"I went to the Playboy Mansion twice, one time was when I met my wife": When Jimmy Connors opened up about 'whirlwind' romance with wife Patti McGuire

Jimmy Connors once opened up about how his romance with wife Patti McGuire blossomed after a serendipitous meeting at the famous Playboy Mansion. The American also explained why he wasn't spotted at the mansion after their marriage.

Before meeting McGuire, Connors was famously engaged to fellow American tennis star Chris Evert in 1974. The power couple dominated headlines, especially after they had both triumphed at the Wimbledon Championships that year. However, their engagement was short-lived, as they called off their wedding in 1975.

Subsequently, Jimmy Connors tied the knot with Patti McGuire in 1979, the same year they welcomed their son Brett. McGuire was a successful Playboy model at the time and was chosen as the magazine's Playmate of the Month in November 1976 and later reigned as the Playmate of the Year in 1977.

In a 1980 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Jimmy Connors was asked whether marriage had cramped his social life, as he wasn't seen around Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion after tying the knot.

However, the American clarified that he had only visited the famous mansion twice in his life, one of those occasions being the night he met his wife Patti McGuire.

"I never did. I went up there [to the Playboy Mansion] twice in my life. One time was when I met my wife. That was about three or four years ago," Connors said.

Connors disclosed that after their initial meeting at the Playboy Mansion, he didn't see McGuire for a year until they reconnected at a restaurant in July 1978. Reflecting on their "whirlwind" romance, the American shared that they became inseparable after bonding over a game of backgammon and deep conversation that night.

"I met her first a few years ago and then I didn’t see her for a little over a year, until July 1978. I walked into a restaurant that a mutual friend of ours owns. She happened to be there playing backgammon. I talked to her a little bit, played a little backgammon, and since that night we were inseparable. So it was kinda whirlwind," he said.

Jimmy Connors also affectionately described his connection with Patti McGuire as an earth-shaking experience.

"Yeah, it was shakin'," he added.

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"We make a good pair" - Jimmy Connors on wife Patti McGuire complementing his temper

Jimmy Connors with his wife Patti McGuire and their children (Source: Getty)

During the same interview, Jimmy Connors, who was known for his fiery on-court outbursts, admitted to having a temper. The American explained that while he was skilled at handling bigger problems, minor issues often frustrated him.

Connors credited his wife Patti McGuire for complementing him perfectly, sharing that she excelled at addressing smaller issues but found major ones more daunting.

"I’ve always had a temper. I can handle most big things, most big problems. It’s the little things that drive me nuts. My wife, Patti, can handle the little things but not the big ones, so we kinda make a good pair," Connors said.

Jimmy Connors and Patti McGuire celebrated their 45th marriage anniversary in March 2024, with the former World No. 1 penning a heartwarming message and thanking his wife for making his life "special."