Born: November 15, 1983 in Madrid
Height: 1.88 m
Plays: Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
“It’s the most exciting victory of my life. Playing for my country, against the best players, it’s a dream,” said Verdasco, one of the most hardworking and long-lived players in history, after his Davis Cup clincher against José Acasuso, which gave Spain its third trophy in the most prestigious tennis team competition. Known for several years as a dangerous floater, Verdasco did in the decade of the 2000s what Nicolas Escudé, Mikhail Youzhny, and Mario Ančić had done before him – players who reached major semifinals and clinched Davis Cup victories for their countries: France, Russia, and Croatia, respectively.
The 25-year-old Verdasco hadn’t even played a major quarterfinal when Emilio Sánchez appointed him to the final against Argentina, but soon he confirmed that winning a Davis Cup clincher was worth a semifinal in one of the four biggest events. In late December 2008, instead of enjoying the success of his life, the elevated Verdasco went to Las Vegas to train intensely on his physical preparation with Gil Reyes, the former fitness coach of Andre Agassi. The rigorous work during a month when many players rest definitely paid off. Verdasco began 2009 in sensational form. Although he lost the Brisbane final to Radek Štěpánek, he avenged that defeat a few weeks later by destroying the Czech 6-4, 6-0, 6-0 in the Australian Open third round. The Spaniard advanced to the fourth round, dropping just twelve games in three matches – no one before him had progressed through the opening three rounds in Melbourne so convincingly.
In the following two rounds, Verdasco ousted higher-ranked Andy Murray (one of the main favorites for the title) in five sets and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (the 2008 runner-up) in four, playing spectacular tennis. At the time, Verdasco’s play reminded me of Marcelo Ríos when the Chilean won back-to-back titles at Indian Wells and Key Biscayne, becoming the best player in the world. Verdasco exhibited the same ease in hitting the ball off both wings in all directions at various speeds, creating very tight angles. However, Verdasco had a much better serve than Ríos. His flat serve down the middle on the ad-court was exceptionally impressive, keeping his opponents in uncertainty because his sliced serve was also effective. Thus, his 160 kph serve out-wide could be as efficient as his 220 kph bomb if the opponent guessed wrong.
In the semifinal, Verdasco faced Rafael Nadal, and the two Spanish left-handers created an unforgettable spectacle, breaking the record for the longest match played in Melbourne (previously Boris Becker defeated Omar Camporese of 1991 in a match lasting more than five hours). The 2000s saw unexpected Australian Open runners-up almost every year: Arnaud Clément (2001), Thomas Johansson (2002, champion!), Rainer Schüttler (2003), Marcos Baghdatis (2006), Fernando González (2007), and Tsonga (2008). Verdasco nearly joined this list. He perhaps played the match of his life against Nadal, winning only one point fewer [192 vs. 193], the point that separated them: Verdasco’s double fault on the third match point. Four years later Verdasco was very close to play another major semifinal, but again lost a dramatic five-setter to a great player/eventual champion, this time to Murray.
Verdasco continued his good form following the Aussie Open ’09, impressing with his consistency in every tournament by winning two-three matches before usually losing to the top players. These defeats showed that something was missing in his game – perhaps the loss to Nadal was quintessential. Over the years he cemented his reputation as a player who might have lost to an inferior opponent quickly, but stepped up his game against higher-ranked players inside big arenas. The large audience usually stimulated him positively. Verdasco’s lone Masters 1K final, as he faced Nadal in Monaco ’10, unfortunately turned into an anticlimactic disaster, but the left-hander didn’t lose his self-confidence and the following week he captured the biggest title of his career in Barcelona. A few weeks later he lost another final in the French speaking city (Nice) – it marked the end of his super-consistent period which lasted about 1.5 years.
He has defeated all the best players in the world of the late 00s/early 10s except Roger Federer; only once out of seven official meetings he came relatively close to defeating the Swiss champion. Nadal, Murray, David Ferrer and Novak Đoković are considered as ultimate warriors in the 21st Century, specialists of winning very long matches, yet Verdasco, often accused of the lack of fighting spirit & excessive nervousness at key moments, overcame each of them trailing 1-2 in sets (Ferrer even 0-2)!
