"Jimmy Connors blew me off, he wouldn't even acknowledge my existence" - When John McEnroe lamented getting snubbed by fellow American great

John McEnroe once expressed his disappointment after Jimmy Connors ignored him during their first-ever meeting on the ATP Tour. This encounter took place at the Wimbledon Championships in 1977.

McEnroe and Connors shared one of the greatest rivalries in tennis history. Their relationship was a mix of bitterness and respect, but it was never truly friendly.

It all began at Wimbledon in 1977 when the young American made his Grand Slam debut, earning a spot in the main draw after battling through the qualifying round. He became the first qualifier to reach the semifinals at SW19, where he faced Connors.

In a 2019 interview with GQ, John McEnroe reflected on his early years on the Tour and how senior players treated him. He recalled that Jimmy Connors completely ignored him during their match, which he lost, and admitted that Connors did a "pretty good job" of "intimidating" him.

"But as you can imagine, especially at Wimbledon, people are in their own routine and I barely had a chance to see these guys, who I looked up to and idolised. But then [Jimmy] Connors blew me off totally. Right before we went on the court, he wouldn't even acknowledge my existence. So people have different ways of dealing with someone who they're trying to beat," McEnroe said.

He added:

"And you know, he was looking to maybe psych me out or intimidate me before we ever walk on the court. And he did a pretty good job! That and the fact that I had never played on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, so that was a pretty overwhelming experience to face Jimmy Connors in the semifinal."

The 66-year-old won his first Wimbledon title in 1981, defeating five-time defending champion Bjorn Borg.

John McEnroe won 7 Grand Slams while Jimmy Connors won 8

Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe pictured at the 2006 US Open | Image Source: Getty

John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors had two of the greatest careers in tennis and were among America's biggest stars in the sport. The former won seven Grand Slam titles, while the latter claimed one more, with a total of eight.

McEnroe won the US Open an impressive four times, claiming titles in 1979, 1980, 1981, and 1984. His other three Majors came at Wimbledon in 1981, 1983, and 1984. While he never won the Australian or French Open, he reached the Roland-Garros final in 1984.

Meanwhile, Connors had a stellar 1974 season, capturing titles at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. He went on to win in New York four more times (1976, 1978, 1982, 1983) and added another title at SW19 in 1982.