Born: September 17, 1985 in Valašské Meziříčí (Zlínský kraj in Czechoslovakia)
Height: 1.96 m
Plays: Right-handed (double-handed backhand)
Stan Wawrinka achieved more or less what I expected from Berdych. Quite revealing is their Australian Open 2014 semifinal: Wawrinka beat Berdych in a tight four-setter (6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6), winning just one more point in the entire contest. Then he outplayed an injured Rafael Nadal in the final and later collected two more major titles. Would Berdych have done the same if he had been more lucky in the tie-breaks against the Swiss? In my opinion, the Czech had all the ingredients not only to win a few majors, but also to become No. 1 in the world at some point in his career.
At the end of 2005, when Roger Federer and Nadal had already established themselves as tennis kings for the years to come, Berdych triumphed in Paris-Bercy, having defeated only top players – so it seemed that a bright future was ahead of him: big serve, effortless flat and quick strokes off both wings, with the ability to spread winning forehand shots in all directions regardless of court position, good volley technique, cool under pressure (after the US Open ’06 he held a stunning 9:0 record in five-setters). At the time he had already defeated both Federer and Nadal after tight matches (in Athens ’04 and Cincinnati ’05 respectively), as well as the third-best player of the mid-00s, Andy Roddick, in Tokyo ’08.
It’s really difficult to explain what happened to him in the next few years that he didn’t become at least a solid Top 5 player, multiple Masters 1K champion. The place which “should have been” his was taken by Novak Đoković and Andy Murray in the late 00s – even though Berdych was also able to defeat them after dramatic matches (Paris ’11, Rome ’13), as well as at Slams in straight-set contests.
He needed to play a lot to finally reach his first (and only) major final – Wimbledon 2010. In that final he easily lost an ugly match to Nadal. The Spaniard and the Serb turned out to be Berdych’s nightmarish opponents: he finished his career with two terrible H2H records: 4-20 (from 3:1!) and 3-25 respectively against them (barely avoided a double bagel in Beijing ’14). His inability to defeat Nadal and Đoković for many years is the main explanation why he didn’t win another Masters 1000 title (three finals: Miami ’10, Madrid ’12, Monte Carlo ’15) or reach another major final (five semifinals after Wimbledon ’10 – two of them lost to Murray in copycat semifinals: US Open ’12 and Australian Open ’15).
I’ve got two ideas why Berdych couldn’t manage it despite remaining a super consistent Top 10 player over seven years:
I… as a well-established Top 10 player, he reinvented himself as a “second Björn Borg” – always trying to be cool, no matter how badly things were going. In my opinion, he needed to show much more emotion to engage fully in psychological battles against guys like Nadal and Đoković.
II… over the years in Davis Cup ties, Berdych was very successful in doubles, especially alongside Radek Štěpánek. What’s really interesting is that Berdych collected an impressive 21-2 record, playing serve-and-volley on a regular basis. It’s beyond me why he didn’t use this attacking mindset more often in singles during big matches.
By the way, in 2013 Berdych, partnering Lukáš Rosol (b. 1985), won the longest doubles match in history: the Czechs defeated Wawrinka/Marco Chiudinelli of Switzerland 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 24-22 after 7 hours and 1 minute!
If I have to point out the biggest underachiever among the best players born in the 80s, I have no doubts – it’s Berdych. Admittedly, he made up for many disappointments with back-to-back Davis Cup titles (2012-13), but he couldn’t be truly fulfilled, because he didn’t win a clincher in those finals. He was even a slight favorite to beat David Ferrer in front of the home crowd on a fast indoor court… and lost in straights, the same the following year that time being an underdog though.
Trivia: from the beginning of his career to the end of 2014, he always played with a baseball cap – regardless of whether it was indoors or outdoors, and no matter the length of his hair (which was very long in his early years on tour). He ended his career in 2019 but announced his intent to perform at the Tokyo Olympics ’20. It was not granted to him due to the cancellation of the event by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Career record: 640-342 [ 330 events ]
Career titles: 13
Highest ranking: No. 4
Best GS results:
Australian Open (semifinal 2014-15; quarterfinal 2011-13, ’16)
Roland Garros (semifinal 2010; quarterfinal 2014, ’16)
Wimbledon (final 2010; semifinal 2016-17; quarterfinal 2007, ’13)
US Open (semifinal 2012; quarterfinal 2014)
Davis Cup champion 2012-13
(in both editions he contributed more than Štěpánek, but in both finals Berdych lost rubbers that
could have given Czechia the trophy)
Born: April 17, 1985 in Le Mans (Pays de la Loire)
Height: 1.88 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
The son of a Congolese father, Didier, and French mother, Évelyne (née Rosier). He is an example of someone who entered the luxury tennis saloons out of nowhere, but it’d make sense if we dug deeper into his first steps on the tour… China 2004: the 19-year-old Tsonga, US Open junior champion of 2003, receives a wild card to play in Beijing and 
defeats No. 6 in the world Carlos Moyà 6-3, 6-3 in the first round! If someone who is unknown, ranked 209, eliminates a former best player in the world in his first main-level match, there must be something special about him.
It’s confirmed more than three years later when Tsonga, participating in just his 16th main-level event, advances to the Australian Open final defeating i.a. Andy Murray & Rafael Nadal, showcasing phenomenal stop-volleys across three sets against the latter.
Between his sensational debut in Beijing and the career-biggest success in Melbourne, he struggled with many injuries (herniated disc & shoulder, moreover back and abdominal problems), because of that, instead of turning into a regular ATP player already in 2005, for two years he’d been drifting between Challengers & Futures events before making a Challenger-ATP transition in 2007, becoming a recognisable face at the beginning of the year in Melbourne, winning a record-tying tie-break vs Andy Roddick on Rod Laver Arena (the American won the match in four sets though).
