in Connors' favor when it came to the other two surfaces, 3-1 lead on clay and 4-3 lead on grass.

Their fiery rivalry on the court caused a huge controversy during the final of the 1982 Michelob Light Challenge when the two men almost came to blows.