In 1991 at the age of 38 Jimmy Connors was 10 years past his prime and was considered a living legend. He entered the U.S. Open that year ranked 174th in the world; no one expected more than a single victory for Connors in the early rounds. But he made it all the way to the semifinals of the tournament before losing to fellow American Jim Courier in straight sets. A year later Connors returned to New York City to see how much gas was left in his tank in his quest for the 92 title. This lot features a match-used and signed tennis racket that Connors swung during the 1992 U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows in New York. The 39-year-old Connors won his opening round match in straight sets against Brazils Jaime Oncins. Alas Connors fountain of youth magic ended in the next round when he lost to the great Ivan Lendl in four sets (6-3 3-6 2-6 0-6). It would be Connor's final U.S. Open match and his last ever match in a major. The racket shown in photos from the Lendl match look exactly like the one presented here. Considering that the consignor is also featuring the matching polo shirt and shoes Connors wore at the '92 U.S. Open in this auction (Lot 486) we feel confident that he procured a complete match-used set from the tournament. The 27-inch fluorescent yellow Jimmy Connors model ESTUSA Pro Tour graphite composite racket exhibits heavy game use. The leather handle grip is worn and sweat stained and one of the strings has snapped. Connors has autographed the grip in 9/10 black marker. What a rare piece of tennis history to own!

Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.