Mats Wilander belonged to a big group of pundits delighted by Tsonga’s appearance at the Australian Open ’08; the Swede even said that Tsonga would be better than Roger Federer…
Relatively unknown players can hide their weaknesses and I think it was also Tsonga’s case during that amazing Australian fortnight. The following years exposed Tsonga’s backhand hole. Like Marc Rosset a decade earlier, Tsonga occasionally played backhand passing-shots using only one hand. I’d risk a thesis that Tsonga achieved more than you could expect from a guy with his unstable backhand, mainly thanks to his top-quality serve, very good mentality, affirmative attitude.
Tennis is such a psychological game; admittedly, it’s not boxing, you cannot punch your opponent (maybe Tsonga would be good at this with his nickname “Ali”, due to facial resemblance referring to the greatest boxer in history, Cassius Clay), but you can intimidate him, and this is what in my opinion Tsonga was doing very well throughout his career, especially in France (10 of his 18 titles come from French cities, four claimed in Franco-Germanic Metz), feeling the energy of the partisan crowd.
I suppose the vast majority of players knew that in crucial moments playing to his backhand was required, but only the best guys (Novak Đoković, Nadal, Murray) could do this often possessing the required skills. Đoković needed to figure it out – initially Tsonga was one of his toughest opponents, and the great Serb lost to him 5 out of the first 7 meetings including a five-setter at the Aussie Open ’10; their Wimbledon ’11 semifinal changed the history of their encounters and the Serb finished their rivalry at quite overwhelming 17-6. Similar story with Murray who was able to beat Tsonga eight straight times, also including a four-set Wimbledon semifinal – the Brit ultimately won their rivalry 14-2.
Other players were making many mistakes at tight moments or were playing too softly, allowing the Frenchman of African origin, running around his backhand to play big forehands, attack the net, and gain points with crispy volleys or eye-catching overheads; he was enjoying it in an expressive way, which can act as an intimidation factor, causing opponent’s stupid mistakes right after. At tight moments he was really able to raise his game not being afraid to implement the serve-and-volley tactics or accelerating his second serves. There’s no other player like Tsonga, who won three various extremes: the record tie-break (at least as far as majors are concerned, 20/18 against Roddick), the longest deciding 3rd set (25-23 against Milos Raonic), and one of the longest 5th sets in terms of games (19-17 against John Isner).
Tsonga for many years belonged to a group of the “second big 4” consisting of him, David Ferrer, Tomáš Berdych, and Juan Martín del Potro, but only Tsonga among them captured two Masters 1000 shields (Paris ’08 and Toronto ’14). Trivia: in 2011, Tsonga and Federer faced each other eight times – a record. Federer won six of those meetings, including the last one: the final of the “Masters”, yet the Frenchman emerged victorious from their five-set clash at Wimbledon. Tsonga’s career would have felt more fulfilled with a French Open final under his belt, but he fell short twice in the semifinals not facing a Big 4 member (2013, 2015), unable to bring his dream run all the way home in Paris.
Career record: 467–238 [ 244 events ]
Career titles: 18
Highest ranking: No. 5
Best GS results:
Australian Open (runner-up 2008; semifinal 2010; quarterfinal 2009, 13 & 17)
Roland Garros (semifinal 2013 & 15; quarterfinal 2012)
Wimbledon (semifinal 2011-12; quarterfinal 2010 & 16)
US Open (quarterfinal 2011, 15-16)
Davis Cup champion 2017
Born: January 1, 1982 in Unquillo (Córdoba)
Height: 1.79 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Alongside Andre Agassi(an) Աղասյան and Sargis Sargsian Սարգսյան, David Nalbandian Նալբանդյան belongs to a small group of prominent former tennis players with Armenian roots (his grandfather came to Argentina, and built a cement court in his backyard, little David started his tennis adventure on this court) – his surname means “one who makes horseshoes”; Agassian comes from ‘Aghasi’, meaning “noble,” while Sargsian (b. 1973, the best Armenian in history) derives from ‘Sarkis’, meaning “protector.” They all three faced each other, unexpectedly Sargsian won his only meeting against Nalbandian.
I don’t think of Nalbandian as “the best player of the Open Era without a major title,” but it’s legitimate 
to call him that when comparing players born in the 80s by their skill set. At the twilight of the Pete Sampras/Agassi era, I even thought that one day he’d become the best player in the world, but at the time it was tough to expect Roger Federer‘s cosmic ascendancy, and other great players were either too young (Rafael Nadal) or unknown (Novak Đoković, Andy Murray).
Distinctive & bold competitor anyway – no doubt about it. As a smart tactician he could afford to play on every surface on his own terms. It’s a domain of exceptionally gifted players, who possess all shots in their repertoires – he was one of them. Obviously, he will be remembered as someone with a terrific two-handed backhand, but I’d like to pay close attention to his one-handed skills; usually, “two-handed guys” don’t play slice backhands and volleys with Nalbandian’s finesse. His first serve was never a serious weapon, but his second serve, often neglected in analysis, was very efficient, giving him the edge during baseline rallies.
