The History of Men's Tennis (Open Era)

Born: October 2, 1967 in Leibnitz (Styria)
Height: 1.80 m
Plays: Left-handed

Speaking percentage-wise, Muster’s finest Slam was Roland Garros (71% of wins), yet he played as many quarterfinals at the Australian and US Opens as in Paris, which is rather unexpected. It becomes less surprising upon closer examination of Muster’s decade in Paris, starting in 1989, when he had reached an Australian Open semifinal and advanced to the Key Biscayne final (Ivan Lendl proved an insurmountable barrier both times), becoming a recognisable force in tennis. That year, he was sidelined for six months by a car accident (struck by a drunk driver; side ligaments in his left knee torn).
In 1991, he fell in the first round to the decade’s finest player – Pete Sampras. The years 1992 and 1993? Twice thwarted by the reigning champion in Paris at the time – Jim Courier. In 1994 – another challenging draw, a gruelling second-round victory over Andre Agassi, followed by a stunning defeat to Patrick Rafter, who’d later rise to become the world’s best, lending that match a different perspective with hindsight. In 1996? A fourth-round exit when Muster was expected to defend his title, but he was ousted by an inspired Michael Stich. That year, the sunny conditions favored big servers, and Stich capitalized on the weather. In 1997? A shocking loss, then not in a hindsight – third-round defeat to Gustavo Kuerten, who went on to win the event and secure two more titles in Paris. Finally, in 1999, a first-round defeat marked the end of his career, falling to Nicolás Lapentti, who was playing the tennis of his life that year. Thus, we see only three advancements to the quarterfinals: first in 1990, when Muster fell in the semifinal to Andrés Gómez after defeating the Ecuadorian weeks earlier in the Rome semifinal; the title in 1995, when Muster, an overwhelming favorite, narrowly escaped in the last eight (against Albert Costa); and the quarterfinal in 1998 (defeated by Félix Mantilla – top clay-courter in the second half of the 90s), by which time the greatest Austrian of the Open Era was already vulnerable to upsets on clay, and few would have been shocked if he had exited in the first week.
“Muster reminds me a lot of Guillermo Vilas because he hits the ball so hard,” Gómez remarked after the upset loss in Rome ’90. This echoed my own impression watching Muster in the 90s; he played in a manner that suggested he modelled his game-style on the Argentine icon of the 70s. Exceptional athleticism, abundant topspin off both wings generated with the left hand, and a deft touch at the net (when Muster was developing, he played doubles frequently, like many Europeans) – these traits they shared. Muster was a relentless worker, a necessity to regain his former level after the Key Biscayne accident. He was famously photographed hitting tennis balls from a specially designed chair, his left leg in a cast. Six months later, he returned and was named the ATP’s Comeback Player of the Year. The immense effort he invested in reclaiming his peak form yielded rewards in 1995 – that year, Muster was utterly dominant on his cherished clay, securing twelve titles (three Masters 1K; Monte Carlo, Rome, Essen) in fourteen finals (paradoxically lost two in front of the home crowd: Kitzbühel and Wien), eleven on the dirt. It’s truly remarkable that en route to half of titles, he was one point from defeat (winning seven match-point-down matches in total that year)!
His dedication to amassing as many titles as possible paved the way for him to become world No. 1, which he achieved the following year, despite not playing with the same efficiency on clay, though he improved on faster surfaces, even managing to win some matches on his despised grass (his Wimbledon record? A dismal 0-4; from 1988 to ’91, he didn’t even bother travelling to England). “My No. 1 ranking in 1996 was built on my 12 tournament wins in 1995… I don’t know how many people can say that, measurably, they have been No. 1 at something, the best in the world. I loved that moment,” Muster reflected, explaining that he spent six weeks on the top at the time of his sensational defeats on hardcourts in the first quarter of 1996.
He aimed to prove to the era’s top players (Agassi and Sampras) that he could compete with them on all surfaces. Starting from the fall of 1996 Muster quickened his first serve, began operating closer to the baseline, attacking the net more frequently (as he had in the late 80s), and 1997 marked his strongest year on hard courts (Australian Open semifinal, Dubai & Key Biscayne triumph, final in Cincinnati). However, he lost his mastery on clay, winning just 9 matches (and losing 9) on that surface that year, a stark contrast to his stellar 65-2 (1995) and 46-3 (1996) records in the prior two years. When young Àlex Corretja stunned him 7-5, 6-1 in the Gstaad ’95 first round, it ended Muster’s 35-match winning streak (40 on clay).
While analyzing Muster’s matches, I’ve observed he was inclined to use lobs despite not executing them effectively; his return was mediocre, often merely blocking on the backhand side. This may explain his lackluster Head-to-Head records against serve-and-volleyers; he possessed only average reflexes and often, instead of attempting passing shots, resorted to defensive lobs. An embarrassing 0-10 H2H against Stefan Edberg is striking, but he also struggled against other similar players: 0-3 vs. Rafter, 2-3 vs. Stich. Moreover, he had even records against serve-and-volley big servers like Goran Ivanišević and Richard Krajicek, all of whom could defeat Muster even on clay.
Muster accomplished an infamous feat previously seen only in Björn Borg’s case, returning to the tour a decade after his final professional match. Across all levels, he competed in 26 matches during 2010-11, securing just two victories, one particularly gratifying (Todi, Challenger) – Muster overcame Leonardo Mayer, a player twenty years his junior, who would later rise to No. 21.

