Former Wimbledon champion owned riverboat casino, nearly went bankrupt and married Playboy model

FORMER Wimbledon champion Jimmy Connors owned a riverboat casino, nearly went bankrupt and married a Playboy model.

The American won an incredible eight Grand Slam titles during his illustrious career, two coming at SW19 in 1974 and 1982.

Times Newspapers LtdJimmy Connors won two Wimbledon titles[/caption]

Jimmy Connors married Playboy star Patti McGuireGetty

Connors on the court was fantastic, spending much time as world No1 and his explosive rants made him a huge star.

He formed rivalries with other legends like John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg.

However, he attracted just as many headlines without a racket in his hand.

Connors was engaged to fellow tennis hero Chris Evert and they both won Wimbledon in 1974 with the triumphs being nicknamed the “Lovebird Double”.

But their whirlwind relationship ended after the proposal in 1975.

Connors later claimed in his autobiography that Evert was pregnant with their child and chose to have an abortion without consulting him.

The 70-year-old was then engaged to Miss World Marjorie Wallace, but yet again the romance ended before their wedding day.

Connors eventually married Playboy model Patti McGuire and went on to have two kids with her.

Patti was crowned Playmate of the Year in 1977, tying the knot to the tennis star two years later.

After retiring from the sport aged 44, he went into coaching and worked with Grand Slam champs Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova.

Connors’ biggest unforced error came when he and brother John invested in a riverboat casino business.

The duo owned 19 per cent of the company but lost their fortune with John filing for bankruptcy.

Connors also reportedly had a gambling addiction.

GettyPatti McGuire was a model[/caption]

GettyThey have two kids together[/caption]