I wish he had won the Davis Cup at least once – I think he deserved it, leading the team to the 2006, 2008 & 2011 finals, defeating very good players in those finals (especially the 2008 final was very unfortunate for the Argentinians). On the other hand, he was the only guy besides two players (Àlex Corretja & Nikolay Davydenko) with comparable achievements to his, capturing the ‘Masters’ (2005) without having a major title under his belt – I consider his triumph in Shanghai as some kind of compensation for unsuccessful Davis Cup finals, a miracle, given the progress of that final and the man he had overcame there…
A crucial match in Nalbandian’s career, in my opinion, came at the Australian Open ’04. The Argentine, having advanced to the Wimbledon ’02 final (which he lost quickly) two years earlier, and the dramatic US Open semifinal a few months before, had the required experience to realistically think about winning a major in 2004. Then came a quarterfinal meeting against Federer, whom Nalbandian had recently defeated in the US Open 4th round – the Swiss avenged that loss in four sets, presenting a completely different game-style, improving their H2H to 2:5 (eventually won it 11-8). You never know what would have happened if something in the past had been slightly changed. My casual thought is that it was the key match for the paths of both players…
Three times in his career, Nalbandian had moments of tremendous glory. For the first time at the aforementioned Wimbledon ’02, when, as an unseeded player, he advanced to the final with actually non-existent grass-court familiarity as a pro; then in Shanghai ’05, when he triumphed in the year-end championships, defeating Federer, who was on a 35-match winning streak and on the verge of a magnificent comeback to notch his 36th win in a row; and for the third time in autumn 2007, when he claimed the two biggest indoor events of the regular season (Madrid & Paris), defeating in both events the best players at the time Federer & Nadal, each of them twice, as well as a younger Đoković (in Spain).
From 2008 onwards, he played below expectations – perhaps it made an impact on his nervousness, which manifested itself in a rare Queen’s Club ’12 final featuring a disqualification: Nalbandian unintentionally kicked the linesman, causing his bleeding. Following that incident, Nalbandian played only ten more events, the last one in Florida, where he had begun his main-level journey thirteen years earlier – where, being ranked 473, as a qualifier he almost defeated the former No. 1 Jim Courier (for whom it was the last victory of his career)… In 2021, Nalbandian briefly returned to the tour as a coach, working with Miomir Kecmanović, but was unable to turn the Serb into a “first league player.”
Career record: 383–192 [ 193 events ]
Career titles: 11
Highest ranking: No. 3
Best GS results:
Australian Open (semifinal 2006; quarterfinal 2003-05)
Roland Garros (semifinal 2004 & 2006)
Wimbledon (runner-up 2002; quarterfinal 2005)
US Open (semifinal 2003; quarterfinal 2005)
Masters champion 2005
Born: April 11, 1974 in Barcelona (Cataluña)
Height: 1.80 m
Plays: Right-handed
He grew up in La Salut – the best club in Barcelona, where players such as Manuel Orantes and Juan Aguilera had previously trained. His two older brothers also played tennis, but they weren’t as passionate about it as Álex. His brother Iván even won the national championships at the age of 14, but a serious car accident led to the amputation of his leg. Álex won the Orange Bowl 16s title in 1990 and turned professional the following year, reaching a semifinal in his Challenger debut (Sevilla). In 1992, he notched valuable wins over very experienced older compatriots (Sergio Casal and 
Emilio Sánchez) in his first ATP events. Later that year, he played his first ATP final (Guarujá), where he lost to Carsten Arriens from Germany (b. 1969, his only main-level final).
The years 1993-94 established him as a dangerous clay-courter who could also be unpredictable on hard courts (in 1994 he defeated Jim Courier and Stefan Edberg in Indianapolis). The years 1995-96 brought generally disappointment (in 1996 he reached the Hamburg final though), especially on clay – Corretja defeated the virtually unbeatable Thomas Muster in Gstaad ’95, only to lose in the following round to Jakob Hlasek, who was already talking about his upcoming retirement.
The turning point in Corretja’s career came at the 1996 US Open (one year before he led two-sets-to-one there against Andre Agassi) – not only did he reach his first major quarterfinal, he also held a match point in an astonishingly tight encounter against Pete Sampras. Each of them won 188 points and struck 25 aces. It was a huge boost of confidence for the Spaniard, who realised that all the hard work he had put into improving his serve had paid off.
Even though Corretja began the 1997 season with seven consecutive defeats (including an accidental Challenger appearance – his only one between 1994 and 2003), he went on to enjoy a very successful year, establishing himself among the Top 5 clay-court players (two Mercedes Super 9 finals against Marcelo Ríos – Monte Carlo and Rome). The year 1998 was by far the best of his career. He had already won three titles (one on clay, two on hard courts) when he arrived in Lyon to begin the indoor season – with a 1:12 record indoors – humiliating for a player of his caliber. Corretja captured the title, saving a match point in the second set against Tommy Haas in the final. It was played on carpet indoors, and the title guaranteed him participation at the “Masters” (Hanover), held on indoor hard courts.
Corretja, already with his first indoor title under his belt, felt very confident. He took advantage of favorable “round robin” circumstances – Agassi’s retirement and Ríos’ withdrawal. Sampras seemed unstoppable, but Corretja found a way to take sweet revenge for the New York loss – he saved three match points to win 7/3 in the deciding tie-break. In my opinion, it’s been the most valuable victory of his career, even though Corretja would be Sampras also in five sets on grass (Davis Cup 2002).
The final against Carlos Moyá (whom he had faced a few months earlier in the French Open final) was open to many possible scenarios. Based on their Head-to-Head, the younger Spaniard was a heavy favorite – Moyá had won all three of their 1998 meetings in straight sets and seemed on his way to a fourth as he easily grabbed the first two sets and created two mini-match points at 5-all. Corretja fought them off and came back from a 1:3* (30/40) deficit in the decider to survive the four-hour battle.