Career record: 625–273 [ 308 events ]
Career titles: 44
Highest ranking: No. 1
Best GS results:
Australian Open (semifinal 1989 & 97; quarterfinal 1994)
Roland Garros (champion 1995; semifinal 1990; quarterfinal 1998)
US Open (quarterfinal 1993-94 & 96)

Year-end rankings 1984-99: 311 – 98 – 47 – 56 – 16 – 21 – 7 – 35 – 18 – 9 – 16 – 3 – 5 – 9 – 25 – 193

Born: June 28, 1973 in Bilbao (País Vasco)
Height: 1.72 m
Plays: Right-handed

…if Jean Borotra (1898–1994), one of the famed French ‘Four Musketeers’ of the interwar period, stands as the greatest Basque player in history, Berasategui at least deserves the title of ‘best Basque player’ of the Open Era.
The 1994 it was his year to some degree (merely Pete Sampras won more titles that year; btw Sampras is the only top player born in the 70s, Berasategui never faced), he brought back something that had been seen in 1988 when Kent Carlsson advanced to the Top 10 while focusing only on clay. Both Berasategui and Carlsson played with enormous topspin forehands, but in Berasategui’s case, there was something unseen before: he hit the ball aggressively off both wings with the same grip!
Nothing strange about that for players of many previous generations, who grew up with wooden racquets and adjusted to the continental grip. But to play this way with modern graphite equipment – hitting every shot with the same side of the racquet – it was a bizarrely tough task. Berasategui somehow found a way; with such an extreme forehand grip, and exceptionally fast pace between points on serve, his topspin was really impressive. In the mid-90s, heavy topspin wasn’t as popular as it would become in the next decade. The Basque took full advantage of it on clay, moving smoothly with his wiggly legs to  produce forehand winners all over the place.
First he gained some attention in the fall of 1993 by reaching four small ATP finals (lost three of them, always in deciders). He sent a serious message to the top players in Nice ’94, defeating Jim Courier 6-4, 6-2 in the final – Courier, at the time, had played three consecutive French Open finals. Berasategui’s great form in southern France carried over to Paris: at Roland Garros ’94, he was brilliant for two weeks. Before that event, he’d never even reached a Slam third round, yet suddenly he was in the final, eliminating only quality opponents: Wayne Ferreira, Cédric Pioline, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Javier Frana (b. 1966, three titles), Goran Ivanišević, and Magnus Larsson. Even though none of his opponents (five of six potential Top 10 players, excluding Frana) were typical clay-courters, the fact that Berasategui didn’t drop a set was really astonishing.
In the final, he faced a Davis Cup mate and defending champion – Sergi Bruguera. In the first all-Spanish major final, witnessed by the Spanish king Juan Carlos I, the Basque was defeated in four sets by the Catalan, who neutralized Berasategui’s kick-serve and simply outlasted him. The Parisian fortnight boosted Berasategui’s confidence – afterwards, he won six titles in the second half of the season (seven including a Challenger), the biggest in Stuttgart. He went unbeaten on clay for 27 straight matches (22 excluding a Challenger title in Barcelona), earning a spot at the Masters. There, he became a whipping boy; unlike Carlsson in 1988, Berasategui switched from clay to carpet, where Michael Chang, Andre Agassi, and Bruguera destroyed him. The latter felt so confident that I saw him serve-and-volleying regularly for the first time.
Berasategui was never the same after 1994. Opponents figured him out – his tendency to serve almost exclusively to right-handed backhands on the deuce court (standing unusually close to the center mark) and his habit of running around his backhand for those vicious topspin forehands. Covering ~75% of the baseline with the forehand is never easy – it requires endless running and power – it’s even harder for a player of his modest stature. Once his fitness dipped, his exposed backhand became prone to errors.
Strangely, his second-best major performance came on hard courts – the 1998 Australian Open, where he reached the quarterfinals beating Andrei Medvedev, Patrick Rafter, and Agassi as an underdog, in succession. Yet between June 2nd and August 31st that year, he lost nine straight main-level matches! Before that skid, he suffered two brutal collapses: leading 5:1 in the deciders against Pioline (Monte Carlo) and Félix Mantilla (Hamburg); he wasted eleven match points combined. Berasategui retired at age of 27, with a 14-9 record in ATP finals – all on clay (Carlsson, with a distinctively shorter career, finished at 9-8). He played one semifinal outside clay (Scottsdale ’96), Carlsson did not.

Career record: 278–199 [ 207 events ]
Career titles: 14
Highest ranking: No. 7
Best GS results:
Australian Open (quarterfinal 1998)
Roland Garros (runner-up 1994)

Born: March 23, 1972 in Alvesta (Kronoberg)
Height: 1.84 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Björkman was an heir to two different schools of Swedish tennis: one represented by a bunch of players inspired by Björn Borg, who used two-handed backhands and built their tactics around ground-strokes, and the other represented primarily by Stefan Edberg, the serve-and-volley style. Björkman tried to combine these two schools (similarly to Anders Järryd in the preceding decade), even though his volley skills were nowhere close to Edberg’s, and his forehand lacked the power of the three Magnuses (Larsson, Norman, and Gustafsson), who played more or less at the same time. He had to invent this hybrid supported by exceptional physical preparation because as a junior glued to the baseline he sunk in European mediocrity.
Björkman first showed signs of his potential at the US Open 1994, where he destroyed his idol Edberg in the third round before advancing to the quarterfinals. A few months later he reached the Key Biscayne ’95 semifinals after eliminating Mats Wilander, arguably the second-best Swede born in the 60s.
In those early years on ATP tour (mid-90s), he established himself as one of the best doubles players, partnering fellow Swede Jan Apell, who is three years older. The constant net attacks behind each serve in doubles and improved return skills (in the 90s only Paul Haarhuis could deal with service bombs as good as Björkman), he successfully transferred into his singles career by 1997. At 25, as a serve-and-volley player relying on his satisfactory first serve, attacking the net a lot with approach-shots as a receiver, he enjoyed a memorable season from start to finish (he moved from No. 69 to 4 that year): began it with a title in Auckland, finished with a Davis Cup triumph (leading Sweden in both singles and doubles alongside Nicklas Kulti), in the meantime he captured his biggest career title – Indianapolis (an equivalent of today’s ATP 500). He also reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open, highlighted by another stunning third-round victory over the reigning French Open champion.
The last quarter of that season was particularly impressive: including the US Open, Björkman won 25 of 32 matches, reaching at least the semifinals in four consecutive indoor events (Paris-Bercy marked his first and last Masters 1K final). The crowning achievement was his four-set victory over Michael Chang in the opening rubber of the Davis Cup final, setting the tone for Sweden’s 5-0 humiliation of the Americans.
The magic faded after the 1998 Australian Open (the only Slam where Björkman was considered a title favorite). He lost in the quarterfinals to veteran Petr Korda despite winning the first two sets, and his terrific form soon evaporated (between the Dubai semifinal and the grass-court ’98 season, he won only 4 matches losing 11). Still, for another ten years of his career, he remained a permanent Top 100 player, capable of occasional surprises at big tournaments (like his Wimbledon ’06 semifinal run at 34), leveraging his vast experience in best-of-five matches. Due to his longevity he played for the entire 90s (1-9 record against the decade’s best Pete Sampras) and almost the entire 00s (0-5 against the decade’s best Roger Federer). The only other player who experienced something similar is Fabrice Santoro, the Frenchman’s career stretched even longer, between 1989 and 2010.
In the 90s, Björkman was the only player – alongside Guy Forget – to compete in the “Masters” events in both singles (1997 semifinalist) and doubles (1994 champion). Off the court, he was known for his amusing player impersonations (John McEnroe, Emilio Sánchez, Edberg), which Eurosport often featured. Post-retirement, he teamed up with fellow Swedish pros Thomas Johansson and Simon Aspelin to create a club league for amateur players. In 2015 he was coaching Andy Murray, but didn’t help him to reach the top spot.

