Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Jimmy Connors Appears to Be Coaching Genie Bouchard
Jimmy Connors working with Genie Bouchard on Thursday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Photo: Mike Stobe / Getty Images
NEW YORK — Genie Bouchard obviously needs something — or someone — to turn around her tennis season.
Is Jimmy Connors that someone?
Connors was seen Thursday working with Bouchard at the U.S. Open.
“We’re just friends,” Connors said, according to Ben Rothenberg of The New York Times.
“I’m not sure, but he was on the court today,” Bouchard said.
“I’m looking for someone who can help me improve all areas of my game,” Bouchard said earlier this month after parting ways with former coach Sam Sumyk. “I think it’s very important to be able to address the technical side, the tactical side, the mental side and the physical side.”
After reaching the finals of Wimbledon and the semis at two other Majors in 2014, the striking Canadian blonde has fallen on hard times. She is just 9-16 in 2015 and last week lost to Roberta Vinci, 6-1, 6-0 in New Haven.
Bouchard is seeded No. 25 at the Open.
Connors, 62, won the Open five times and has captured the title on all three surfaces — grass, clay and hardcourts.
He previously coached Andy Roddick for almost two years and then had an ill-fated partnership with Maria Sharapova that lasted just one match in 2013.
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
