Jimmy Connors: "I still love playing, I still love the game, but tennis didn't define me"

Despite his countless accolades and achievements in tennis, Jimmy Connors believes that the sport didn't define him.

Connors is considered among the greatest tennis players of all time. The 71-year-old enjoyed a long and prolific career spanning 24 years. The American still holds three notable Open Era men's singles records: most singles titles (109), most matches played (1,557) and most match wins (1,274).

With the numerous records he has set, Connors has made a name for himself in the sport. However, in a recent Advantage Connors tennis podcast episode, the American said he was more than just his tennis achievements.

"I think, that's why when I stopped playing that things changed for me. And I talk with Brett [Connors] about this on our podcast, now and again, over the course of the weeks, that tennis didn't -- I love playing, I still love playing, I still love the game and that -- but tennis didn't define me," Connors said. [at 33:30]

While he acknowledged his liking for the "inner part" of being on the tour, Connors maintained that he was always willing to pull back from the sport.

"I liked the inner part of it when I was but when I could be at that level, I was also okay with pulling back and feeling that, if I wasn't around tennis, nobody would know me. I was actually okay with that," he added.

Connors won eight Grand Slam titles, the last of which came at the 1983 US Open.

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Jimmy Connors: "One thing I'm most proud of was being part of really the changing of the game"

Jimmy Connors at the 2017 BNP Paribas Open

During the same conversation, Jimmy Connors mentioned that his biggest takeaway from playing professional tennis was the impact he created on the sport. The American said he took pride in changing the path of the game, more than his achievements:

"I think that's the one thing I'm most proud of. I won tournaments, I won Opens, I won Wimbledon, I did all that. I think but the one thing I'm most proud of was being part of really the changing of the game and the path that it took with my generation and even continued on beyond that," Connors stated. [at 48:15]

The five-time US Open champion highlighted the development in sponsorship and viewership experience that his generation of tennis players, including him, brought about in the sport.

"The bringing in of sponsors, the bringing in of televisions, the bringing in of 25,000-seat stadiums, and international tennis, international fame, international players," he added.

There is no denying that tennis has improved drastically in the current century, with players like Jimmy Connors having led the foundation for the evolution. Connors retired from professional tennis in 1996 at the age of 43.