| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Residence | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Born | November 17, 1965 Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Height |
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) [1] |
| Turned pro | 1986 |
| Retired | N/A |
| Plays | Left-handed |
| Career prize money | US$2,911,097 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 75–100 (at ATP Tour, Grand Prix tour and Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 67 (17 June 1991) |
| Grand Slam results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (1991) |
| French Open | 1R (1990, 1992) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1994) |
| US Open | 2R (1988) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 398–237 (at ATP Tour, Grand Prix tour and Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 22 |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (29 Nov., 1993 — 17 Jan., 1994; 07 March 1994; 09 May 1994 — 23 May 1994) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (1990, w/Michibata) |
| French Open | F (1993, w/Galbraith) |
| Wimbledon | F (1994, w/Galbraith; 1996, w/Black) |
| US Open | SF (1995, w/Galbraith) |
| Last updated on: 18 July 2009. | |
Grant Connell (Pronounced: KAHN-nell[1])(born November 17, 1965 in Regina) is a former professional tennis player from Canada. He was one of the world's top doubles player from the early through middle 1990s.
Connell won 22 career doubles titles during his eleven seasons on the ATP tour (1986 to 1997). He won his first four with fellow Canadian Glenn Michibata. Upon Michibata's retirement from the tour, Connell joined Patrick Galbraith. The Connell-Galbraith tandem won 12 titles together including the 1995 season ending Doubles Championship tournament. Connell's next main partner became Byron Black with whom he won 4 more titles. He also won a title each with Todd Martin and Scott Davis. He was a three-time Wimbledon doubles finalist, once each with Michibata, Galbraith, and Black.
A left-hander, Connell best singles ranking was World No. 67, which he reached in June 1991. His best tour singles results were reaching the semi-finals of the 1991 Chicago, 1991 Singapore, and 1992 Auckland Grand Prix events.
Connell's best grand slam singles results were reaching the third round of the 1991 Australian Open and 1994 Wimbledon.
A solid grass-court player, Connell had Andre Agassi on the ropes in their first round encounter at Wimbledon in 1991. In that match, Connell served a gutsy second serve ace to win the third set tie-breaker and go up two sets to one. Agassi however won the final two sets 7-5, 6-3, to take the match. (The following year at Wimbledon saw Agassi win his first Grand Slam event.)
Connell played Davis Cup for Canada on numerous occasions posting a career 15 and 6 win-loss record in doubles and an equally impressive 8 and 3 record in singles. He was a member of Canada's 1991 and 1992 teams, its first ever to qualify for the World Group.
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Growing up in North Vancouver, Connell was an All-American in doubles in 1984 and in singles in 1985 at Texas A&M University. In '85 he lost in the quarterfinals of the NCAA individual tennis championships to fellow future touring pro Mikael Pernfors.
While still an amateur, Connell played the Player's International twice as a wild card entry, losing in the first round of the main draw each time. In 1984 he lost to World No. 17 Joakim Nystrom 4-6, 3-6, while the following summer Connell fell to World No. 47, 6-7, 3-6.
On December 30, 1985, Connell was ranked by the ATP World No. 570T in singles and No. 724T in doubles.
Connell played the San Luis Potosí Challenger in March, reaching the second round in both singles and doubles. He defeated World No. 327 Evan Ratner 6-1, 6-4, before losing to World No. 415 Karl Richter 6-3, 6-7, 3-6, while in doubles, he and partner Mark Greenan, also Canadian, lost their second round match to Mark Wooldridge and Derek Tarr in a 3rd set tie-break.
In July, Connell played two further challengers. At the Schenectady Challenger, he and Greenan lost in the first round in doubles. At the Berkeley Challenger the following week, Connell and Greenan again lost in the first round, while in singles Connell reached the semi-finals, defeating Charles Buzz Strode, Russell Simpson, and Paul Chamberlin all in straight sets before falling to Mike Bauer 6-7, 2-6.
