The Outsider: A Memoir

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.

In this tell-all memoir, Connors holds nothing back:

• The Original Bad Boy: Get the true story behind the legendary temper, the on-court antics, and the defiant attitude that changed the face of professional tennis.
• A Tennis Revolution: Go inside the locker room during the explosive tennis boom of the 1970s and 80s, when rock-star players ruled the court and turned their matches into prizefights.
• The Love Game: Connors finally tells his side of the famous romance with fellow tennis legend Chris Evert, from their early days as champions to the intense pressures that tore them apart.
• A Warrior's Mindset: For the first time, Connors opens up about his private battles with a gambling addiction and the obsessive-compulsive disorder that shaped his career on and off the court.
• Uncensored & Unapologetic: From his complicated relationship with his mother to his enduring marriage to Patti McGuire, this is Connors's life story, told his way, with the same feisty honesty he brought to the game.