Connors beat Navratilova in 1992 Battle of Champions
Jimmy Connors defeated Martina Navratilova 7-5, 6-2 on September 25, 1992, in an event called the Battle of Champions. It was the last major Battle of the Sexes-style match between a male and female player. Connors, then 40, played with one serve and a larger court for Navratilova but still won in straight sets.
Connors, newly 40, had held No. 1 for 268 weeks. Navratilova, nearing 36, had topped the rankings for 332 weeks. The contest at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas was billed as Battle of Champions and proved the final high-profile male-versus-female match of its kind.
Handicaps favored Navratilova: Connors received only one serve, while her side of the court was widened by half a doubles alley on each flank. He still won 7-5, 6-2. Connors owned eight major singles titles and 109 tour singles crowns; Navratilova had 18 majors and 167 singles titles.
This event may be remembered less as competition than as cultural curiosity, affecting tennis fans, media, and young players by reinforcing questions about gender, sport, and fairness. Its handicaps could have shaped how audiences viewed mixed-gender contests, perhaps making future events seem gimmicky or difficult to stage. For Navratilova and Connors, it may have added a distinctive footnote to their legacies, while prompting discussions about athletic differences without settling them.