Patti McGuire's bio: 5 interesting facts about Jimmy Connors' wife
Jimmy Connors, an American former professional tennis player, has been married to Patti McGuire since 1979. The two first met at the Playboy mansion but never dated until two years later. According to Patti McGuire's bio, she is a famous entrepreneur, film star, production manager, and former fashion model. Discover more facts that you should know about her here.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Patti McGuire's bio: Five interesting facts about the model
- Was Jimmy Connors a Playmate?
- Does Patti McGuire, Jimmy Connors' wife, have cancer?
- Is Jimmy Connors' wife still alive?
- Who is Patti McGuire married to in 2025?
- Did Jimmy Connors cheat on Patti with Chris Evert?
- What is Patti McGuire's net worth?
Key takeaways
- Patti was raised in St. Louis alongside her two younger siblings.
- She began modelling in high school, where she was the Homecoming Queen.
- Jimmy Connors' wife attended Southern Illinois University as a political science major.
- She was the Playboy Playmate of the Month, November 1976.
- Patti was the Playboy Playmate of the Year title holder in 1977.
Patti McGuire's bio: Five interesting facts about the model
Mentioning Patti McGuire's name triggers nostalgic memories of her beauty that swept the globe in the '70s. So, who is Jimmy Connors' wife?
The self-proclaimed Irish beauty began modelling at Hazelwood Central High School. A few years later, she could not resist the siren call of fame that propelled her into the center stage of the limelight during her prime as a Playboy model. Below are five notable facts about her:
1. She was a Playboy Playmate star
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Patti was featured twice on Playboy magazine, first as Playmate of the Month for the November 1976 issue and later as the Playmate of the Year (PMOY) in 1977.
She was a longtime friend of Candace Collins since the time they were both bunnies at the St. Louis Playboy Club. Before her big break as a model, Patti juggled at the Playboy Club in St. Louis as a bunny and a student at Southern Illinois University, where she majored in Political Science.
A Playboy bunny is a cocktail waitress who works at a Playboy Club and is selected through standardized training. Coincidentally, Patti's modelling opportunity came knocking at the very heart of the club where she used to work.
During the 1970s, Playboy was not only a magazine but a cultural phenomenon that shaped entertainment, fashion, and attitudes toward beauty and sexuality. The entertainment magazine would appeal to a large audience by publishing pictorials of beautiful, unclothed ladies.
Like many other women who had won the prestigious PMOY title (Playboy Playmate of the Year) before her, Patti McGuire's Playmate award placed her among a select group of women whose influence extended beyond modeling to media appearances, interviews, and public events.
Riding on American liberalism, the magazine realized success, selling around 7 million copies every month. Nonetheless, this came through amidst the opposition from conservative and radical movements that challenged sexist views and attitudes. One of the arguments was that such adult magazines reduced Playmates to mere sex objects.
A year later, Patti went on to appear on the Playboy pinball machine back glass in 1978. She posed with Hugh Hefner, the brains behind Playboy, and fellow Playmate Sondra Theodore on the issue that made history for interviewing Jimmy Carter, who won his presidential bid.
Later, more than 18,000 pinball machines were bought. Hugh Hefner attributed his success to the legendary Marilyn Monroe, the face of his magazine's first inaugural issue, and models like Patti.
Generally, Patti McGuire's Playboy career enabled her to gain prominence in the early 1990s, first appearing on the cover of Playboy in 1989 and later joining the cast of Baywatch in 1992.
2. Patti married a famous tennis star
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Patti and tennis star, James Scott Connors (alias Jimmy Connors), married in 1977 and now have two children- a son named Brett, and a daughter, Aubree.
Known for her outgoing personality, Patti was attracted to Connors's outgoing nature. According to The New York Times, she found that he brought her out of her shell. Despite his on-court persona, she described him as a quiet gentleman in private.
At the height of his career, Jimmy Connors was one of the greatest tennis players in American history and among the many accomplished athletes who were drawn to Playboy playmates. Connors was enthralled to meet Patti during one of his visits to Hugh Hefner's mansion.
James comes from an athletic family, and his mother, Gloria Connors, was instrumental in forging his passionate desire to play tennis. Upon retiring, he coached famous names like Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick.
The US tennis champion clinched eight Grand Slam singles championships at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. Additionally, Jimmy won more matches and titles than any other male tennis player in the open era.
This success led to his induction into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Hall of Fame in 1986 and the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998.
3. She coped with infidelity that almost led to divorce
In his memoir, The Outsider, Jimmy got candid about his turbulent relationship with fellow tennis player Chris Evert, his struggles with dyslexia, gambling, and cheating on his wife, Patti.
Jimmy wrote that upon being confronted by divorce, he begged Patti's forgiveness. After getting a second chance to save their marriage, Jimmy insisted he never strayed again.