Trivia: ‘Nando’ skipped the US Open ’20 held with empty stands, ending a streak of 67 consecutive Grand Slam appearances – the second longest of all time behind his friend Feliciano López‘s 79 (the third in the list Federer has 65). Actually, the beginning of Covid-19 in March ’20 correlated with Verdasco’s decline. He was 37 at the time and his body seemed to be in a great shape because he was always a gym-lover, but he tested positive twice for the virus. Later on, he was banned for two months for taking methylphenidate. After losing his status as a Top 100 player, he couldn’t regain it, trying for two years. In 2023, as he nearly reached 40, he participated in just five ATP events, losing in the first round every time… Along with López, Verdasco won a Davis Cup clincher in 2009, making him unique in achieving this in both singles and doubles. Before him, only icons of the game such as Stan Smith, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, and Stefan Edberg had accomplished this feat in the Open Era. Both left-handed Spaniards are infamous leaders as far as the most main-level defeats are concerned, a perverse longevity effect – they also occupy the first two places in terms of main-level tournaments played – 486 López, Verdasco 39 fewer.
Career record: 559-447 [ 447 events ]
Career titles: 7
Highest ranking: No. 7
Best GS results:
Australian Open (semifinal 2009)
Wimbledon (quarterfinal 2013)
US Open (quarterfinal 2009-10)
Davis Cup champion 2008 (singles) and 2009 (doubles)
Born: July 5, 1977 in Holzminden (NiederSachsen)
Height: 1.82 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
When he appeared on the big scene in the late ’90s along with Tommy Haas as potential successors of Boris Becker and Michael Stich, I knew they had relatively slim chances to win at least one major. However, considering Kiefer’s stunning 1999 season (he was twenty-two years old then), I’d say he finished his career as an underachiever, given his modest six titles (¡he lost the last ten finals of his career, in Moscow ’05 despite leading 7-5, *4:0 against Igor Andreev) and the fact 
that he never won a Masters Series tournament.
During the aforementioned 1999 season – undoubtedly the best one in his career, concluded with a Masters semifinal – he was working with a veteran coach Bob Brett (twenty years on the tour then), and they implemented an interesting tactic: Kiefer played almost all his service games from the back of the court, but every time he faced a break point, he adopted serve-and-volley tactics, often doing the same at game points. Despite the predictable pattern, it worked perfectly. However, in 2000, when he seemed poised to become a Top 5 player for years to come, his career in some sense collapsed, and he never regained his composure after that.
He was an interesting player overall seeking new solutions, and around 2004, he changed his on-court strategy to become almost a regular serve-and-volley player (at least behind the first serve) on faster surfaces, he did it rather paradoxically when this style was dying out. This approach clicked well two times, allowing him to achieve his two best results, intertwined with several unexpected defeats. The first was at the Australian Open in 2006 when he reached the semifinal after a controversial marathon win over Sébastien Grosjean (having lost his previous four Slam quarterfinals: WB ’97, AO ’98, AO ’00 and UO ’00). The second came two years later at the Canadian Open when, once again, a victory over a Frenchman (Gilles Simon) preceded his loss to a great player, this time Rafael Nadal. As the son of a French mother (thus his name is not Nikolaus), he was always extra motivated when facing players from across Germany’s western border.
Kiefer will be definitely remembered as a very talented man with a stroke of genius, possessing “exceptional hand-eye coordination” according to Becker, who mentored Kiefer before the two fell out for unclear reasons. Kiefer was good to watch on every surface albeit his impatience in the course of longer rallies, didn’t allow him to get any interesting result on clay. At the Olympics in Athens 2004, he experienced the most bitter moment of his career fighting for the Gold medal in doubles. Similarly to his partner Rainer Schüttler, Kiefer didn’t often lose after squandering match points, but in arguably the most important encounter of their careers, they wasted a quadruple match point before losing to the Chilean duo. Before the Olympic Games, the Germans would certainly buy the silver medal sight unseen, but during the medals ceremony they both seemed mentally devastated…
Career record: 366–274 [ 260 events ]
Career titles: 6
Highest ranking: No. 4
Best GS results:
Australian Open (semifinal 2006; quarterfinal 1998 and 2000)
Wimbledon (quarterfinal 1997)
US Open (quarterfinal 2000)
World Team Cup champion 1998
Born: August 9, 1961 in Oakland (California)
Height: 1.85 m
Plays: Right-handed
He will be remembered as an excellent coach who considerably helped many great players, especially three who share the same name “Andrew”: Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Andy Murray. Gilbert played a huge role in each of them reaching the No. 1 spot. His cooperation with his compatriots, Agassi and Roddick, is particularly significant as both reached their peak under Gilbert’s guidance. Additionally, Gilbert is known as the author of the book “Winning Ugly”, a TV personality, and a tennis pundit on Twitter/X.
