• Gloria Connors
• Jimmy Connors

GLORIA CONNORS
A rarity as a mother/coach, Gloria not only taught her son Jimmy to play tennis, she taught him how to compete with a no-holds-barred intensity. She coached him throughout his career and, Jimmy said, “She was my mother, my coach and my friend all at the same time. … She made me a world champion.” As a player, Gloria was a member of St. Louis’ Junior Wightman Cup team, she was a St. Louis District champion and earned a No. 4 ranking as a junior in the Missouri Valley and a No. 22 ranking nationally. Gloria twice played in the U.S. Nationals at Forest Hills.

JIMMY CONNORS
One of tennis’ all-time greats, Jimmy won not only a men’s record 109 professional titles and eight Grand Slams, he also displayed a fighting spirit as unrelenting as the sport has ever seen. … Coming out of East St. Louis and Belleville and honing his game in St. Louis, the lefthander took tennis by storm in 1974 by winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. He would win four more U.S. Opens, another Wimbledon and an Australian Open. Known for his two-hand backhand and return of serve, Jimmy was ranked No. 1 for 268 weeks over a 25-year career, including a then-record 160 weeks in a row.