Career record: 414-362 [ 349 events ]
Career titles: 6
Highest ranking: No. 4
Best GS results:
Australian Open (quarterfinal 1998 and 02)
Wimbledon (semifinal 2006; quarterfinal 2003)
US Open (semifinal 1997; quarterfinal 1994 and 98)
Davis Cup champion 1994, 1997 & 1998 (twice in doubles, once in singles/doubles)
World Team Cup champion 1995

Born: August 30, 1982 in Omaha (Nebraska)
Height: 1.88 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

He emerged as the heir to America’s “Golden Generation” with the force of a hurricane. Successful as a junior (Aussie Open and US Open 2000 titles – he defeated two years younger Mario Ančić in the final and semifinal respectively), soon after he cracked the ATP rankings in March ’00, Roddick was already dominating the Challenger circuit in America capturing three titles in his first six events at this level. Twelve months after gaining his first ATP points, he stunned two former world No. 1s (Marcelo Ríos and Pete Sampras) in straight sets, back-to-back, then came the first two ATP titles as he had played just 11 events at this level. The message was clear: a new star had arrived, a potential ruler of the first decade of the new century/new millennium.
Wild cards flowed his way as America’s brightest hope, but Roddick earned every opportunity. His game, built on a nuclear serve, howitzer forehand and radiating self-confidence, was deceptively simple yet brutally effective. One-dimensional? Perhaps. But when his back was against the wall, his self-belief conjured aces like magic – no player since has weaponized bold self-assurance so relentlessly.
His ascent was meteoric: just 58 tournaments to win titles in four basic conditions [clay, hard, indoors (hard), grass]. The summer of 2003, under Brad Gilbert’s guidance, became legendary: first Indianapolis, then back-to-back Masters 1K titles in Canada and Cincinnati – a feat unmatched until Rafael Nadal in 2013. Even more impressive that Roddick did it in the era when six not five wins were required to rise the trophy for the highest seeded players which means he won twelve matches within fourteen days! By September, he’d bulldozed through the US Open (27 wins in 28 matches), claiming his lone major and the world No. 1 ranking.
Then came an improved Roger Federer, more focused on defence than attacking. The 2003 Houston Masters semifinal was a harbinger: the Swiss dissected Roddick’s power with surgical precision. Over time, their rivalry became tennis’ cruellest paradox – Federer’s serve suddenly sharper against Roddick than anyone else, while Roddick’s own biggest weapon fizzled. Four major finals (Wimbledon 2004, 2005 and 2009 as well as US Open 2006), two Masters 1K finals (Toronto 2004, Cincinnati 2005), including a cascade of heartbreaks (Wimbledon 2009’s marathon fifth set stands as the bitterest) cemented the most lopsided H2H between No. 1s… a humiliating 3-21 from A-Rod’s perspective.
Roddick evolved being coached by former US players – smarter serves (variety over power), sharper volleys, a reliable backhand slice – but the outcome never changed. Jimmy Connors’ grit (2006-08) and Larry Stefanki’s tactics (2008-12) couldn’t crack the code of Federer’s supremacy. By his late 20s, Roddick as the charismatic showman had morphed into a frustrated battler, constantly complaining during matches, sweating heavily, out-muscled by Nadal, out-thought by Novak Đoković, and out-paced by Andy Murray. Roddick’s consolation of the disappointing second half of the 00s is the fact that he built a winning H2H record against the Serb (5:4), the future GOAT. Frequent losses to a few years younger players, dramatic defeats when a two-game advantage in the 5th sets was required, and the fact of slipping away the status of a Top 10 player after nine years, caused Roddick’s decision to retire on the day he turned 30 (unusually early among players born in the 80s).
His 2012 US Open farewell speech was pure Roddick: raw, self-deprecating, and deeply human. “It’s been a road, a lot of ups, a lot of downs, a lot of great moments. I’ve appreciated your support along the way. I know I certainly haven’t made it easy for you at times, but I really do appreciate it and love you guys with all my heart. Hopefully I’ll come back to this place someday and see all of you again.” At 30, he retired as the arguably second-greatest player born in the early 80s (behind Federer, ahead of Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin – Roddick has a balanced record against them both), so in a generation in which there was a fundamental change in tennis strategy from an offensive to a defensive approach; a testament to both his brilliance and the merciless era he inhabited. He represented the United States in the Davis Cup throughout his career. Although he has not won a single memorable match there, his contribution to the 2007 success was the biggest.

