How on earth did Jimmy Connors play with a Wilson T2000 racquet?
I have often wondered how Jimmy Connors played with the Wilson T2000 racquet. The sweet spot was tiny, the shape unforgiving and stringing them was a hassle. Standard stringing machines required an adapter. Very few pro players used the Wilson T2000 racquet and it’s a credit to Jimbo that he wielded this 
thing with the perfection that he did. It suited Jimmy’s game because the racquet required you to hit the ball pretty flat, to which he duly obliged.
At the heart of the T2000 was the wire wrapped around the frame. Strings were not threaded through holes like standard frames but tucked around the wire. This helped catapult Jimmy’s shots to great speed.
In my eyes when I think of Jimmy Connors, I think Wilson T2000 not the Slazenger that he used later in his career.
June 13, 2007 at 12:18 pm
16 Comments
Comment by Blackcab
Do you know of any other players who played with this racket other than Connors?
Comment by cruncher
I’m pretty sure that Billie Jean King did for a while.
Comment by john key
Yes, Billie Jean did use one for a while as did Clark Graebner. Anyone know of other players who used it?
One other interesting fact about this racket is that it started its life in the 60’s as a Lacoste racket in France. It was eventually marketed by Wilson as the T2000 and the rest is history. I think there were also T3,4 and 5000 versions which were variations on the theme.
Comment by David Knight
Im not sure if it started its life as a Lacoste racket…it was invented by Rene Lacoste in 1965. It was one of the first rackets to solve the vibration problems experienced in earlier steel rackets. The wire loops around the head also allowed the racket to be strung with naural gut withough premeture breakage which was a big problem before.
It was first marketed in 1967 by Wilson.
Info source: Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum.
Comment by john key
Many thanks for your input David.
John
Comment by Jon Cowin
I have one…want it?
Comment by john key
Thanks for the offer but I’ve already managed to pick one up. Someone else might fancy owning one?
All the best,
John
Comment by Steph
I have a Lacoste t-2000 that was used by Jimbo, that was given to me by the locker room attendant of the Monte-Carlo Masters this year. Anybody know how much this is worth?
Comment by john key
That would be interesting to find out. I guess some proof that it was Jimbo’s would be a help to you.
Might be worth hanging on to it.
John
Comment by steph
The locker room guy has been there since 1976. He’s got lots of rackets that where given to him by the players. I know the Lacoste original was made in very few examples. Someone told me that they had seen one go for around $2200 USD. It’s definately a keeper but to find a buyer is a different story. How many of these Lacoste’s where manufactured?
I heard of a guy who has a certified document that he has the last racket that Fred Perry used to win wimbledon but he can’t sell it because nobody wants to invest that much into it.
Comment by jon
Hi Steph, I would definitely be very interested in buying the Lacoste T2000 from you, if we could sort out a price? Cheers, Jon
(Steph - let me know via our contact us page if you would like Jon’s email address to suggest a price to him. Thanks Backhandworld)
Comment by Stephen Scharf
I used to own and play with a T2000 years ago when I was just out of high school; it was quite a dead feeling racket though it had good power. I went back to a wood Wilson Jack Kramer model, which had better feel, and which I liked better.
Comment by Todd
The rumors I heard was that Jimmy’s T-2000 for all those years was injected with balsa wood to give it a warmer feel and more stability. I heard there were even more ‘customizations’ that the average person never got when they bought one off the shelf. Obviously there is no proof of this and Jimmy would never admit to that in a billion years but it’s interesting for sure.
Comment by john key
Hi Todd,
Interesting comment. I have to say that I hadn’t heard this one before though that doesn’t mean it’s not so.
A good friend of mine based in London near the Kensington Hilton was Jimbo’s UK stringer of choice for many years. I often saw his racket in the stringing machine and when finished and I certainly didn’t notice anything strange, but maybe I wouldn’t have.
All good stuff.
John
Comment by Arianna Biering
How much do you think a wilson t-2000 is worth now, i have one ?
Comment by john key
Hi Arianna,
Not sure of the current value of a T2000. It depends on condition and the original cover still being with the racket. The other variable is that the value of older rackets, like many other things goes up and down. 7/8 years ago people were paying lots of money for most kinds of old rackets at auction - this has calmed down of late, though I’m sure it will come back round.
I’d hang on to it for a while.
John
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