In August, Connell again played the Player's, but in doubles this time, again partnering Greenan. The pair lost however in the first round, to the pair of Ricardo Acuna and Bob Green, 6-1, 3-6, 4-6. Connell next saw action in three European challengers in November. At the Helsinki Challenger, he lost in both singles and doubles in the first round. The following week at Bergen Challenger, he reached the second round of both, falling to Dan Goldie in three sets in singles and partnering Chamberlin in doubles. Connell finished 1986 on tour with a bang, reaching the semi-finals at the Valkenswaard Challenger in both singles and doubles, again partnerning Chamberlin.
On December 29, 1986, Connell was ranked World No. 191 in singles and No. 217 in doubles.
Connell began 1987 playing in his first grand slam event, the Australian Open. He lost in singles in the first round, in straight sets, to World No. 116 Todd Nelson. In doubles, he and partner American Chris Kennedy reached the second round.
Connell's next main draw action was in March, at the Cherbourg Challenger.
Connell began the year at the AAMI Classic in Sydney, Australia where he lost in the 1st round to Pete Sampras 6-4,5-7,6-4.
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| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 30 March 1987 | Nancy, France | Carpet | Larry Scott | Ramesh Krishnan Claudio Mezzadri |
4–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 1. | 22 August 1988 | Livingston, United States | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Marc Flur Sammy Giammalva Jr. |
2–6, 6–4, 7–5 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 10 October 1988 | Brisbane, Australia | Hard (i) | Glenn Michibata | Eric Jelen Carl-Uwe Steeb |
4–6, 1–6 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 29 January 1990 | Australian Open, Melbourne | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Pieter Aldrich Danie Visser |
4–6, 6–4, 1–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 4. | 26 February 1990 | Philadelphia, United States | Carpet | Glenn Michibata | Rick Leach Jim Pugh |
6–3, 4–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 2. | 23 April 1990 | Seoul, South Korea | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Jason Stoltenberg Todd Woodbridge |
7–6, 6–4 |
| Winner | 3. | 23 July 1990 | Washington, D.C., United States | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Jorge Lozano Todd Witsken |
6–3, 6–7, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 5. | 20 August 1990 | Indianapolis, United States | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Scott Davis David Pate |
6–7, 6–7 |
| Runner-up | 6. | 14 January 1991 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Sergio Casal Emilio Sánchez |
6–4, 3–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 7. | 4 March 1991 | Chicago, United States | Carpet | Glenn Michibata | Scott Davis David Pate |
4–6, 7–5, 6–7 |
| Winner | 4. | 29 April 1991 | Singapore | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Stefan Kruger Christo van Rensburg |
6–4, 5–7, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 8. | 17 June 1991 | London/Queen's Club, England | Grass | Glenn Michibata | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde |
4–6, 6–7 |
| Runner-up | 9. | 29 July 1991 | Montreal, Canada | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Patrick Galbraith Todd Witsken |
4–6, 6–3, 1–6 |
| Runner-up | 10. | 12 August 1991 | Cincinnati, United States | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Ken Flach Robert Seguso |
7–6, 4–6, 5–7 |
| Runner-up | 11. | 13 January 1992 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Wayne Ferreira Jim Grabb |
4–6, 3–6 |