Career record: 612–213 [ 225 events ]
Career titles: 32
Highest ranking: No. 1
Best GS results:
Australian Open (semifinal 2003, 05, 07, 09; quarterfinal 2004, 10)
Wimbledon (runner-up 2004-05 & 09; semifinal 2003; quarterfinal 2007)
US Open (champion 2003; runner-up 2006; quarterfinal 2001-02, 04, 07-08, 11)
Davis Cup champion 2007

Year-end ranking 2000-2012: 158 – 14 – 10 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 6 – 6 – 8 – 7 – 8 – 14 – 39

Born: February 2, 1966 in Moscow (Moskva Oblast in Soviet Union)
Height: 1.87 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Андрей Эдуардович Чесноков… In the Soviet era, the name ‘Андрей’ was transcribed as ‘Andrei’ in line with rigid state conventions, but post-USSR, the more phonetic ‘Andrey’ became standard – a subtle marker of changing times. On my website, you’ll find both forms for him and Andrey Cherkasov – the second-best Russian player in the early 90s – reflecting this linguistic shift.
Chesnokov was a specialist of saving his best tennis for the biggest stages. This most accomplished Russian born in the 60s, contested fifteen main-level finals, with five (Monte Carlo and Rome ’90, Montreal ’91, Indian Wells ’92, Hamburg ’93) of his last seven occurring at Masters Series events (then called Mercedes Super 9). The explanation for this clutch performance might lie in financial motivation – having begun his career under the Soviet Union’s communist regime, he seemed galvanized by higher stakes.
Chesnokov’s 1980s statements often revealed the surreal pressures of his era. During the 1988 Antwerp exhibition final against John McEnroe, he sprained his ankle in the second set of a ‘best-of-five’ match. Despite the hopeless odds on fast carpet against a superior opponent, he soldiered on, limping through five more games. “I said I cannot play anymore,” Chesnokov admitted, “but He said, <You must!>” He refused to identify who pressured him: “It is my secret.” The year 1988 may be considered as his best, the most consistent. He won 73% of his matches (47-17 record with Antwerp); admittedly he captured just one title (Orlando), but played four more finals on three surfaces (including Antwerp, deprived of ranking points), and two Grand Slam quarterfinals.
The following year, he reached his career pinnacle at Roland Garros, ousting defending champion Mats Wilander in straight sets (he had done the same in 1986) en route to the semifinals. Even then, he shrouded his earnings in mystery: “I want to keep my secret about prize money. I will take some, maybe not $73,000. Maybe a little less. Maybe $72,000. Maybe I’ll buy a ticket to the United States before going back to Moscow,” he joked, referring to communistic collectivism.
In 2019, a former Soviet player (also born in the 1960s) told me at Lago di Garda that Chesnokov – despite neither he nor Alexander Volkov (second best Russian born in the 60s) cracking the USSR’s top five – had somehow slipped the Iron Curtain first, competing globally even before Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika loosened the regime’s grip.
In 1985, being completely unknown, Chesnokov made a trip to Paris, went through the qualifying rounds and stunned the Top 10 player, Eliot Teltscher in the second round before losing to Heintz Günthardt in the third round after one of the longest matches of the 80s at Roland Garros (it lasted 4 hours 40 minutes). “Before this tournament I thought they (the international touring pros) were so strong. But now I realize they can be beaten.” said Chesnokov, a physical education student at a special Moscow sports institute, ranked 307th in the world on the ATP computer.
Trivia: Before Isner-Mahut’s legendary marathon, Chesnokov had already etched his name into tennis history with one of the longest sets in the Open Era. In a freakish coincidence, I met him just as Isner and Mahut – near their court – were beginning the third set. When I asked him about the duration of his 1987 Davis Cup epic 1st set against Michiel Schapers (Chesnokov won 24-22, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2), he replied without hesitation: “Two hours, fifty-seven minutes.” Likely the longest non-deciding set ever played.
Chesnokov’s Davis Cup heroics didn’t stop there. In the 1995 Moscow semifinal, he saved nine match points in a single game on return (!) to topple Michael Stich in a decisive rubber. Later that year, in the Moscow final, he pushed Pete Sampras to the brink on the same, exceptionally slow clay – a surface that left the world No. 1 so exhausted after match point that he collapsed, unable to walk. Had Chesnokov saved one more match point, who knows? Another miracle might have been born. From a technical standpoint, Chesnokov’s backhand was the weapon he could most rely on, the type of shot that gives you the impression he can’t miss if the ball is close to the left side of his body at the torso level.

Career record: 344–259 [ 244 events ]
Career titles: 7
Highest ranking: No. 9
Best GS results:
Australian Open (quarterfinal 1988)
Roland Garros (semifinal 1989; quarterfinal 1986, 1988)

Born: March 4, 1974 in Bratislava  (Západoslovenský kraj in Czechoslovakia)
Height: 1.87 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