That triumph unexpectedly opened a path for Corretja to become the world No. 1 at the 1999 Australian Open. He needed a semifinal showing, but was already beaten in the second round by the average Christian Ruud. Similar opportunities didn’t arise again, but Corretja maintained a high level on all surfaces for several more years, and captured his second Masters 1K title triumphing at Indian Wells. His elegant movement and heavy topspin off both wings were his main assets. The year 2000 brought a new face of Corretja – a doubles specialist; he won a bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics (alongside Albert Costa) and was victorious in three of four doubles rubbers in the Davis Cup, including the final against Australia.
Certainly, he could have won Roland Garros – it didn’t happen (though he reached at least the quarterfinals five years in a row, including another final in 2001) – but I believe that magnificent triumph in Hanover compensates for the Parisian setbacks.
Trivia: in the late ’90s, Corretja introduced an unorthodox shot to the tour – when running to his backhand side, he was able to strike the ball with the forehand face of his racquet, using a sudden flick of the wrist.
After retirement, Corretja coached Andy Murray (2008-11) and the Spanish Davis Cup team (2012-13), then, as grey hair appeared on his head, he switched to commentary. His legacy places him among the best Open Era players never to win a major final.
Career record: 438–281 [ 293 events ]
Career titles: 17
Highest ranking: No. 2
Best GS results:
Roland Garros (runner-up 1998 and 2001; semifinal 2002; quarterfinal 1999-00)
US Open (quarterfinal 1996)
Masters champion 1998
Davis Cup champion 2000 (played doubles in the final)
Born: May 24, 1987 in San Remo (Liguria)
Height: 1.78 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Centre Court at a Slam, especially losing to one of the elite players in the world, presents a fitting stage to conclude a career. One month ago, this unfolded for Richard Gasquet, who stood no chance against Jannik Sinner in the second round of Roland Garros; at Wimbledon ’25, Fognini played his final match, facing Carlos Alcaraz in the first round. Fognini’s case differs slightly from Gasquet’s – the Frenchman declared beforehand that the event would mark his farewell, whereas Fognini’s decision to retire at age 38 crystallised days after a gruelling 4½-hour defeat to Alcaraz. The premier Italian born in the 1980s astonished the tennis community, pushing the two-time defending champion to the 
brink despite battling injuries in recent years and losing his status as a regular ATP contender. “I think it is the best way to say goodbye,” admitted Fognini, departing the professional circuit as Italian tennis reaches unprecedented strength. “It wasn’t easy because the last three years of my career I was suffering a lot with injury. But as a competitor, I tried to do my best every time I stepped on court. Winning a Slam for me was impossible. I have to be honest. I’m happy the way I say goodbye to the professional tennis career. I did my best.”
I hadn’t considered him deeply until I witnessed his fourth-round match at Roland Garros ’11 against Albert Montañés on Suzanne Lenglen court (photo). It ranks among the most remarkable matches I’ve ever observed. The Italian fought off five match points in the decider despite being hampered by injury. I was astounded by two aspects:
– Fognini executed perfect shots with daring risk from both flanks despite limited mobility;
– knowing Montañés’ prowess, I recognised he wasn’t a player to squander match points when victory loomed.
For the Spaniard, it was also a rare chance to reach a major quarterfinal, perhaps heightening his tension; nonetheless, my impression was that Fognini clinched that “thriller” largely due to his extraordinary flair for shot-making. He had to withdraw from the quarterfinal, giving a walkover for the first time in his career.
Soon afterwards, I reviewed Fognini’s results and realized this resilience wasn’t coincidental. The player, already an ATP contender years prior, had secured qualifying victories like 17/15 (Simone Bolelli), 10/8 (Lamine Ouahab), or 11/9 (Alberto Martín) in deciding third-set tiebreaks. Indeed, in Paris a year before toppling Montañés, Fognini first drew notice with a gripping match on Philippe Chatrier court against Gaël Monfils. Fognini squandered three match points at 5:4 in the decider amid a dispute with the chair umpire, with play suspended at 9:55 p.m. The next day, the Italian survived one mini-match point at 5-all and another at 6-all to prevail 9-7 in the fifth set.
A temperamental player, occasionally displaying deplorable conduct – hurling racquets, berating those nearby – Fognini became remarkably difficult to overcome when nearing victory. I struggle to name another player born in the 1980s prone to such dramatic swings; he might have lost five games consecutively, then seize six in a row, only to drop four more. Examples of his three-set roller coasters abound. Consider these extremes: Santiago ’11, Fognini led Thomaz Bellucci 4:0 in the third set, then rallied from 4:5 (0/30) to win 1-6, 6-2, 7-6. Two years later against Monfils (again!) in Umag, he led 5:0, 5:3 (40/15) in the third, only to save two match points at 5:6 with audacious play, exiting as the victor with a 6-0, 3-6, 7-6 scoreline. That triumph over Monfils capped the finest stretch of his career, when he claimed two titles (his first at age 26, both on clay in Germany: Stuttgart and Hamburg) and amassed 13 consecutive wins before being overwhelmed in the final by Tommy Robredo. Two years earlier, their Santiago semifinal ended in a heated exchange, with Fognini labelling his rival “Hombre de mierda,” forgoing a handshake. Fognini, much like Hicham Arazi, flourished in the spotlight. When facing a theoretically superior opponent before a lively, impromptu crowd, he unleashed his finest tennis, as the burden wasn’t his to bear. Rafael Nadal knows this well – the “King of Clay” fell to Fognini four times in 18 meetings (thrice on clay!). The last defeat came when Fognini secured the pinnacle title of his career (Monte Carlo ’19). The Italian stunned the eleven-time champion in the semifinal, then overcame Dušan Lajović in an unforeseen final (having narrowly escaped elimination in the first round, trailing *1:4 to Andrey Rublev in the decider, saving five mini-match points). “I was preparing for the match as best I can because he has my ex-coach and I knew it was going to be really tough, a lot of running,” Fognini remarked after the final.