During his 20s, Gilbert belonged to the tennis elite, despite never reaching a major semifinal. Even though he had no problem with changing tactics depending on the opponent or conditions (he was generally playing delicately, precisely, attacking the net with inside-out forehand approach-shots), clay remained the most challenging surface for him throughout his career. He won more than 500 matches and 20 titles (a unique feat for someone without a Slam semifinal), with his biggest title coming from Cincinnati ’89. The summer of 1989 was a time when he could have almost perceived himself as the best player in the world. First, he helped the United States to defeat West Germany in a Davis Cup semifinal with a five-set win over Carl-Uwe Steeb. He then reached the final in Washington, losing to Tim Mayotte in a rain-suspended match (Gilbert defeated Mayotte just once in nine meetings, losing to him two very important clashes: Paris-Bercy ’87 final and the Olympic ’88 semifinal). Following that defeat, he captured three titles within three weeks (Stratton Mountain, Livingston, Cincinnati), winning 17 matches in a row!
The end phase of the winning streak was remarkable. In back-to-back matches, Gilbert defeated Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg, the best players in the world at the time, just behind Ivan Lendl. By the way, Gilbert never managed to beat Lendl, with a 0-16 record against him! It’s a pity they didn’t play against each other during Gilbert’s amazing summer at the end of the 80s. As the hottest player on the tour, Gilbert was stunned in the first round of the US Open ’89 by a fellow US player Todd Witsken […lived 1963-98, the would-be uncle of Ben Shelton…] in what seemed to be a routine three-set victory. Gilbert reflected on the shocking loss: “I was trying to eat, but I wasn’t keeping much down. I tried to eat some bananas. I tried some chocolate and brownies, which were good for a buzz for a few games. Then I got too much of a sugar rush. But I still had my chances. I was up a set and 4:2 and I had a chance to go up a double break. If I had been able to tough that out, I would have been up two sets and I could have played around a little more in the third set. Todd played well and made some good shots.” In that great form Gilbert was expected to play the semifinal at least; given the number of matches and titles won, his results at Slams are very modest, just two quarterfinals (1987 and 1990).
The 28-year-old Gilbert was never quite the same in the aftermath of the Cincy ’89 final. However, in the early 90s, he took an opportunity to become one of the richest players thanks to a controversial event in München, the Grand Slam Cup. In the first edition, Gilbert, as an alternate, advanced to the final after a five-set victory over David Wheaton, a match that almost led to a fight between the players after the third set. He had no chance in the final against Pete Sampras whom had defeated twice before. His three wins in the tournament were worth 1 million dollars, an incredible sum at the time. To compare, the event in Key Biscayne, considered the fifth Slam then, offered $1,200,000 for 96 players in the main draw!
In 1994, as a Top 50 player, shortly after his 40th (Memphis) and last main-level final, Gilbert became the coach of Agassi, helping him triumph at the US Open in the initial period of their cooperation, which lasted eight years. Gilbert wasn’t successful as a player once he became a coach, regularly losing in the first or second rounds. Within exactly twelve months of taking on the role of Agassi’s coach, Gilbert won only 11 of 30 matches and decided to quit when the prospect of playing qualifiers in the French Open ’95 appeared on the horizon (he didn’t need to bother about automatic entrance to Slams since the French Open ’83).
Gilbert’s legacy is marked by his exceptional coaching skills and significant impact on some of the greatest players in modern tennis. His strategic insights and ability to analyze and exploit opponents’ weaknesses made him a highly sought-after coach. Beyond coaching, his contributions to tennis as a commentator and author have enriched the sport, making him a respected figure both on and off the court.
