Jimmy Connors doesn’t think much of today’s men’s tennis rivalries and says they don’t compare to his with John McEnroe. "Today’s rivalries can be soft. As I look back, there was so much more that went into it than [playing] tennis," Connors said in a conference call to promote World TeamTennis. "It was like the Los Angeles Lakers against the Boston Celtics. Tennis was the stage, but tennis was almost secondary. Our rivalry was true, deep. I would have played him on crutches! There was nothing quiet about it. I wasn’t afraid to let him know [how I felt] and he wasn’t afraid to let me know."
McEnroe added: "Today, the players are too professional [toward each other]. They [like each other] too much."