Fognini’s most memorable Grand Slam victory, showcasing his extraordinary talent, occurred at the US Open ’15, where he stunned Nadal in five sets despite losing the first two sets, achieving what seemed impossible for years – Nadal faltering after taking the opening sets. To accomplish this, Fognini played from the baseline with otherworldly precision in the latter stages of the decider, as if in a trance.
I’m uncertain how to explain why Pablo Carreño Busta was Fognini’s toughest adversary aside from David Ferrer (0-11) and Novak Đoković. Fognini lost eight times to the Serb (at the main level, once defeating him in a qualifying round at Rome ’06). Fognini required constant encouragement from his bench during an ATP Cup ’21 tie between Italy and Spain to overcome Carreño, having fallen in their initial seven encounters. Admittedly, the volatile Italian never won a set against Roger Federer (they met only four times), but among players born in the 1980s, he joins a select group with a positive record against Andy Murray – Fognini edged their rivalry 5-4, including their sole match where both were close to victory at the match’s conclusion (Shanghai ’19), an encounter marked by a heated argument between them.
Career record: 426-396 [ 394 events ]
Career titles: 9
Highest ranking: 9
Best GS result:
Roland Garros (quarterfinal 2011)
Born: July 13, 1961 in Lidköping (Västra Götaland)
Height: 1.80 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Järryd’s appearances in main-level finals spanned sixteen years, with losses marking both his first (Båstad 1981) and last final (Rosmalen 1995). Above all, he was an outstanding doubles player – winning all four Grand Slam tournaments (capturing a total of eight major titles) and the Masters thrice. For over a decade, he was a cornerstone of the Swedish Davis Cup team, primarily 
as a doubles specialist. Still, it’s worth highlighting that in the 1987 final against India, he was unexpectedly selected to play singles instead of the higher-ranked Stefan Edberg, and rose to the occasion. [ Järryd and his regular doubles partner for roughly three years – Edberg – had secured Sweden’s second Davis Cup victory (1984) by defeating an excellent American pair. ]
Two years earlier, facing India again, he and Edberg played an unforgettable opening set lasting two and a half hours, against the Amritraj brothers – winning it 21-19, before closing out the match 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. Between 1983 and 1989, Järryd participated in six out of seven successive Davis Cup finals for Sweden (excluded in 1985 – paradoxically the year when he helped his nation the most in reaching the final) – once as a singles player and five times as a doubles mainstay, partnering three different countrymen: Henrik Simonsson, Edberg, and Jan Gunnarsson.
Apart from his Swedish partnerships, Järryd also found great success with Australian John Fitzgerald, particularly in the biggest doubles events. His career draws a natural comparison to Jonas Björkman, eleven years younger. Both were more animated than average Swedish players, natural baseliners with two-handed backhands yet inclined to attacking the net, and both achieved immense success in doubles – relying more on quick reflexes than classic volleying finesse. Järryd amassed 8 singles titles and 58 doubles titles, while Björkman earned 6 in singles and 54 in doubles. Both had a deep love for representing Sweden in team competitions. Björkman, like Järryd, achieved his greatest successes thanks to his collaboration with an Australian – Todd Woodbridge (three Wimbledon titles in a row included).
Initially known as a clay-courter, Järryd’s extensive doubles schedule turned him into a dangerous floater on faster surfaces. On grass, he played his best Slam singles tournament at Wimbledon 1985; on carpet, he claimed his biggest singles title in Dallas (1986). Notably, between 1984 and 1994, he played fifteen main-level finals – all indoors (two on hard courts).
In 1993, Järryd experienced a late-career singles resurgence: as a qualifier, he stunned Boris Becker in the Australian Open first round. That victory earned him a wild card in Rotterdam, where he won the title. In just two months, he soared from world no. 151 to 77 – but it was his swan song. For the next three years, he alternated between Challengers and main-tour events.
Thanks to his longevity and exceptional doubles career, Järryd deserves recognition as the third-greatest Swede of the golden era (Joakim Nyström, Henrik Sundström & Kent Carlsson: they seemed destined for greater things than Järryd, but all of them retired prematurely) – behind only Mats Wilander and Edberg, even if his singles résumé doesn’t compare. Like Wilander and five years younger Edberg, Järryd retired in 1996 – they did it respectively in October, November, and July.
Career record: 396–261 [ 261 events ]
Career titles: 8
Highest ranking: No. 5
Best GS results:
Australian Open (quarterfinal 1987-88)
Wimbledon (semifinal 1985, quarterfinal 1987)
US Open (quarterfinal 1985)
Davis Cup champion 1984, 85 (didn’t play the final) and 87
World Team Cup champion 1988
Born: April 29, 1970 in Las Vegas (Nevada)
Height: 1.80 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
A prodigy, he was just 4 years old when he traded shots with the era’s top players: Ilie Năstase, Harold Solomon, and teenage Björn Borg. His father, Emanoul Aghassian (a former Armenian professional boxer who represented Iran at the Olympics in 1948 and 1952), placed tennis balls in his cradle. Aghassian – aka Mike Agassi – described his three older children as “guinea pigs” in refining the techniques he employed to shape Andre into a world-class athlete. The young Agassi captivated audiences as 
the most thrilling teenager to watch in the late 1980s; at age 18 (six titles in 1988, two in the “best of five’ finals – Memphis & Forest Hills), many envisioned him as a contender for the greatest player in history. His baseline strikes from both wings were ferocious, introducing a bold innovation to the tour – no one before him played with such aggression from within the court often striking just after the bounce; incoming deep shots posed no challenge due to his superb coordination, earning him the title of the most assertive baseliner ever… admittedly he lost his first two Slam semifinals (French Open & US Open), but to the best players in the world at the time.