Career record: 519–288 [ 294 events ]
Career titles: 20
Highest ranking: No. 4
Best GS results:
Wimbledon (quarterfinal 1990)
US Open (quarterfinal 1987)
Bronze medallist at the Olympics ’88 in Seoul
Born: March 19, 1979 in Banja Luka (Bosna i Hercegovina in Yugoslavia)
Height: 1.93 m
Plays: Right-handed
Due to the Yugoslav Wars in the early 90s, he emigrated with his parents to Italy, where he began his serious tennis voyage. Perhaps the traumatic experiences of the war induced post-traumatic stress disorder, which likely contributed to his hair loss, resulting in him remaining bald throughout his entire career. His teenage years coincided with Goran Ivanišević being one of the best players in the world. Because of this, Ljubičić modeled his serve after his famous compatriot – the toes of his front foot didn’t touch the surface in the first phase of preparation whilst the racquet was in a position below his waist. His booming serve allowed him to become a regular ATP player at the turn of the millennium, but his other shots required a lot of practice and improvement. A rather one-dimensional player, Ljubičić often suffered dramatic defeats. Notably, in 2002 (extending into the Australian swing of 2003), he lost seven matches in which he held match points (twenty match points in total!). There were also dramatic 2-set or 4-set defeats, the most famous being at the US Open ’01, where he lost in four tie-breaks to the defending champion, Marat Safin.
The Croat was a challenging opponent for all the top players, but he seemed capable of losing every tight match possible. His return games weren’t the only issue – the most severe case was at the Australian Open ’02, where he lost to Wayne Ferreira despite leading 6-4, 6-4, 5:1 and 5:3 (40/15) on his powerful serve. Unbelievable!
The hard work finally paid off in the years 2005-07. Ljubičić showcased his enhanced game, with a stable backhand and good volley skills, crucial for guys who serve very well. It all allowed him to be a Top 20 player for almost three years. The fruitful period began in the first quarter of 2005 as Ljubičić reached three hardcourt finals (Doha, Rotterdam, Dubai) and, quite amusingly, lost them all to his future pupil, Roger Federer, but twice making things complicated for the almost unbeatable Swiss. This was a huge boost of confidence for the 26-year-old Croat, who shortly after the third of those finals, stunned the United States in the first round of the Davis Cup. Ljubičić not only defeated higher-ranked Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick, but he also – partnering with Mario Ančić – overcame the Bryan brothers, who had won 16 straight Davis Cup rubbers at the time. For Ljubičić it was the beginning of the sensational conquest of the Davis Cup for Croatia (in the final against the equally unexpected Slovakia). Before that triumph, Ljubičić had been the hottest player of European indoor Autumn ’05, winning 16 matches in a row (titles in Metz and Vienna) and almost another that could have meant his third straight indoor title (he led 2-0 in sets vs a teenage Rafael Nadal in Madrid). Ljubičić also lost to Nadal in his lone Grand Slam semifinal, in Paris, an unexpected venue for him. Although not a serve-and-volley specialist, he could have been more likely to reach the Wimbledon semifinal, assuming the tie-break ratio would be favorable for him.
With two more finals in Masters 1K events (Paris ’05, Miami ’06), Ljubičić’s career seemed to be defined. However, fortune favored him, and after relatively average years 2008-09, the 31-year-old Croat delivered the performance of his career at Indian Wells ’10. In hindsight, his path to the title is even more remarkable as he defeated Novak Đoković in the fourth round (the Serb had only won one major at the time). Two years after that triumph, “Ljubo” decided to conclude his career at Monte Carlo ’12 – his main-level journey began to flourish in Monaco ’99, stunning Andrei Medvedev and Yevgeny Kafelnikov in successive matches as a lucky loser. In the last entrance of his career, he was defeated by a fellow Croat and namesake, also born in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Međugorje) – Ivan Dodig.