As a junior, he represented Czechoslovakia and was a member of the Galea Cup team in 1991-92. In those years he played his first ATP matches, in Praha. A protégé of Miloslav Mečíř, the gold medalist from Seoul ’88, he followed in the footsteps of his mentor, the “Big Cat,” with his own intelligent style of play – a style perfectly aligned with the technological advancements of the 1990s, which emphasized power, contrasting with the finesse and improvisation that defined Mečíř’s game a decade before. Nicknamed the “Little Cat,” Kučera became, alongside Dominik Hrbatý, the co-leader of the Slovakian squad for over a decade in various team competitions after Czechoslovakia’s dissolution in 1993 (he’s one of a few players born in the 70s to participate three times at the Olympics).
Kučera, like ten years older Mečíř, often seemed to play tennis in slow motion, yet with surgical precision. Despite not being one of the fastest players on tour, he was extremely difficult to outmaneuver from the baseline, as his anticipation allowed him to be well-prepared for his flat, well-placed strokes off both wings. Much like his tutor Mečíř, Kučera had no trouble adapting to faster surfaces (grass, carpet), frequently employing serve-and-volley tactics behind his first serve.
Early in his professional career, he was known for having a negative aces-to-double-faults ratio. This changed after he began working with Mečíř in 1997. Before that collaboration, Kučera had already claimed his first title, on grass at Rosmalen ’95, although never having won a professional match on the surface before. A year later, he pushed three-time defending champion Pete Sampras to four sets at Wimbledon, signaling his potential (just weeks after another tight four-set battle at Roland Garros against Jim Courier, during which he sprained his right ankle – a lingering injury that plagued him for the rest of his career, often forcing him to play with ankle protection).
The pinnacle of Kučera’s career came in 1998. In January, he was the hottest player on tour: first, he triumphed at the Hopman Cup (partnering with Karina Habšudová), then won the title in Sydney, and reached his only Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open, stunning (6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3) Sampras in the quarterfinals. In the first two sets, he was passing the world’s best player with an ease that was unparalleled on hard courts in the mid-’90s. Later that year, at the US Open, he defeated the second-best player of the decade, Andre Agassi, in the fourth round (6-3, 6-3, 6-7, 1-6, 6-3). With those two victories, Kučera briefly stood atop the tennis world in a metaphorical sense. These wins gave him a legitimate belief that he could capture at least one big title. However, his best opportunity slipped away at the 1998 Grand Slam Cup in München. He lost a semifinal match he should have won against Agassi, while Marcelo Ríos awaited in the final. At the time, Kucera led their Head-to-Head 3:2, making it a golden opportunity. His most significant title ultimately came in Basel ’99, where he survived one of the tightest ATP finals of the decade, defeating his most frequent (6-5 H2H including a dead DC rubber) opponent Tim Henman 6-4, 7-6, 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 in a four-hour battle – despite winning three points fewer than the Brit.
By 2005, at the age of 31, he played his farewell season, actually only the second half of it. His previous year had been the least successful since 1993, and for years he had struggled with wrist and arm injuries. That final season was largely unremarkable, but in an unexpected twist, he nearly concluded his career in a dream scenario. Slovakia reached the Davis Cup final, primarily thanks to Hrbatý and Karol Beck (b. 1982). However, Beck was suspended for using illegal substances, forcing Kučera into the opening rubber against Ivan Ljubičić, which he lost quickly. On the deciding Sunday, with a chance to play his final match in a career-defining moment, his former coach Mečíř instead appointed Michal Mertiňák – a player with no experience at the highest level, who lost in straight sets to Mario Ančić. It marked the third time that a widely recognized player, in the twilight of his career, was not ready to compete in a crucial rubber that could have secured a Davis Cup title for his country (following Stefan Edberg 1996 and Patrick Rafter 2001).

Career record: 293–244 [ 237 events ]
Career titles: 6
Highest ranking: No. 6
Best GS results:
Australian Open (semifinal 1998; quarterfinal 1999)
US Open (quarterfinal 1998)
Hopman Cup champion 1998
World Team Cup champion 2000

Born: March 30, 1984 in Split (Dalmacija in Yugoslavia)
Height: 1.95 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

It’s a pity that Ančić retired prematurely (due to mononucleosis, which struck him at just 23), but I don’t consider him an underachiever. Given his potential, I believe he had a short, but nice career and etched his name into the history books by clinching the decisive fifth rubber in the Davis Cup 2005 final (against an obscure Slovak Michal Mertiňák, born in 1979 – it’d be hard for Ančić to imagine a weaker opponent for the most important match of his career). This is a feat most tennis players could only dream of. “I played very aggressively, I felt everything was under my control,” Ančić said after the biggest victory of his life. “It’s an unforgettable match and an unforgettable day. This has been a spectacular year for me.” While Ivan Ljubičić contributed considerably more to Croatia’s success that year, Ančić had the honor of delivering the final blow. It’s worth mentioning that Ančić, alongside Ljubičić, won all four Davis Cup doubles rubbers in 2005 (including a stunning victory over the Bryan brothers). A year earlier, the pair had already claimed the bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics after an epic third-place match.
Personally, Ančić was a slight disappointment for me. He began his career around the time Richard Krajicek (my favorite player for over a decade) retired, and I hoped Ančić would, in some ways, fill the Dutchman’s shoes. There were similarities: roughly the same height and weight, the same racquet (Yonex), similar offensive attitude, and even the same coach – Australian Rohan Goetzke. However, before their split in 2005, it became clear that Ančić wasn’t cut out to be a Grand Slam or even Masters Series champion (ultimately just one semifinal at this level).
Ančić tried to adopt a serve-and-volley style on faster surfaces, but his serve wasn’t as dominant as Krajicek’s, especially during the era of slowing court speeds in the early/mid 2000s. He also lacked the effortless ground-strokes of his mentor, Goran Ivanišević, and didn’t possess Ivanišević’s audacity to play risky shots in crucial moments which reflected in a very poor record of deciding tie-breaks. While he was dubbed “Baby Goran,” the nickname only held true in terms of being Ivanišević’s protégé. “Super Mario” – referring to the main player character of a Nintendo game – was a slight exaggeration too. None of his shots could be called “super”, everything was just very solid.
Despite winning barely three titles (all equivalents of “ATP 250”), Ančić boasts a quite impressive Grand Slam résumé: a Wimbledon semifinal (2004) and three quarterfinals (Wimbledon 2006 and 2008, Roland Garros 2006). Notably, he lost all those three quarterfinals to Roger Federer, the same player he famously defeated in his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon 2002. Another peculiar aspect of Ančić’s career is that he lost three ATP finals (Milan ’04, Scottsdale ’05, and Tokyo ’05) to veterans who claimed their only titles by defeating him.
One unique trait of Ančić’s game was his tendency to make fist-pumps after losing points – a form of perverse positive thinking, as if to say: <<You lost the point, but don’t worry. You’re playing aggressively and the right way. Keep it up.>> The penultimate match of Ančić’s professional career turned into a disaster of unprecedented proportions. In the first round of the Ostrava ’10 Challenger, he lost to Ivo Minář 6-4, 4-6, 5-7 despite leading 3:1 in the 2nd, and 5:0* (40/0) in the deciding set!