| Runner-up | 12. | 6 April 1992 | Singapore | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde |
7–6, 2–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 13. | 24 August 1992 | Indianapolis, United States | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Jim Grabb Richey Reneberg |
6–7, 2–6 |
| Winner | 5. | 18 January 1993 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Patrick Galbraith | Alex Antonitsch Alexander Volkov |
6–3, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 14. | 8 February 1993 | Dubai, UAE | Hard | Patrick Galbraith | John Fitzgerald Anders Järryd |
2–6, 1–6 |
| Runner-up | 15. | 9 May 1993 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Patrick Galbraith | Paul Haarhuis Mark Koevermans |
4–6, 7–6, 6–7 |
| Runner-up | 16. | 5 July 1993 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Patrick Galbraith | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde |
6–7, 3–6, 6–7 |
| Runner-up | 17. | 26 July 1993 | Washington, D.C., United States | Hard | Patrick Galbraith | Byron Black Rick Leach |
4–6, 5–7 |
| Runner-up | 18. | 8 August 1993 | Los Angeles, United States | Hard | Scott Davis | Wayne Ferreira Michael Stich |
6–7, 6–7 |
| Winner | 6. | 18 October 1993 | Tokyo Indoor, Japan | Carpet | Patrick Galbraith | Luke Jensen Murphy Jensen |
6–3, 6–4 |
| Winner | 7. | 15 November 1993 | Antwerp, Belgium | Carpet | Patrick Galbraith | Wayne Ferreira Javier Sánchez |
6–3, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 19. | 17 January 1994 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Patrick Galbraith | Patrick McEnroe Jared Palmer |
2–6, 6–4, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 20. | 21 February 1994 | Stuttgart Indoor, Germany | Carpet | Patrick Galbraith | David Adams Andrei Olhovskiy |
7–6, 4–6, 6–7 |
| Winner | 8. | 7 March 1994 | Indian Wells, United States | Hard | Patrick Galbraith | Byron Black Jonathan Stark |
7–5, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 21. | 4 July 1994 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Patrick Galbraith | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde |
6–7, 3–6, 1–6 |
| Winner | 9. | 25 July 1994 | Washington, D.C., United States | Hard | Patrick Galbraith | Jonas Björkman Jakob Hlasek |
6–4, 4–6, 6–3 |
| Winner | 10. | 22 August 1994 | New Haven, United States | Hard | Patrick Galbraith | Jacco Eltingh Paul Haarhuis |
6–4, 7–6 |
| Winner | 11. | 17 October 1994 | Tokyo Indoor, Japan | Carpet | Patrick Galbraith | Byron Black Jonathan Stark |
6–3, 3–6, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 22. | 9 January 1995 | Adelaide, Australia | Hard | Byron Black | Jim Courier Patrick Rafter |
6–7, 4–6 |
| Winner | 12. | 16 January 1995 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Patrick Galbraith | Luis Lobo Javier Sánchez |
6–4, 6–3 |
| Winner | 13. | 13 February 1995 | Dubai, UAE | Hard | Patrick Galbraith | Tomás Carbonell Francisco Roig |
6–2, 4–6, 6–3 |
| Winner | 14. | 27 February 1995 | Stuttgart Indoor, Germany | Carpet | Patrick Galbraith | Cyril Suk Daniel Vacek |
6–2, 6–2 |
| Winner | 15. | 24 April 1995 | Bermuda | Clay | Todd Martin | Brett Steven Jason Stoltenberg |
7–6, 2–6, 7–5 |
| Runner-up | 23. | 9 October 1995 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Carpet | Patrick Galbraith | Patrick McEnroe Mark Philippoussis |
5–7, 4–6 |
| Winner | 16. | 6 November 1995 | Paris Indoor, France | Carpet | Patrick Galbraith | Jim Grabb Todd Martin |
6–2, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 24. | 13 November 1995 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard (i) | Patrick Galbraith | Jacco Eltingh Paul Haarhuis |
6–3, 2–6, 6–7 |