Career record: 429–296 [292 events ]
Career titles: 10
Highest ranking: No. 3
Best GS results:
Australian Open (quarterfinal 2006)
Roland Garros (semifinal 2006)
Davis Cup champion 2005
World Team Cup champion 2006
Born: January 4, 1978 in Bratislava (Západoslovenský kraj in Czechoslovakia)
Height: 1.82 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
The youngest Top 100 player of 1996 as the “King of Challengers”. The 18-year-old Slovak began that year ranked No. 315 participating in Egyptian and Croatian Satellites, he then won two Challengers, losing finals in four others. When he entered the Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open ’97 to play a fourth round match against Pete Sampras, he was virtually unknown. He shocked the world though – not only did he outace one of the best servers in history, he also almost beat him in five sets, squandering 
three mini-match points in two different games! All of a sudden, he was a man to watch. Two months later, when he reached the fourth round of another big event (Key Biscayne), he said he would be a better server than Sampras! That cocky sentence contrasted with Hrbatý’s mundane on-and-off court attitude. Once, he said that he enjoyed the most in his leisure time… simply fishing in remote areas. I passed him once in Sopot ’03 at the city’s main avenue – he was walking in casual clothes with an obscure carrier bag hanging on his shoulder. No one outside the tennis world could guess that this guy had earned seven million dollars on the court…
Considering his style, I would put him in the same group with Thomas Enqvist as far as guys born in the 70s are concerned: two bold servers (the Slovak was tossing the ball unusually high) from the chilly area of Europe (encouraging to play indoors more in the formative years), quite prone to double faulting, eager to play the majority of points from the baseline, operating very close to it, endowed with very hard and flat strokes off both sides. Hrbatý was a slightly weaker version of Enqvist overall, but achieved more on clay courts, including arguably two career-best results: the Roland Garros semifinal in 1999 (a quite unfortunate four-set defeat to Andre Agassi), and a final in Monte Carlo ’00 in which he succumbed to Cédric Pioline. Hrbatý was coached at the time by a fellow Slovak – Marian Vajda – the future coach of Novak Ðoković.
Analyzing Hrbatý’s scorelines, I may argue that he was a different animal playing in the ‘best of five’ formula. His great physical preparation helped him a lot in winning many complicated four- and five-setters. Of course, it contributed to the fact that he nearly alone won the Davis Cup for Slovakia in 2005 (a 6-1 record in singles with two wins in the final vs Croatia). But in the ‘best of three’ matches, he was that guy you generally couldn’t have counted on, especially when it came to – let’s say – “3:4” in the 3rd set. Nevertheless, he won as many as three matches in the deciding tie-break against Marat Safin (the Hopman Cup final ’09 is one of them – Hrbatý triumphed twice in Perth with different women as partners: Daniela Hantuchová and Dominika Cibulková). But Safin was completely unpredictable when drama and additional tension were involved. Hrbatý loved to play Down Under in January because he felt stronger than his opponents after solid preparation in December the previous year. Following several years with a vibe of underachievement, the perception was in 2004 that a breakthrough year lied in front of him as he collected back-to-back titles (Auckland-Adelaide). He lost an 11-match winning streak after being easily outplayed by Sébastien Grosjean in Melbourne, and the successful period quickly evaporated.
At the end of 2006 when he seemed to be entering the twilight of his career, he almost did what a few other significant players had done around 30, namely get a title which would fulfill his career. At Paris-Bercy he luckily avoided playing in the first round, and handily won four matches. Despite being fresh, he was dismantled by Nikolay Davydenko in the final. Following the final in France, he was struggling with an elbow injury, and poor results in the years 2007-08 caused his decision to return to the Challenger circuit, interspersed with qualifying rounds to the ATP tournaments. However, trying for a few years, he didn’t regain his former self-confidence at the lower levels, and decided to quit in 2012, two and a half years after his last ATP event (he briefly returned in 2013, only to play two exotic Futures events).
Given his impressive five-set record, certainly he could be expected to play another major semifinal in the first decade of the new millennium; he failed thrice in the night session quarterfinals though, at the Australian Open ’01 and US Open ’04 he was strangely deflated in the fourth sets against serve-and-volley specialists. Trivia: he has a positive H2H record against the greatest players of the 2000s, 2-1 against Roger Federer and 3-1 against Rafael Nadal, having also defeated the greatest of the 90s (Sampras & Agassi).