Career record: 208–135 [ 128 events ]
Career titles: 3
Highest ranking: No. 7
Best GS results:
Roland Garros (quarterfinal 2006)
Wimbledon (semifinal 2004; quarterfinal 2006 & 08)
Davis Cup champion 2005
World Team Cup champion 2006

Born: January 23, 1968 in Praha
Height: 1.91 m
Plays: Left-handed

“I was waiting for this a long, long time. What we went through was unbelievable. I didn’t believe it could happen. It’s a dream come true,” said Korda after winning the Australian Open ’98 at the age of 30, echoing Andrés Gómez’s story (French Open ’90) of claiming a maiden major title after nearly a decade of competing at the highest level. Unlike Gómez, who had failed to reach even a semifinal in 26 major attempts before his French Open triumph, Korda had already played one final in his 33 previous Grand Slam appearances. Born in Prague (a rarity among top Czech players), Korda began his tennis journey under the guidance of his father: “Because of him, I’ve got a golden touch!” From an early age, he idolized Ivan Lendl, even serving as a ball boy during one of Lendl’s matches in Prague. Defeating his childhood hero, the best Czechoslovak in history (5-7, 6-1, 6-4 in Stockholm ’91) became a career highlight in his early years on the tour. Korda ultimately won four of their five meetings. The summer of ’91 on American hardcourts marked a breakthrough period for Korda, who was representing Czechoslovakia at the time. The lanky Czech reached three ATP finals within a month. After falling short in the finals in Washington and Montreal, he clinched his first trophy in New Haven. During this remarkable run, he surged from No. 69 to No. 15 in the rankings.
As a child & teenager, Korda was exceptionally thin. Over the years, he gained some weight, but even as a professional, he never quite fit the typical athlete’s physique. His career was plagued by unorthodox injuries: groin issues, hernias, para-nasal sinus problems, and other minor ailments. At times, he was devastated, even considering premature retirement. “I was in constant pain, wondering if I’d ever live normally,” he admitted. After a series of operations and as he approached his 30th birthday, Korda finally stabilized his physical condition. Between July ’97 and January ’98, he soared from No. 27 to No. 2 in the world rankings, notching a sensational five-set victory over Pete Sampras at the US Open, and capturing the Stuttgart title above all. For a few weeks in February and March of 1998, he was within striking distance of the top spot, but always fell short by two or three matches.
Korda’s enormous potential is defined by his extraordinary triumph in Germany under challenging circumstances. At the 1993 Compaq Grand Slam in München, he staged a remarkable comeback against the reigning French Open champion Sergi Bruguera in the quarterfinals (4-6, 6-0, 6-4), rallying from 4:2* down in the third set. This was nothing compared to what was to come: in the semifinal, he outlasted world’s best Sampras in a spectacular 4.5-hour battle saving match points in two successive sets… exhausted and barely standing in the fourth and fifth sets, Korda defied expectations by not only reaching the final but also defeating Michael Stich, the second-best player of the season, in another five-set thriller. Astonishingly, Korda survived both matches despite winning fewer points than his opponents (10 fewer against Sampras and 13 fewer against Stich). These victories over Sampras and Stich are unprecedented, no one before or after has won the semi-final and final in so long five-set duels (given the number of games in the deciding sets).  If we add that Korda did it against the two best players in the world, on a surface where they were very efficient, it’s really mind-blowing.
Unfortunately, Korda’s career ended in controversy. At the end of 1998, the ITF announced that he had tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone during Wimbledon ’98. While he was not banned from the sport, Korda was stripped of his ranking points and prize money ($94,500) from Wimbledon. The decision sparked outrage among his peers. Richard Krajicek questioned: “If he used nandrolone, why hasn’t he been disqualified? If he was found not guilty, why did they take away his money?” Jonas Björkman, who lost to Korda the Aussie Open quarterfinal being in the form of his life, added: “Before Wimbledon, he was playing the best tennis of his life. Afterward, he was much worse. If someone takes illegal substances, they should be banned for a few years.”
Shortly after the nandrolone scandal, Korda was banned from competing in his native Czechia for two years. Despite the criticism, Korda returned to the Australian Open ’99 to defend his title but suffered humiliating moments; he defeated Galo Blanco in five sets despite the adversary crowd, and the Spaniard refused to shake his hand. Because of his beautiful, classical ground-strokes and amusing behaviour (a tendency to juggle the ball, celebrating victories with scissor kicks) he was a rather beloved figure all over the world, but in 1999 he became the public enemy wherever he went. His ranking plummeted, and within a year of nearly reaching the pinnacle of tennis, he found himself outside the Top 100. A six-match losing streak, including a defeat to Rodolphe Cadart (who had only three main-level wins), marked the beginning of the end. After losing to Danny Sapsford in the Wimbledon ’99 qualifiers, Korda announced his sudden retirement.
A year and a half later, when the Czech ban expired, Korda made a brief comeback at a Prague Challenger event. He lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 to little-known Martin Hromec of Slovakia, who had never played a main-level match. The almost 33-year-old Korda described the tournament as a gift to his father, who had turned 60 that week.
Korda was primarily an offensive baseliner, characterized by unparalleled ease in spreading the ball to all corners of the court with very low net clearance, but on grass, he adopted the traditional serve-and-volley tactics, which he occasionally used as a surprise element on other surfaces making himself an all-round player.
His son Sebastian Korda (born in 2000) emerged as a promising talent a few years ago. After starting with a 0:3 main-level record and a ranking outside the Top 200, Sebastian reached the fourth round of Roland Garros ’20, where he was outclassed by Rafael Nadal. Standing taller than Petr, being right-hander, and wielding a two-handed backhand, but also prone to play flat, Sebastian represents the next generation of the Korda sport legacy, under the US flag. It’s highly unlikely that he’ll achieve better results than his father, the next few seasons will reveal his true capabilities.

