"Best part was truly getting Jimmy Connors to say how he really felt" - Author recalls vulnerable moments while writing tennis legend's biography

Jimmy Connors’ autobiography 'The Outsider,' which was released in 2013, has given fans insights into not just life on the tennis court, but away from it as well.

Co-authored by longtime family friend Casey Defranco, the book promises an "uncensored" account of Connors' life, starting from his relationship with his mother and romance with fellow tennis legend Chris Evert.

The book was understandably difficult to compile, as Defranco herself noted during her latest appearance on the Advantage Connors podcast hosted by Jimmy Connors and his son Brett.

Speaking about the experience of turning Connors’ life into chapters, Defranco said the best part was getting to extract the real emotions out of the tennis star — especially when discussing periods of his life that he would rather not recall.

The book’s co-author, however, was quick to credit Jimmy Connors for "coming up with the goods" in the end and being very "sincere."

"The best part about writing this book was truly was getting Jimmy Connors to say how he really felt at certain points in his life, to be very sincere. I have to give him a lot of credit for coming up with the goods and he did it was tough," Casey Defranco said (at 59.00).

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"Sometimes it was really tough on him" - Jimmy Connors' biographer on compiling the book

Jimmy Connors's biography "The Outsider" also details his relationship with fellow tennis legend Chris Evert (extreme right)

Casey Defranco conceded that writing the biography was not always straightforward, saying it was in fact 'really tough" for Jimmy Connors at times to recall difficult periods of his life.

The author added that it was understandable, as it is never easy to recall moments when you’re hurt or experience a profound emotion.

"Sometimes it was really really tough on him," Casey Defranco said (at 59.10). "It would be for anybody who didn't want to talk about a certain period in their life."

"Or events in their lives that either hurt them or touched them, or where they hurt someone else and you know, so you really did come up with a goods," the book's co-author added (at 59.20).

Notably, Connors has spoken at length about his complicated relationship with his mother in his biography, who introduced him to tennis. He also elaborated on his romance with 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert, to whom he was engaged for a period.