Career record: 359-318 [ 304 events ]
Career titles: 6
Highest ranking: No. 12
Best GS results:
Australian Open (quarterfinal 2001, 2005)
Roland Garros (semifinal 1999)
US Open (quarterfinal 2004)
World Team Cup champion 2000
Hopman Cup champion 2005 and 2009
Born: January 3, 1967 in Lund (Skåne)
Height: 1.86 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
He came into the world in a city by the Baltic Sea where was also born the most famous Swedish actor (Max von Sydow), and began playing tennis at the age of six. For a long time, he trained alongside Jonas Svensson and Christian Bergström, other successful Swedish players; their main rule was, “whoever earns the most, 
pays for the travel of their colleagues.” A serious injury sidelined him between May ’94 and May ’95 (missing all main-level events between two editions of Roland Garros). In the meantime, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder and dropped from No. 13 to 611 in the rankings. However, with the help of Challenger tournaments in Germany, he rapidly returned to the Top 100, and by early 1997, he nearly regained his pre-injury ranking.
In the early years of his career, he was labeled as a clay-courter, but over time, he improved his volley game, which helped him become a dangerous player indoors (Stockholm ’89 final) and even on grass. At Wimbledon, he equaled his career-best result from Roland Garros. What’s quite peculiar, and I don’t know the reason behind it, he was avoiding regular starts in the United States, except the US Open where he recorded much more defeats than wins. It’s quite strange that he never played a quarterfinal at the French Open (he played a semifinal at Bercy though) having made the last 16 not dropping a set in his debut in 1988; he unfortunately had bad luck with draws in Paris. For instance, in 1995-97, he faced Top 10 players in the initial rounds of three consecutive French Open editions; third time lucky, in 1997, he defeated Goran Ivanišević on Centre Court only to be shocked by Galo Blanco in the following round on an outside court (the nine years younger Spaniard sensationally reached the quarterfinal then).
An extensive forehand was his trademark shot; I assume only Wayne Ferreira could have played with a comparable huge swing in the ’90s generating similar average velocity. Another notable aspect of the Swede’s game was his serve on the ad-court; he used to serve from his backhand corner to start constructing the point with his massive forehand. He was increasing his level representing his nation in the Davis Cup (an impressive 10-2 record for a while), and twice – vs Canada ’92 and Slovakia ’98 – he survived decisive fifth rubbers. In the Davis Cup ’98 final, he easily won his Friday encounter, perhaps the most forgotten vital rubber in the Davis Cup finals of the 90s, helping Sweden to destroy Italy in Milano. Seven years earlier, he collected one more singles win than the great Stefan Edberg when Sweden triumphed at the World Team Cup in Düsseldorf.
Taking into account his entire career, he is one of the most unfulfilled players of the Open Era considering majors. With the potential to play a semifinal at least, the Swede reached the quarterfinals just once in 42 appearances, Melbourne, where he played a competitive four-setter against the eventual champion Pete Sampras (btw, Sampras is the only prominent player of the 90s whom Gustafsson never defeated). He participated in twenty-six ATP finals, the vast majority on clay – the two biggest in Germany (runner-up in Hamburg ’91, triumphalist in Stuttgart ’93). Barcelona ’92 – where he lost the final – had a similar status to Stuttgart at the time.
Career record: 415–260 [ 268 events ]
Career titles: 14
Highest ranking: No. 10
Best GS result:
Australian Open (quarterfinal 1994)
Davis Cup champion 1998
World Team Cup champion 1991
Born: September 10, 1976 in Florianópolis (Santa Catarina)
Height: 1.91 m
Plays: Right-handed
Gustavo “Guga” Kuerten, of German descent, had a paternal great-grandfather named “Kürten” and a maternal great-grandfather named “Thümmel“. In 1995, Kuerten made his first trip to Germany as a young professional to play in the qualifying rounds in Hamburg (ATP) and Dresden (Challenger). He failed on both occasions. The following year, he transitioned from a Challenger to a main-level player, but without spectacular results.
When the “fairytale” French Open ’97 began, Kuerten was one of many young South American players who hadn’t attracted much attention (without a Davis Cup tie in which Brazil lost to the United States, he would be virtually unknown outside his 
continent). Everything changed after his third-round match against Thomas Muster, arguably the best clay-courter of the 90s. Muster, although not as dominant as in 1995-96, was still a Top 5 player and one of the main favorites for the title. Kuerten, ranked 66th and having never won three main-level matches in a row, stunned the former champion in a short five-setter.
