“You be you no matter what” - Jimmy Connors supports WNBA star Caitlin Clark as fan draws comparisons between the two’s on-court ‘attitude’

Jimmy Connors is widely regarded as one of the best tennis players of all time, and he recently showed support for the WNBA’s Caitlin Clark. A fan drew comparisons between the former World No.1 and Clark's behavior on court, leading to him rooting for the young basketball star.

Clark is currently playing her rookie season in the WNBA, as part of the Indiana Fever. The 22-year-old has had a record-breaking year so far, and recently played the last game of her season as the Fever lost out to the Connecticut Sun in the playoff matches.

The high-tension battle between the two teams got chippy at a certain point, with Clark shoving the Sun’s DeWanna Bonner as they exchanged a heated discussion on the court. Reacting to a video of this, a fan compared the Indian Fever star to Connors, writing,

“Attitude. To me Caitlin Clark is Jimmy Connors on a basketball court. She has to play with edge, because so many people in that arena want to put her in her place. Her personality has to fill that building for her to win.”

Connors replied by showing support for the rookie, writing,

“Go get ‘em CaitlinClark. You be you no matter what - and keep filling the stands - I’m a big fan!!!”

Jimmy Connors on his ‘attitude’ as a player

Jimmy Connors on his attitude on the court (Image Source: Getty)

While Jimmy Connors found fame as a tennis player for his extraordinary skills, he was equally well-known for his attitude on the court. The American’s antics often included him arguing with umpires and linesmen, even resorting to vulgar gestures while playing, resulting in audiences making their disapproval known while he played.

In a 2023 discussion on his Advantage Connors podcast, the eight-time Grand Slam champion revealed that he enjoyed the ‘hostile’ crowd, saying:

“When I was first coming up, it was always a hostile crowd. You know, I kind of liked that. And the reason being is, you know, I always felt you know, you’re for me or against me, but you’re there, you know. I was a different, a different personality, I had a different attitude, I had a different approach to my game and the way I wanted to play it and what it meant to me. The tennis elite weren’t used to that kind of attitude. You know, I took it from the country clubs to hopefully the blue-collar worker."

While Jimmy Connors attitude on court sometimes led to criticism, the American enjoyed a phenomenal career, winning eight major singles titles and spending a career total of 268 weeks as the World No.1.

Five of Connors' Major triumphs came at the US Open, while three came at Wimbledon. The American's only Australian Open triumph came in 1974, the year when he won three out of the four Grand Slams.