Career record: 410-248 [ 246 events ]
Career titles: 10
Highest ranking: 2
Best GS results:
Australian Open (champion 1998; quarterfinal 1993)
Roland Garros (runner-up 1992)
Wimbledon (quarterfinal 1998)
US Open (quarterfinal 1995 & 97)
Grand Slam Cup champion 1993

Born: November 22, 1967 in Leimen (Baden-Württemberg)
Height: 1.90 m
Plays: Right-handed

As a young child, Becker played football and tennis with equal passion. He decided to devote himself to the racquet sport at the age of 12, training in his hometown near München. Between 1982 and 1984, he won West German titles in the junior category. When he claimed his first German junior championship, defeating boys three years older, he was only 15 but didn’t look it. He was often mistaken for an adult! Becker matured at a dizzying pace – both physically and mentally. By 1984, the 16-year-old was ready to compete with professionals. He quickly signed a lucrative contract with Adidas, guided by experts Günther Bosch and manager, former player from Romania – Ion Țiriac. It was almost Polish Wojtek Fibak who became Becker’s mentor, but fate had other plans.
The results came swiftly. On May 14, 1984, the 16-year-old Becker won his first Grand Prix tournament. Teaming up with the 15-years-older Fibak, he triumphed in the doubles event in München. A few months later, the teenager reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. Becker trained intensively, dedicating four to five hours daily to squats, push-ups, running, and serving. He spent less time honing other shots, as they appeared to be a natural endowment.
In 1985, Becker claimed his first major singles victory at the Queens Club, a tournament that preceded Wimbledon. Few bet on the young German at Wimbledon, but the 17-year-old, playing athletic and uncompromising tennis, diving for “unwinnable” points, became the youngest champion in the tournament’s history. He showcased not only exceptional skills, but also remarkable mental resilience. In the third round against Joakim Nyström, he trailed 4:5* (30-all) in the fifth set, only to win it 9-7. The teenager impressed with his powerful serve, precise forehand, excellent net coverage, and ability to clinch crucial points. When he faced the big-serving Kevin Curren in the final, Becker was already the favourite to win. True to expectations, he triumphed in spectacular fashion, etching his name into history as the youngest Wimbledon champion at just 17 years, 7 months, and 15 days. While it’s true that he didn’t face a single Top 5 player en route to the title, Becker silenced any doubters the following year. He defended his crown with authority, dismantling the world’s best player, Ivan Lendl, in a commanding final performance.
Despite numerous injuries, Becker remained at the forefront of tennis for the next decade. He won the sport’s biggest events and was instrumental in West Germany’s Davis Cup successes (1988 and 1989). Reflecting on tennis, he once said in the second half of the 80s: “Five to ten years ago, it was played differently. Vilas, Wilander – it was a different game, from the baseline. I think a good tennis player proposing constant volleys will beat an opponent who plays from the back of the court.” This aggressive style defined Becker’s game, especially on fast surfaces like grass and carpet, where his powerful serve, net coverage, and flat strokes paid dividends. Becker demonstrated his mastery of indoor tennis while still a teenager. In the autumn of 1986, he achieved a remarkable feat under the roof, capturing three titles in three consecutive weeks across three continents – Sydney (hard), Tokyo (carpet), and Paris (carpet) not being close to lose any of 15 matches! The year 1989 marked the pinnacle of Becker’s career. After conquering Wimbledon for the third time, he triumphed at the US Open, and spearheaded Germany to its World Team Cup and Davis Cup victories. In the eyes of fans, he was undoubtedly the best player in the world that year. However, with no ranking points awarded for WTC and Davis Cup rubbers (11 wins in total), Becker ended the season ranked second; what had seemed inevitable since his stunning Wimbledon breakthrough as a teenager, finally came to fruition nearly six years later, when he claimed the Australian Open ’91.
However, clay courts proved to be Becker’s Achilles’ heel. Despite reaching three semi-finals at Roland Garros (1987, 1989, 1991) and six finals in smaller clay events (thrice in a big Monte Carlo event nonetheless), he never won a singles title on the red surface. His weight and natural playing style made movement on clay challenging, moreover his serve lost some of its effectiveness. Even in matches where he seemed poised for victory – like the 1995 Monte Carlo final against Thomas Muster, which he lost 4-6, 5-7, 6-1, 7-6, 6-0 – clay remained his curse.
Becker’s legacy, however, is undeniable. He is remembered as one of the greatest tennis champions of the 20th Century – a spectacular player admired worldwide. For twelve years (1985-1996), he successfully competed at the highest level, co-creating countless thrilling matches at the sport’s grandest stages against legends such as Lendl (Masters ’88 it’s their most memorable battle), John McEnroe, Stefan Edberg, Andre Agassi (four major semifinals), and Pete Sampras (also the Masters clash, in 1996, it was something special). His “serve-and-volley” rivalry with Edberg, in particular, electrified audiences. They played 35 matches (Becker won it 25-10) with three Wimbledon finals included (the last one in 1990), battling for supremacy during 1989-1991, as Lendl, the most dominant force of the 1980s, began to fade.
Becker’s game had its quirks. He was a slow starter, often losing the opening set, but his will to win was tremendous, leading to many comeback victories in best-of-five matches (in February of 1992 he notched two astonishing comebacks in different conditions: Rio and Brussels). Surprisingly, he was also a slow-paced server, despite his preference for quick points. “Boris had no technique in his youth, but he had an amazing fighting spirit. He tried by all means to get the ball to the other side,” said Boris Breskvar, his first coach. Despite his ability to thrive under pressure and the absence of any glaring weaknesses in his game, Becker often struggled in decisive tie-breaks – a puzzling anomaly in his otherwise stellar career.
Throughout his career, the German worked with numerous coaches, including earlier mentioned Bosch, Bob Brett, Günter Bresnik, Nick Bollettieri, as well as former players Tomáš Šmíd, Eric Jelen and finally Mike DePalmer Jr., who guided him from August 1995 until his retirement. Almost two decades after retiring from professional tennis, Becker transitioned into coaching, taking on a pivotal role as Novak Đoković’s mentor. During their partnership in years 2014-16, Đoković improved his serve and backhand slice, capturing six Grand Slam titles and further solidifying Becker’s legacy as a key figure in the sport, both on and off the court.