When the Brazilian won another round against Andrei Medvedev in a similar five-set encounter, he suddenly became a serious contender for the title because the draw was wide open. In the quarterfinal, he faced the defending champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who had been playing poorly on clay before the event. Kuerten prevailed in another five-setter, his third in a row, winning by a two-game margin in the decider again. He won his last two matches more easily, defeating two-time French Open champion Sergi Bruguera in the final. “I did every shot perfectly,” Kuerten said after the final. “Today was my best match of the tournament. I didn’t think, ‘Wow, it’s a final and I have to win.’ I just played like I practice. I was pretty relaxed.”
Kuerten captured the hearts of the French public and tennis fans worldwide with his “samba” tennis. Unlike previous French Open champions of the 90s, who wore down opponents with consistent heavy topspins, Kuerten displayed an all-court versatile game with better serving, a more variable backhand, and numerous points won at the net. Before Kuerten, inexperienced players had won in Paris (Björn Borg ’74, Mats Wilander ’82, and Michael Chang ’89), but they were tennis prodigies with great futures anticipated from the start, while before French Open ’97, the refreshing 20-year-old Kuerten seemed to be just another clay-courter from South America; yet he soon confirmed his game suited hardcourts as well, reaching the Canadian Open final and Cincinnati quarterfinal, thrashing Chang and Andre Agassi with the same scoreline (6-3, 6-1).
Although the end of the 90s was somewhat disappointing, the years 2000-01 brought more than could have been expected from him. Kuerten conquered his second title in Paris, became the best player in the world, spending 43 weeks at the top, 31 more weeks than the great Boris Becker! He secured the No. 1 ranking at the end of 2000 in the nick of time claiming the title in Lisbon (against all odds surpassing Marat Safin) and lost this position in similar circumstances exactly a year later to Lleyton Hewitt. “As a tennis player, nothing could be higher than becoming No. 1 at the [Tennis Masters Cup], beating Pete and then Andre back-to-back. This is the highlight of my career by far,” stated the Brazilian.
In 2001, he enjoyed the best period of his career, winning three prestigious titles between June and August (Roland Garros, Stuttgart, Cincinnati), moreover reaching final and semifinal in two hardcourt events. However, including the US Open quarterfinal, he suffered 11 defeats within 12 matches afterwards. Struggling with a hip injury, he underwent surgery on February 26, 2002, in Nashville, Tennessee. After his comeback, Kuerten continued his career for another six years, but his fantastic footwork, allowing him to hit freely off both wings, was compromised. Between 2002-04, there were sporadic good results and some great matches, but Kuerten was unable to maintain a high level over several day-by-day matches. The last three years were miserable, and he was a shadow of his former self despite his relatively young age.
In 2006, for instance, he played just two pro matches, losing both to players who combined won fewer main-level matches in their careers than Kuerten had within one event! Kuerten played his last career match on Philippe Chatrier in Paris (after skipping nine consecutive majors), the court where he felt the best outside his native country. Wearing Diadora‘s blue-yellow outfit, almost the same in which he triumphed in 1997, he lost in straight sets to Paul-Henri Mathieu, then drew a heart inside the court, something he had done for the first time seven years before, miraculously surviving a unique contest against an inspired U.S. journeyman Michael Russell. “In terms of emotions, it’s the finest moment of my career. Nothing compares to that moment,” said Kuerten about the ‘Russell match’. “It’s the match – the one that I would take with me if I could choose only one. My connection with the fans was so strong… This heart was my way of thanking them for their support and for the emotions that we were going through together at that moment.”
Career record: 358–195 [ 198 events ]
Career titles: 20
Highest ranking: No. 1
Best GS results:
Roland Garros (champion 1997, 2000-01; quarterfinal 1999 & 2004)
Wimbledon (quarterfinal 1999)
US Open (quarterfinal 1999 & 2001)
Masters champion 2000
Born: July 29, 1980 in Santiago (Región Metropolitana)
Height: 1.83 m
Plays: Right-handed
One of the most captivating players to watch in the 2000s, he claimed the French Open junior championship in 1998 by defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final (Ferrero would exact revenge in the Parisian quarterfinal five years later). On the professional tour, the Spaniard made swift progress, reaching the French Open semifinals in the years 2000-01, while 
González barely made it through the qualifying rounds. Although it took him a few years to meet the high expectations in Chile, set after Marcelo Ríos ascended to world No. 1, he triumphed in Orlando in 2000, only his third main-level event, having saved four match points in the qualifying second round against an obscure player Giorgio Galimberti. Before and after Orlando, he was tirelessly working, alternating between Futures, Challengers and ATP qualifying rounds to elevate his game.