The year 1989 marked a reversal, however; instead of claiming his first major(s), Agassi slipped in the ATP rankings (played only one big final – Rome), revealing certain flaws in his game:
– outdated landing on his right leg after the serve;
– a highly erratic game-style (low percentage of first serves in, impulsive net charges, occasional retreating on second-serve returns, expending excessive energy in the initial two hours);
– positioning himself inside the court as a receiver rendered him susceptible to failing to return more serves than his peers (however, this tactic proved a double-edged sword: Agassi maintained this stance throughout his career and was regarded as the finest returner of his era, as his counterattack became devastating whenever he accurately anticipated the serve’s trajectory);
– a front-runner mentality: he dominated many matches effortlessly, but on off days, he grew disheartened, resistant to adjusting tactics, reluctant to battle… projecting an attitude of <<I’ll win on my terms: if I can’t, I’d rather lose than win unattractively>>
I have no doubt that Agassi ranks as the second-best player of the 1990s (behind Pete Sampras) and a Top 10 Open Era player among retirees, largely due to his endurance – he’s a multiple Grand Slam champion, though reflecting on his journey, two alternate paths seem plausible:
– he could indeed have emerged as the greatest in history (at least during his era’s close);
– he might have achieved far less had he not unearthed the resolve to explore new strategies and restart
The setbacks of 1989 paled in comparison to those in 1993 (dropping to No. 31) and 1997 (plummeting to No. 141 – competing in Challengers for the first time since his teenage years, a humbling experience for someone who, just two years prior, had reigned as the world’s best!). Agassi first approached the tennis summit in late 1990 – in commanding fashion, he conquered the Masters, defeating the era’s top two players in his final two matches, then secured the opening rubber of the Davis Cup final, enabling the USA to overcome Australia by Saturday. There was little doubt that Agassi, with an enhanced serve, was destined for his inaugural Grand Slam title in the early 90s, yet it wasn’t to be – he lost in Paris (1990 and 1991) his first two finals as well as his first US Open final. The challenge was compounded by Agassi’s schedule – in his early career, he avoided trips to Australia (skipping the event in the years 1988-94!) and Britain (skipping Wimbledon in the years 1988-90). Ironically, his first major triumph came on a surface he feared after a lesson from Henri Leconte at Wimbledon ’87. In 1991, he mastery of his baseline ground-strokes, nearly reaching the semifinal (a dramatic, peculiar loss to David Wheaton). The following year, he subdued the grass-court elite in his last three matches, first overcoming Boris Becker and John McEnroe – former multiple champions of the event – then the future titlist Goran Ivanišević in a tight five-setter, despite the Croat appearing invincible with serves surpassing anyone else during the fortnight.
Two distinct years of Agassi’s career merit special recognition: 1995 and 1999. In 1995, his second coach (Brad Gilbert succeeded Nick Bollettieri) dedicated himself fully to his first of three “Andrews,” and finally, Sampras – after years of unchallenged supremacy (1993-94) – faced a worthy adversary. Their riveting rivalry of the mid-90s ignited in Paris ’94 and persisted until the US Open ’95 final, where Agassi was a slight favorite but fell in four sets, a defeat that distanced him from ending the year at the top. In 1999, triumphing at Roland Garros under extraordinarily tense circumstances throughout the tournament (i.a. he began his relationship with the best female player of the 90s – his future wife – Steffi Graf), Agassi turned into the first fully Open Era player to win all four majors (his first US Open title came in 1994, first Aussie Open a few months later)! The others to achieve a career Grand Slam were Fred Perry, Don Budge, Roy Emerson, and Rod Laver. Budge and Laver (twice) accomplished it in a single year. Laver descended to the court to present the trophy to Agassi. “To be assigned a place among some of the game’s greatest players is an honor I’ll cherish 
for the rest of my life,” Agassi said through tears. “I never dreamed I’d ever return here after so many years; I’m so proud. I’ll never forget this. I’m truly fortunate.” Later that year he claimed the US Open title in another five-set final which significantly helped him to finish the year as the world’s No. 1 at last.
Two phases define Agassi’s illustrious career, distinguished by his hair or its absence: 1986-94, when he sported long dyed hair, colourful outfit and chaos reigned in nearly every aspect of his on-court performance, and 1995-2006 [especially under Darren Cahill, who replaced Gilbert in 2002, becoming the oldest player ever (at the time) ranked world No. 1 in May 2003, mainly thanks to his last Slam title & capturing Miami], when he was bald, wearing a classical attire, and relentless in executing tactical plans; irrespective of this dual nature, Agassi was universally admired worldwide, though at times highly controversial (defaulted twice, arguably deserving default on several additional occasions)… Agassi is one of barely three players in history to have completed the Golden Slam, winning all four Grand Slam titles and Olympic singles gold.
Career record: 870–274 [ 320 events ]
Career titles: 60
Highest ranking: No. 1
Best GS results:
Australian Open (champion 1995, 2000-01, 2003; semifinal 1996 & 04; quarterfinal ’05)
Roland Garros (champion 1999; runner-up 1990-91; semifinal 1988 & 92; quarterfinal 1995, 2001-03)
Wimbledon (champion 1992; runner-up 1999; semifinal 1995, 00-01; quarterfinal 1991 & 93)
US Open (champion 1994, 99; runner-up 1990, 95, 02, 05; semifinal 1988-89, 96 & 03; quarterfinal 92, 01, 04)
Masters champion 1990
Davis Cup champion 1990, 92 & 95 (didn’t play in the final)
Olympic Gold medal 1996
Year-end ranking 1986-2005: 91 – 25 – 3 – 7 – 4 – 10 – 9 – 24 – 2 – 2 – 8 – 110 – 6 – 1 – 6 – 3 – 2 – 4 – 8 – 7 – 150
Born: March 22, 1975 in Zlín (Jihomoravský kraj in Czechoslovakia)
Height: 1.91 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
A man with flushed cheeks. I’d describe him as “a milder version of Yevgeny Kafelnikov” – both native Slavic speakers, of identical height, flat hitters, with unremarkable serves and restrained demeanour (the Russian more agitated, Novák rarely displaying emotions); shrewd baseliners disinterested in excessively prolonged rallies, occasional net assailants despite frequent doubles participation where they routinely employed serve-and-volley tactics… Kafelnikov somehow navigated a notably more triumphant career. At times, observing certain players, it’s genuinely challenging to 
account for the disparity in their accomplishments.