4. Patti met her long-time partner at Hugh Hefner's mansion
Source: Getty Images
Jimmy was among the many popular sports personalities who used to patronize Hugh Hefner's mansion. During one of the parties hosted at the establishment, Patti spotted Connor, accompanied by a fellow playmate.
It turned out to be love at first sight, but they never saw each other again until they reconnected at a restaurant in July 1978. Their relationship quickly blossomed into marriage months later. According to Sportskeeda, Jimmy told Rolling Stone in 1980:
I met her for the first time a few years ago, and then I didn’t see her for a little over a year, until July 1978. I walked into a restaurant that a mutual friend of ours owns. She happened to be there playing backgammon. I talked to her a little bit, played a little backgammon, and since that night, we were inseparable. So it was kinda whirlwind.
During the same interview, he admitted to being temperamental and credited his wife for complimenting him, saying:
I’ve always had a temper. I can handle most big things, most big problems. It’s the little things that drive me nuts. My wife, Patti, can handle the little things but not the big ones, so we kinda make a good pair.
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5. She is also a film producer
Patti was privileged to grace several advertisements and TV commercials, but her success would later prove to be in film production. Cinema opened the doors where she appeared in a 1977 film, Starsky and Hutch on Playboy Island.
McGuire's primary area of interest has been in film production. While serving as an assistant producer, she helped put together films like LA Confidential (1997), The Bird Cage (1996), You Again (2010), Batman Returns (1992), Tigerland, and V.I. Warshawski.
Additionally, she played a part in the production of The Forbidden Dance and NYPD Blue, which focuses on law enforcement in New York.
Was Jimmy Connors a Playmate?
Jimmy Connors was not a Playboy Playmate. However, his wife, Patti McGuire, was a 1977 Playboy Playmate of the Year title holder before they got married in 1978.
Does Patti McGuire, Jimmy Connors' wife, have cancer?
Tennis legend Jimmy Connors' wife has never had cancer. However, Legacy.com has an obituary of another woman named Patti (born in Lubbock, Texas, in 1955), who died from ovarian cancer on 18 April 2018, in her home, surrounded by her loving family, after battling the illness for three and a half years.
Is Jimmy Connors' wife still alive?
Yes, his wife, Patti McGuire, is still alive. The couple lives in the Santa Barbara, California area.
Who is Patti McGuire married to in 2025?
Jimmy Connors, a now-retired tennis legend, is still married to Patti McGuire. She forgave him after he cheated early in their marriage. While she initially filed for divorce, they later reconciled and have been with him ever since.
In an interview with the Irish Independent in 2013, the legendary tennis star said:
I consider myself lucky to have ended up with just the one woman. Tennis gave me everything I became, but I needed a woman who could handle all that. I’ve been married to Patti for 35 years, and she’s stayed with me through the ups and the downs.
I was great at confrontation on the court but not so much off it. Rather than confront issues, I would let things slide and go into the dark place in my head. Now I’m so grateful that my family stuck by me throughout all that.
Source: UGC
Did Jimmy Connors cheat on Patti with Chris Evert?
In his memoir, The Outsider, Connors wrote about his relationship with Chris Evert and mentioned having affairs during his marriage to McGuire. However, Evert was not one of the women he had affairs with during that time.
He, however, stated that before marrying Patti, his success on the court was largely overshadowed by the media's unchivalrous portrayal of Evert.
Jimmy's memoir also strongly hinted – without stating it – that in 1975, Evert terminated his pregnancy, against his wishes, shortly before they were due to be married, prompting him to call off the wedding.
Evert responded with the statement:
I am extremely disappointed that he used the book to misrepresent a private matter that took place 40 years ago, and made it public without my knowledge.
When asked if he regretted making such a revelation through his book, Connors said:
It was a part of my life. At the time, a very important part of my life.
As to whether he kept in touch with Evette, Jimmy acknowledged that they spoke, but he never apologized to her. He said:
We spoke. But it’s a book about my life, and it was very subtle. There are 400 other pages in the book, but everyone focuses on that one.
What is Patti McGuire's net worth?
While details about her wealth remain undisclosed, her husband, Jimmy Connors, has an estimated net worth of $30 million.
Patti McGuire's bio illustrates how Playboy’s Playmates shaped cultural trends and remain influential symbols of a pivotal era in American media history. Jimmy Connors' wife evolved from a celebrated Playmate in the 1970s to a respected figure connected to show business and philanthropy. Her impact continues to be felt in vintage fashion and pop culture circles.
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Victor Ongaya (Lifestyle writer) Victor Ongaya is a reporter, he has been exploring his writing passion by delivering informative, evergreen content since December 2018. He boasts five years’ experience in journalism and has written for several digital news platforms and websites. Besides writing, Victor is a Certified Public Accountant. He loves traveling, basketball, reading, and swimming.
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