For The Last Five Or

For The Last Five Or Six Years The Most Important Thing In My Life Has Been My Family.

People Say I'm Around Because I Have A Lot Of Heart, But I Know All The Heart In The World Couldn't Have Helped Me If I Wasn't Physically Fit.

I Can't Say That I Was My Happiest On Court, But I Felt Completely Free. Free From Family Obligations, Free From My Own Torment. In A Real Sense I Was A Different Person. It Was A Place Where I Could Not Tolerate The Idea Of Being Beaten. I Psyched Myself Up Into A State Where I Felt Something Close To Hatred Towards My Opponent, A State Where I Detested The Idea Of Someone Making His Name At The Expense Of Jimmy Connors. I Was In My Element On Court, Measuring Myself Against Someone Else. I Was Not Competitive For Show. It Came From Deep Within.

No, Like I Said, My Dad Was Never Really Part Of The Tennis. His Involvement Around What I Did With The Tennis And With My Mom And My Grandparents Was Really Not A Part Of My Life.

That's Something A Lot Of Athletes Miss - A Lot Of Them Walk Away Too Soon. They Don't Get Everything Out Of Their System. They Have A Lot Of What-ifs When They're Sitting Around Later In Life. I Don't Have That. I Got All That Out Of My System. I Pushed It To The Brink, I Loved It, And When I Walked Away, I'd Had Enough.