Novák managed to overcome all the premier players of his generation, except Gustavo Kuerten (never encountering either Jim Courier or Michael Chang); some of those victories were truly astonishing: 7-6, 6-3, 6-2 over Pete Sampras (Davis Cup ’00 in the United States!); two years later 7-5, 6-1 over Andre Agassi; and a commanding 6-1, 6-1 (!) over his refined counterpart – Kafelnikov in Dubai ’02! He was fortunate or skillful enough to also prevail against the young Roger Federer as many as four times (Gstaad ’03 the most important match) and emerging talents Rafael Nadal (Nadal’s Davis Cup debut, afterwards the great Spaniard won 29 consecutive matches in those competitions) and Andy Murray, once each. It’s noteworthy that Novák ranked among the most formidable early adversaries for Federer; the Swiss maestro edged their Head-to-Head just 5-4 (two wins in the finals included: Vienna ’02 and Dubai ’03), consistently faltering in their tighter contests.
Novák came tantalizingly close to a big title twice in 2002:
– the first instance in the Australian Open semifinal, where he stood six points from defeating Thomas Johansson, who ultimately claimed the title… could he have bested Marat Safin in the final too? Perhaps, given their 1-1 H2H record, with Novák winning their sole Slam encounter;
– the second instance in Madrid, where he withdrew from the final against Agassi due to a leg injury he suffered at the end of his semifinal… could he have triumphed over the renowned American? Possibly, considering he overwhelmed him weeks later in Shanghai (earlier that year they’d faced each other in Rome semifinal and the match was balanced)
Trivia:
– his first two ATP events came in Praha (years 1993-94), falling twice to Sergi Bruguera, who arrived in the Czech capital as a Roland Garros champion on both occasions.
– within half a year, he toppled Carlos Moyá twice, saving match points each time – first in the aforementioned Madrid (indoors), then at the World Team Cup (outdoors). He secured 13 of his 18 doubles titles alongside David Rikl (born 1971), Kafelnikov’s initial doubles partner, incidentally.
Career record: 337-260 [ 259 events ]
Career titles: 7
Highest ranking: No. 5
Best GS results:
Australian Open (semifinal 2002)
Born: June 18, 1986 in Béziers (Occitanie)
Height: 1.83 m
Plays: Right-handed
Great anticipation surrounded Gasquet in France when he debuted at an ATP event – Monte Carlo ’02 before turning 16. In the opening round, as a qualifier [589], he astounded spectators by overcoming former French Open semifinalist Franco Squillari, becoming one of the youngest match victors at the main level of the Open Era. This milestone preceded his first 
Challenger event, which he subsequently conquered (Montauban) not dropping a set; a month earlier at the French Open, he’d seized the opening set from Albert Costa, who claimed the trophy two weeks later! No one questioned that the young prodigy possessed remarkable talent to be hypothetically remembered as one of the best players of the first decade of the new century.
For the following two years, Gasquet was frequently compared to his contemporary, two weeks older Rafael Nadal. They finally clashed in a captivating semifinal in Monte Carlo ’05 (after Gasquet had outlasted Roger Federer a round earlier, surviving three match points). Afterwards, their once-parallel paths diverged starkly (18-0 for Nadal in the end, the second most one-sided Head-to-Head in modern times) – the Spaniard emerged as the ‘King of Clay,’ an undisputed No. 2 in the world for several years behind Federer, while Gasquet never breached the Top 5, soon recognizing that two players a year his junior (Novak Đoković and Andy Murray) were destined for greater heights. Not only the Monte Carlo semifinal, but also the Estoril ’07 final and Wimbledon ’08 fourth round, proved revealing – Gasquet displayed flashes of brilliance, yet lacked the endurance and resolve of his peers. That fourth-round encounter at Wimbledon ’08 would linger in Gasquet’s memory for the rest of his career; having bested Murray in their two prior meetings, he fell to the Scot despite nearing victory in three relatively straightforward sets. That defeat was no anomaly; it underscored Gasquet’s delicate psyche.
His exquisite backhand (arguably the best one-handed BH in the 21st Century thus far) could captivate audiences in the grandest arenas, but tennis demands resilience in countless critical moments – a quality Gasquet sorely lacked. This inability to summon something extraordinary led to even more devastating two-set-to-love (MP-up) losses at the Australian Open in consecutive years (to Fernando González 10-12 in the 5th after four hours and Mikhail Youzhny after ~five hours – second time to him after such a long match). Therefore I believe those setbacks shaped Gasquet’s trajectory, even though he was merely 24 years old. It was clear he wouldn’t be a one Slam wonder.
