By the numbers: Jimmy Connors owns this US Open triple
What's the story
The 2025 US Open, the year's fourth and final major, will begin on August 24. World's marquee tennis stars will be involved in the action for two weeks at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The US Open remains the only Grand Slam to be played on three surfaces (clay, grass, and hard). And legend Jimmy Connors has conquered this special triple.
Context
Why does this story matter?
As mentioned, the US Open is the only Grand Slam to have been played on three different surfaces. Between 1881 and 1974, it was played on grass. A three-year period (1975-1977) saw the Grand Slam being staged on clay court. The US Open is being played on hard court since 1978. Therefore, Connors's feat of winning the title on all three surfaces is unique.
Record
Connors's US Open honors
As mentioned, Connors is the only player (male or female) to have won the US Open on all three surfaces. He won the Slam on grass in 1974, defeating Ken Rosewall in the final. Connors won the 1976 edition clay after winning the four-set final against legend Bjorn Borg. Connors then won the hard-court US Open in 1978, 1982, and 1983.
Record
A look at his overall record
Connors has won the joint-most US Open titles (5) with Roger Federer and Pete Sampras. The American star has a win-loss record of 98-17 at this Slam. In a stellar 22-year career, Connors won eight Grand Slam titles, with the other three coming at Wimbledon (1974 and 1982) and the Australian Open (1974). Overall, he finished with a 233-49 record at majors.