| Winner | 17. | 25 November 1995 | Doubles Championships, Eindhoven | Carpet | Patrick Galbraith | Jacco Eltingh Paul Haarhuis |
7–6, 7–6, 3–6, 7–6 |
| Winner | 18. | 19 February 1996 | Dubai, UAE | Hard | Byron Black | Karel Nováček Jiří Novák |
6–0, 6–1 |
| Runner-up | 25. | 4 March 1996 | Philadelphia, United States | Carpet | Byron Black | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde |
6–7, 2–6 |
| Winner | 19. | 20 May 1996 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Byron Black | Libor Pimek Byron Talbot |
6–2, 6–3 |
| Winner | 20. | 24 June 1996 | Halle, Germany | Grass | Byron Black | Yevgeny Kafelnikov Daniel Vacek |
6–1, 7–5 |
| Runner-up | 26. | 8 July 1996 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Byron Black | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde |
6–4, 1–6, 3–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 21. | 22 July 1996 | Washington, D.C., United States | Hard | Scott Davis | Doug Flach Chris Woodruff |
7–6, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Winner | 22. | 19 August 1996 | New Haven, United States | Hard | Byron Black | Jonas Björkman Nicklas Kulti |
6–4, 6–4 |
| Tournament | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | Career SR | Career Win-Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slams | ||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | A | A | NH | 2R | QF | QF | F | 3R | 3R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 3R | 0 / 11 | 21–11 |
| French Open | A | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | 3R | SF | 2R | 1R | SF | 2R | 2R | A | 0 / 9 | 13–9 |
| Wimbledon | A | A | A | 1R | 3R | 1R | QF | SF | 2R | F | F | 1R | F | 2R | 0 / 11 | 26–11 |
| U.S. Open | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | 3R | 2R | 3R | 2R | 1R | SF | 1R | 3R | 0 / 11 | 11–11 |
| Grand Slam SR | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 42 | N/A |
| Annual Win-Loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 5–4 | 3–4 | 12–4 | 11–4 | 6–4 | 7–4 | 9–4 | 6–4 | 7–4 | 4–3 | N/A | 71–42 |
| ATP Masters Series | ||||||||||||||||
| Indian Wells | These Tournaments Were Not Masters Series Events Before 1990 |
2R | 2R | QF | 2R | W | QF | SF | 2R | 1 / 8 | 11–7 | |||||
| Miami | 3R | 2R | 3R | 2R | 2R | SF | SF | QF | 0 / 8 | 7–8 | ||||||
| Monte Carlo | A | A | A | 2R | QF | 2R | SF | A | 0 / 4 | 4–4 | ||||||
| Rome | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | 2R | W | 2R | 1 / 5 | 7–4 | ||||||
| Hamburg | A | A | A | F | 2R | QF | QF | 1R | 0 / 5 | 7–5 | ||||||
| Canada | SF | F | 1R | SF | 2R | SF | QF | A | 0 / 7 | 10–7 | ||||||
| Cincinnati | 2R | F | 2R | SF | QF | QF | QF | A | 0 / 7 | 9–7 | ||||||
| Stuttgart (Stockholm) | SF | 2R | SF | SF | 2R | SF | 2R | A | 0 / 7 | 9–7 | ||||||
| Paris | 2R | 2R | 2R | QF | SF | W | SF | A | 1 / 7 | 9–6 | ||||||
| Masters Series SR | N/A | 0 / 6 | 0 / 6 | 0 / 6 | 0 / 9 | 1 / 9 | 1 / 9 | 1 / 9 | 0 / 4 | 3 / 58 | N/A | |||||
| Annual Win-Loss | N/A | 6–6 | 7–6 | 7–6 | 12–9 | 9–8 | 13–8 | 16–8 | 3–4 | N/A | 73–55 | |||||
| Year End Ranking | 758 | 724 | 217 | 96 | 32 | 48 | 10 | 10 | 27 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 100 | N/A | |
A = did not participate in main draw of tournament
NH = tournament not held
Connell was inducted into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998.[2]
Upon retiring from the tour in 1997, Connell became High Performance Director with Tennis BC and real estate agent with a Prudential Financial subsidiary. From February 2001 to June 2004 he also captained Canada's Davis Cup team, as the team in September 2003 won promotion to the World Group for only the second time. At present he is a realtor in Vancouver, BC (www.grantconnell.com).
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