May 4, 1980: The day Connors beat world No 1 McEnroe in the WCT Finals in Dallas
Every day, Tennis Majors takes you back in time to relive a tennis event which happened on this specific day. On May 4, 1980, Jimmy Connors defeated John McEnroe in the now defunct World Championship Tennis Finals in Dallas in four sets
Jimmy Connors – USA
What happened exactly on that day ?
On May 4, 1980, in the latest chapter of their iconic rivalry, Jimmy Connors defeated John McEnroe (2-6, 7-6, 6-1, 6-2) in the now-defunct World Championship Tennis Finals in Dallas, one of the most important tournaments in the sport at the time. The event was held for the first time at Reunion Arena in front of 16,000 spectators.
Connors became the second player to win multiple WCT Finals in his career, after Ken Rosewall in1973; this was the only major title Connors managed to claim in the 1979-1981 period – a ray of hope for him in the period when he seemed overwhelmed by a new generation of players.
The players: Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe
- Jimmy “Jimbo” Connors: 5-time Grand Slam champion
Jimmy Connors, born 1952, was one of the greatest tennis players of his time. Coached by his mother Gloria, Connors was one of the first few players to hit the ball flat and mainly from the baseline. Taking the ball early and hitting on the rise, Connors’ game would be very influential for future generations of tennis players. “Jimbo” turned pro in 1972 and became world No 1 by 1974. In fact, that year he won three out of the four Grand Slam tournaments, and was not permitted to participate in Roland-Garros, the fourth one, due to a lawsuit he filed against the ATP.
He stayed at the top spot of the ATP rankings for a record of 160 weeks in a row, from 1974 to 1977. Losing his throne to Bjorn Borg on August 23, 1977, for just one week (!!), he reclaimed it for another 84 weeks, until the spring of 1979. He had won five Grand Slams titles until that day: the Australian Open (1974), Wimbledon (1974) and the US Open (1974, 1976, 1978).
Since 1979, Connors had not been performing as well as he did in his peak years. He had not reached a Grand Slam final since his 1978 US Open title, but was still ranked No 3 in the world. His young rival McEnroe had even provocatively declared that he would have liked to see how it was to play against Connors “in his prime”.
- John McEnroe: Youngest US Open champion and current world No 1
John McEnroe, born in 1959, had just become world No 1. The left-hander from New York wowed the tennis world since his first steps on the tour in 1977, when at the age of 17, showing up at Wimbledon as an amateur, he made his way out of the qualifying draw and into the semi-finals. “Johnny Mac” was very talented, his game being based on precision and touch, on top of an iconic and lethal serve that he liked to follow to the net. In 1979, he became the youngest ever US Open Champion, defeating Vitas Gerulaitis (7-5, 6-3, 6-3). He also made quite a sensation by edging Bjorn Borg (7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6) to win the WTC Finals.
Both Connors and McEnroe were known for their shocking on-court behaviour in the well-mannered world of tennis. They sometimes crossed the line, and their constant quarreling with the officials made them famous in a gentlemen’s sport. There was something personal in their rivalry, with the two players genuinely disliking each other as they openly and sometimes violently argued on court. It made all of their meetings must-see tennis.
The WCT Final was going to be their 12th meeting, with Connors leading the rivalry 7-4.
The place: Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas
In the last decade, the World Championship Tennis finals had become one of the most prestigious tournaments in tennis, just behind the Grand Slams (perhaps even more than the Australian Open at the time, which the best players usually didn’t attend). Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver played their two classic finals, in 1971 and 1972, both of which Rosewall won. Amongst the former champions were Stan Smith, John Newcombe, Arthur Ashe, and Bjorn Borg. The WCT finals were played each year in spring on indoor carpet, closing the WCT season, just a few weeks before Roland-Garros.
In 1980, WCT’s founder, Lamar Hunt, decided to move the event from Moody Colosseum (7,000 seats) to the Reunion Area in Dallas, a venue usually associated with basketball, which hosted more than 16,000 spectators.
The facts: Connors LED THE RIVALRY 7-4
This year, despite the prestige of the WCT Finals, many of the best players in the world, like Borg, Tanner or Gerulaitis, chose to attend money-making exhibition matches rather than WCT qualifying events. There were only two serious contenders for the title: defending champion John McEnroe and former world No 1 Jimmy Connors. Apart from McEnroe dropping a set in the semi-finals against Johan Kriek (6-4, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3), they both reached the final without much trouble.
On paper, “Mac” was favorite. After all, he was in his prime and had just reached the world No1 position, while Connors did not have a great 1979 season, as per his lofty standards. McEnroe had been struggling in recent weeks though, suggesting himself he might have played too many tournaments, as reported in Sports Illustrated:
“I have a hard time getting up for matches. I’ve played so many tournaments, they all seem the same now.”
Meanwhile Connors seemed to be really fit and well-trained, as he confirmed himself:
“I’ve got my game just about where I’m satisfied. Of course, I’m not satisfied with anything short of perfect.”
In his mind, there was more at stake than just another title to claim. He was determined to prove wrong the players and observers who thought he was declining. He wanted to show the world that he could still compete for major titles and for that world No 1 spot he had held so long and had lost.
In the first set, no matter how sharp and motivated Jimbo was, McEnroe was simply too good. Losing only four points in his service games, he quickly got ahead and took the first set, 6-2. Connors remained patient, waiting for his opportunity, and broke early in the second set. He didn’t manage to maintain his lead and was pushed into a tie-break, where he made a difference with his backhand passing shots to win it. That was enough to gain a psychological advantage and the 27-year-old American won the next two sets easily, 6-2, 6-1.
Connors thus claimed his most important title of 1980 and proved his point:
“I‘m not exactly going into retreat formation. Mac wanted to know what I was like in my prime. Well….”
What next? McEnroe starts to dominate
These two American tennis stars would face each other again 22 times. Their most iconic showdown would happen the same year, at the US Open, in a dramatic semi-final won by McEnroe in the fifth set tie-break (6-4, 5-7, 0-6, 6-3, 7-6). They would cross paths on the tour for the last time in Basel in 1991, a last episode won by McEnroe 6-3, 6-3. Their rivalry would remain one the most popular in tennis history, not only because of the undeniable intensity and technicity of their matches, but also due to their personal grudge and emotional involvement.
The WCT circuit and its famous finals would maintain their status as a major tennis event until the middle of the 1980s. From 1985, with the fierce competition between the different circuits, and the growth of the Australian Open as a “real” Grand Slam attracting the best players every year, the WCT circuit would progressively lose its prestige.
In 1990, when the ATP would establish its own circuit, the WCT would announce its dissolution. Its memory would then slowly fade to the point that many tennis fans would not even know about this major tournament that was held in Texas just a few weeks before Roland-Garros.
It would take Connors a while, but he would manage win more Grand Slam tournaments and occupy the world No 1 spot again in 1982 and 1983. Connors would claim three more Grand Slam titles: Wimbledon in 1982, and the US Open in 1982 and 1983, taking his total of Major titles to eight. He would remain a top 10 player until April 1989, at the age of 37. At the end of his long career, he would hold a record of 109 titles on the tour. Although he would reappear from time to time afterwards, Jimmy Connors would finally retire at the end of 1992.
John McEnroe win hold seven Grand Slam singles titles at the end of his own career. In 1984, his greatest year, he won Wimbledon and the US Open, and was very close to winning Roland-Garros before blowing a two-set lead against Ivan Lendl in one of the most famous matches in tennis history. He would also win nine Grand Slam men’s doubles titles and one mixed doubles title at the Majors.