The year 2013 marked the peak of Gasquet’s career – he secured three titles (Doha, Montpellier, Moscow) and reached the US Open semifinal, overcoming a lingering five-set jinx by defeating Milos Raonic and David Ferrer in consecutive five-set battles; the latter victory was particularly noteworthy, as Gasquet snapped a streak of five straight losses to the Spaniard without winning a set. Another celebrated five-set triumph came at Wimbledon ’07, where he toppled Andy Roddick in a rare scenario among five-setters, clinching the final three sets despite nearly losing each. That win propelled him to his first major semifinal; his third and final one also occurred at Wimbledon (2015), where he once again defied expectations by outlasting Stan Wawrinka in a thrilling showdown.
Gasquet’s very long career – likewise Gaël Monfils‘ – despite high hopes of the potent French federation, registers as a considerable let-down, though he enjoyed one of the most enduring careers, as evidenced by the number of tournaments he contested (only three men have played more main-level events than him). He reached 33 finals, three at the Masters 1000 level (Hamburg ’05, Toronto ’06, and Toronto ’12). Given twenty consecutive years in the Top 100, three Slam semifinals as well as three big finals, it’s a blow for Gasquet’s legacy he never won an ATP 500 title, also the fact he never played a semifinal at the French Open (only one quarterfinal, in 2016). Undoubtedly, his failure to ever defeat Nadal casts a shadow over his glorious tennis adventure, but he departed the court victorious against Đoković on one occasion in fourteen meetings, and several times when Federer (2-19 in their H2H) and Murray (4-9 H2H) stood across the net: Rome ’12 remains the most cherished memory because the fragile Gasquet was physically stronger than the Scot at least on that day.
Career record: 610-408 [ 420 events ]
Career titles: 16
Highest ranking: No. 7
Best GS results:
Roland Garros (quarterfinal 2016)
Wimbledon (semifinal 2007 & 2015)
US Open (semifinal 2013; quarterfinal 2015)
Davis Cup ’17 champion (played doubles in the final)
Hopman Cup ’17 champion
Born: August 16, 1964 in Grand Island (New York)
Height: 1.74 m
Plays: Right-handed
Alongside Aaron Krickstein (their match in Antwerp ’86), Arias was expected to succeed Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe at the zenith of U.S. tennis in the second half of the 1980s. They were both the inaugural “products” of Nick Bollettieri’s renowned academy, prodigies, hypothetical US versions of Björn Borg. Arias was merely 16 years and 10 months old when he claimed his first significant title – the mixed-doubles crown at the French Open ’81, partnering his 
female counterpart Andrea Jaeger; a few months earlier, he’d become the youngest player (at the time) to compete in the US Open, losing in straight sets to Roscoe Tanner in the second round.
He entered the Top 100 before turning 17, and the pinnacle of his career unfolded around age 20 – he shockingly triumphed in Rome ’83, then proved his mettle in prestigious tournaments where was stopped in later stages by the era’s top three players (US Open, Dallas, French Open), and a soon-to-be top player Stefan Edberg in the first Open Era Olympic Games – as a demonstration sport for the second time in sixty years (only 21 year-old or younger men could participate). He ascended to the Top 5 as a teenager, yet those three hyperlinked lost matches to the game’s giants exposed his limitations; while it was improbable he’d become the world’s best, few anticipated his descent into mediocrity in the latter 1980s (his sole notable result being the Monte Carlo ’87 final).
Arias exemplified rapid exploitation. He had secured five titles before turning twenty and added none to his résumé thereafter (losing seven finals in the years 1985-1991). Still relatively young at 30 years old, he retired following several lackluster years and persistent injuries. Unexpectedly, he re-emerged for his cameo ATP event four years later – navigating the qualifying rounds in Washington ’98 (defeating Doug Flach and Eric Taino) to capitalize on a favorable draw, and Wade McGuire’s (poor 7-20 main-level record) injury in the first round… though he stood no chance against Wayne Ferreira in the second round.
Arias reflects on his career: “At 19, I made one critical mistake that altered my career. I contracted mono and continued playing, which enlarged my spleen and triggered liver issues. I was prescribed three months of bed rest. I began reviewing all the scrapbooks my mother had compiled, and I had two troubling thoughts: the first was, ‘if I never accomplish anything else in tennis, I’ve already done well.’ What you say manifests. I never truly achieved anything else I deemed noteworthy, though I won some significant matches. The second thought was even more unsettling: ‘I didn’t want to be No. 1 in the world anymore.’ The fame was too intense for my liking. I wanted to enjoy a movie without everyone recognizing me.” Yet the truth is that under Bollettieri’s guidance, Arias honed a potent top-spin forehand with a wooden racquet; it was a period of transition to graphite, and from the mid-1980s onward, several moderate players adeptly countered Arias’ top-spins once equipped with modern gear. Moreover, Arias’ backhand lacked fluidity; being short in stature, once his primary weapon was neutralized, he had no other arsenal to challenge the best guys on the tour.
Trivia: Arias was implicated in arguably the most humiliating defeat of the U.S. Davis Cup team in the 1980s. In the 1987 first round, Americans travelled to Paraguay as overwhelming favorites; Arias lost two rubbers, the second pivotal one against the obscure Hugo Chapacu [ranked 282] after 5 hours and 22 minutes, squandering three match points, the first two while leading 5:1 (40/15) in the decider! Another striking Arias defeat in the 1980s occurred at Barcelona ’84, where he fell in the quarterfinals to Sweden’s Joakim Nyström 6-2, 4-6, 14-16 – Arias trailed 1:5 in the third set yet held a match point at 12:11. That unfortunate loss actually meant Arias’ departure from the tennis elite.
Career record: 283–222 [ 222 events ]
Career titles: 5
Highest ranking: No. 5
Best GS results:
Roland Garros (quarterfinal 1984)
US Open (semifinal 1983)
World Team Cup champion 1984
Bronze medallist of the Olympics (Los Angeles ’84)
