"My gut is hanging, my face is puffy, my eyes are bloodshot slits" - When Jimmy Connors called his mom for help after gaining weight amid personal low

Jimmy Connors once opened up about the emotional upheaval he experienced during his 1975 season, which negatively impacted his physique. The American also disclosed how his mother and manager Gloria helped him combat the issue.

Connors had a remarkable 1974 season, triumphing at the Australian Open, the Wimbledon Championships, and the US Open. The American even reached the final of all three Majors the following year, but he failed to defend any of those titles. Although he still won nine tour-level titles and retained the World No. 1 ranking, Connors hit rock bottom after losing the deciding singles match in Team USA's qualifying tie with Mexico.

Jimmy Connors then decided to stay back in Acapulco with fellow American player Spencer Seguera, admitting in his autobiography 'The Outsider' that he "felt like sh*t" despite his success. He confessed that they spent their time going to nightclubs, lazing around at the beach and "doing nothing but damage to themselves."

Connors came to a realization about how far gone he was when he noticed the concerning amount of weight he had gained. The American acknowledged that he had let go of the standard he'd held himself to throughout his career and immediately reached out to his mother so she could set him straight.

"One day, on the way out of our hotel, I pass a mirror. I know I’ve been out of control, but I really don’t like what I see. My gut is hanging over my shorts, my face is puffy, my eyes are bloodshot slits—oh, and by the way, I’m 185 fat-a** pounds," Jimmy Connors wrote.

"Oh, my God. Number one in the world? Who am I kidding? I’ve broken all the rules I’ve stood by over the course of my career. There’s only one thing to do. Get back to the basics. I picked up the phone and dialed the only person I knew I would listen to. Mom," he added.

After speaking to his mother, Jimmy Connors returned home to the USA and invited Gloria to stay with him for a month. It only took a couple of weeks with his mom for the American to lose almost 20 pounds and ramp up his training for the 1976 season.

Jimmy Connors on his 'hellish' year: "When I placed that call to Mom from Acapulco, I knew I had to get my priorities straight"

Jimmy Connors with his mother Gloria - Source: Getty

In his autobiography, Jimmy Connors disclosed that his off-court distractions had contributed to his "hellish" year. The American was likely referring to him calling off his engagement to fellow tennis icon Chris Evert before the Wimbledon Championships in 1975.

Looking to move on from those distractions, Connors shared that the call to his mother Gloria had helped him understand the need to get his priorities in line and return his focus to tennis.

"I had come to the end of a hellish year, a year of too many off-court distractions, which had a detrimental effect on my game. When I placed that call to Mom from Acapulco, I knew I had to get my priorities straight so that I could once again focus on tennis," Connors wrote.

Jimmy Connors did manage to bounce back from his slump by winning 12 titles in 1976, including his triumph at the US Open. The American defeated Bjorn Borg 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(9), 6-4 in the final of his home Slam to clinch his fourth Major title.