The Outsider

The Outsider is a no-holds-barred memoir by the original bad boy of tennis, Jimmy Connors.

Connors ignited the tennis boom in the 1970s with his aggressive style of play, turning his matches with John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, and Ivan Lendl into prizefights. But it was his prolonged dedication to his craft that won him the public's adoration. He capped off one of the most remarkable runs in tennis history at the age of 39 when he reached the semifinals of the 1991 U.S. Open, competing against players half his age.

More than just the story of a tennis champion, The Outsider is the uncensored account of Connors' life, from his complicated relationship with his formidable mother and his storybook romance with tennis legend Chris Evert, to his battles with gambling and fidelity that threatened to derail his career and his long-lasting marriage to Playboy playmate Patti McGuire.

When he retired from tennis twenty years ago, Connors all but disappeared from public view. In The Outsider, he is back at the top of his game, and as feisty, outspoken, and defiant as ever.

This autobiography includes original color photographs from the author.

He played by his own rules—and he tells his story the same way.

• Tennis Rivalries: Go inside the epic, on-court battles and off-court drama with his greatest opponents: John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, and Ivan Lendl.
• An Uncensored Life: The storybook romance with Chris Evert, his long-lasting marriage to Patti McGuire, and the personal battles with gambling that nearly cost him everything.
• The Making of a Champion: Learn the truth about his complicated relationship with his mother, Gloria, the woman who shaped his aggressive, no-holds-barred style of play.
• Sports History in the Making: Relive the 1970s tennis boom and the incredible 1991 U.S. Open run that cemented his legacy as a legend who refused to quit.