Career record: 713–214 [ 264 events ]
Career titles: 49
Highest ranking: No. 1
Best GS results:
Australian Open (champion 1991 & 96; quarterfinal 1984 & 90)
Roland Garros (semifinal 1987, 89 & 91; quarterfinal 1986)
Wimbledon (champion 1985-86 & 89; runner-up 1988, 90-91 & 95; semifinal 93-94; quarterfinal 92 & 97)
US Open (champion 1989; semifinal 1986, 90 & 95)
Davis Cup champion 1988-89
World Team Cup champion 1989
Hopman Cup champion 1995
Masters champion 1988, 92 & 95
Grand Slam Cup champion 1996

Year-end rankings 1983-99: 563 – 66 – 6 – 2 – 5 – 4 – 2 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 11 – 3 – 4 – 6 – 62 – 69 – 131

Born: December 26, 1975 in Santiago
Height: 1.75 m
Plays: Left-handed (two-handed backhand)

Few players in the Open Era were as naturally gifted as Marcelo “El Chino” Ríos. Left-handers are a minority in tennis, making their unique skills stand out more – John McEnroe’s sublime volleys in the first half of the ‘80s, Henri Leconte‘s extraordinary shot-making in the second half of the 80s, often emphasised by hitting winner after winner with graceful flair all over the court, Goran Ivanišević’s unmatched serve in the first half of the ‘90s; Ríos dazzled with his exceptional baseline game in the second half of the ‘90s (it wasn’t until the mid-00s that we witnessed another left-hander redefine the game – Rafael Nadal, whose extraordinary movement set new standards for defensive play). Ríos’ uncanny anticipation and ability to create incredibly sharp angles made him a nightmare for grinders and big servers whose mobility during longer rallies was limited. Once he improved his serve, he could dictate rallies with ease, forcing his rivals to scramble from corner to corner while he remained anchored near the baseline’s centre mark. Andre Agassi had a similar ability, but while Agassi relied on power, Ríos made it look effortless.
At the peak of his brilliance in March 1998, Ríos won back-to-back hardcourt US titles at Indian Wells and Key Biscayne, becoming the first South American man to reach World No. 1. Tennis had already become highly physical by then, making his rise all the more improbable given his smaller titles in previous years (his breakthrough season came in 1995, with triumphs in Bologna, Amsterdam, and Kuala Lumpur, but a skill set to beat the best players in the world on clay he showed triumphing at Monte Carlo ’97). The landscape of men’s tennis in 1998 also played a role – Pete Sampras was finally showing signs of fatigue after years of dominance, while Agassi was still rebuilding after his problematic 1997 season.
“Winning this, and beating Agassi in the final, the former No. 1, I can’t ask for more,” Ríos said after claiming the title in Florida, arguably the biggest in his career because six wins (five over top opponents) were required. “Being the best player in the world for Chile is something like not normal; I feel really proud.” Shortly after reaching the No. 1 ranking, Ríos made the surprising decision to part ways with his coach Larry Stefanki, whose expertise had been instrumental in refining the Chilean’s game – raising speculation that financial disputes may have played a role. A few months later in Rome, Ríos added another big title to his collection in lucky circumstances.
Later that year, Ríos won two indoor titles on different continents (Grand Slam Cup & Singapore), keeping hopes alive that he could finish as the year-end No. 1. However, injuries soon plagued his career – hamstring strains, a stress fracture in his back, thigh and hip issues, tendinitis in his knee and groin. He never regained his 1998 form, and by the early 2000s, his time at the top had passed. He remains the only World No. 1 in history to have never won a Grand Slam title.
Ríos’ last major impact came in 1999, when he won his fifth Masters 1000 title, in Hamburg after an amazing “South American” final. He was second year running among the top favorites for the French Open but suffered another four-set quarterfinal upset. In 2015, he controversially claimed he should be recognized as an Australian Open champion, arguing that his 1998 final loss to Petr Korda should be overturned due to Korda’s later doping suspension. It was the only time he managed to go beyond the Slam quarterfinals, having lost at this stage twice to Michael Chang before (Aussie Open and US Open in 1997). 
Despite his reputation for being difficult both on and off the court, Ríos was an inspiration for a new generation of Latin American players. He paved the way for Chilean stars Fernando González and Nicolás Massú, who found success in the 2000s. However, even among his compatriots, he remained a distant figure. “I don’t have a relationship with Chino,” González once admitted. “I’ve never had it. Never. There was no good vibe, not bad either.”

Career record: 391–192 [ 198 events ]
Career titles: 18
Highest ranking: No. 1
Best GS results:
Australian Open (runner-up 1998; quarterfinal 1997 & 2002)
Roland Garros (quarterfinal 1998-99)
US Open (quarterfinal 1997)
Grand Slam Cup champion 1998
World Team Cup champion 2003