Tennis Update: Connell along with Michibata soon to be inducted in the Hall of Fame
The former top ranked doubles tennis player from Canada, Grant Connell had all the ingredients to charm the beautiful ladies around him, apart from his sporting talent that made him popular in the entire tennis world.
The forty four years old, Connell after thirteen years of retirement is now a businessman and is equally successful and happy as he was being a tennis player.
Connell, in a recent interview while commenting on his job as an agent for Sotheby’s International Realty Canada said that, “I am fortunate to have found the kind of work that kind of imitates professional sport in a variety of ways in a sense that it is highly competitive and the more you work, the better you perform and you get no head.”
After some days, Connell will be inducted in the Rogers Cup’s Hall of Fame along with the forty eight years old Glenn Michibata, his former doubles partner who is currently serving as the head coach of the men’s varsity tennis side in New Jersey at the Princeton University.
“He was one of my darling partners throughout my professional life and we had a lot of similarities as well like we both were struggling in our singles career as every single match was a new challenge for us”, Connell said of Michibata, his first permanent partner. “Together, we did things that Canadians had never thought, sort of living the childhood illusion of being a professional tennis contender.”
After his retirement from the professional life, Connell shifted to West Vancouver with his entire family, a wife, and four daughters namely Charlotte, Katie, Madison, Bella as well as a son named Cooper.
Possibly one of the best tennis players in the history of Canadian tennis, Connell was ranked as the number one doubles player by ATP back in 1993. However, he along with Patrick Galbraith, an American tennis player was knocked down in the final battle of the grass court Grand Slam tournament back in 1993, as well as in 1994 by Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge. Two years later, back in 1996, Connell along with Byron Black, once again was dismissed by an Australian pair in Wimbledon at the All England Club.
Connell assisted his side in the World Group of the Davis Cup tournament back in 1990 during the month of September, succeeding in both of his singles matches against Paul Haarhuis, as well as Mark Koevermans from Netherlands, along with his doubles clashes with Michibata.
As far as his singles rankings is concerned, the Canadian tennis ace was ranked number sixty seven as his highest career ranking and had career successes over players including Michael Stich, Jim Courier, Andres Gomez as well as Ivan Lendl.
In a historical match at the All England’s Centre Court back in 1991, he fell just short of knocking down the former top ranked tennis ace, Andre Agassi in a close four setter.
Connell started playing the game of tennis for the very first time when he was just fourteen years of age and kept on playing for the next two years in the University of Texas a&M.
“In my view, I played a lot better throughout my professional doubles career that I could ever have possibly thought”, Connell said. Moreover, another interesting thing is that the Canadian all through his career enjoyed his game to the fullest.
“Any one that followed me on tour is fully aware of the fact that I enjoyed the game, had buddies and I lived every bit of it. When I didn’t want to continue it any further, I retired”, Connell said.
Connell served for a period of two years for the Tennis B.C in the position of executive director. Soon this greatest doubles tennis player from Canada will be a part of the Hall of Fame along with Michibata, as a reward for his contributions to the game of tennis.
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