His breakthrough victory against Pete Sampras in Miami ’02 signalled that he was not just another clay-courter from South America. Later that year, he confirmed that defeating Sampras wasn’t a fluke as he advanced to the semifinal in Cincinnati and the US Open quarterfinal.
Throughout his career, he proved to be equally dangerous on all surfaces except grass, where his extensive forehand preparation and somewhat unnatural slice were less effective. Nonetheless he won distinctively more matches than lost on the green surface. The forehand was his signature shot, ranking him among the top contenders for the biggest forehands in tennis history. González’ unwavering confidence in this shot mirrored Mark Philippoussis‘ belief in his serve (and forehand too). Both players were the biggest risk-takers in their “new balls please” generation, who refused to concede hope to their opponents in tense rallies. Whether facing set point or match point down, Philippoussis and González were determined to unleash their signature shots to turn the tide. Their bold approach paid off statistically, as both players ended their careers with positive records in dramatic conclusions.
González experienced heartbreak in the two biggest finals of his career (the Australian Open ’07 and the Olympics ’08), facing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at their peak, respectively. Two major finals were within his grasp, but in the French Open ’09, he succumbed to Robin Söderling despite holding a 4:1 (30/15) lead in the deciding set.
Alongside Nicolás Massú, he clinched the gold medal in doubles at the Olympics in Athens ’04 and secured the bronze medal in singles after a thrilling victory over Taylor Dent in the third-place match, where he saved two match points at 13:14 with service and forehand winners (four years later, he secured another memorable “MP down” victory in a prolonged deciding third set against a US player at the Olympics, this time in Beijing, where he faced James Blake). Known for his massive “la derecha”, González consistently outperformed his opponents in forehand winners, making it nearly impossible to witness a match won by “Gonzo” with fewer of these electrifying shots.
Certainly, considering the level he reached in men’s tennis, he would have been satisfied with at least one Masters 1000 title. However, luck wasn’t on his side in the finals in Madrid ’06 and Rome ’07, where he faced the toughest opponents available at the time. Given his and Massú’s dedication, as well as their doubles success in Athens, it’s a bit strange they never led Chile to the Davis Cup semifinal at least. The closest they came was in 2006 when visiting the United States. González made a heroic effort in securing the first rubber for Chile, but Andy Roddick collected two crucial points against Massú and González.
Trivia: he defeated Novak Đoković twice in three confrontations, both wins (Cincinnati, Madrid) when the Serb was a teenager, and on each occasion Đoković was within two points from victory – his first two defeats of this type at the main-level.
Career record: 370–202 [ 204 events ]
Career titles: 11
Highest ranking: No. 5
Best GS results:
Australian Open (runner-up 2007)
Roland Garros (semifinal 2009; quarterfinal 2003 & 08)
Wimbledon (quarterfinal 2005)
US Open (quarterfinal 2002 & 09)
Olympic medals (Bronze in Athens ’04, Silver in Beijing ’08)
World Team Cup champion 2003-04
Born: May 18, 1960 in Sedan (Grand Est)
Height: 1.93 m
Plays: Right-handed
Noah, the sole French champion in the Open Era, stands out as one of the premier players of the 80s, with a game style that was uniquely his own. In many ways, Noah embodied a blend of Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg, and Rafael Nadal, possessing a distinct element off game-styles of these three great champions. Had he possessed all their attributes, he might have been hailed as the greatest player in history(?)
During the 80s, Noah ranked among the top five servers globally, boasting an offensive overhead smash akin to the prowess of Sampras and Roger Federer. Notably, the Frenchman introduced the slam-dunk smash to tennis (the tweener was his trademark), a signature move admired by Sampras. Noah’s towering stature made him a demanding opponent almost everywhere, his net-coverage was second to none, particularly challenging to lob him with top-spins which was very difficult in the early 80s before the racquet transition from wood to graphite occurred.
Noah’s backhand outshone his forehand, he was frequently employing chip-and-charge – tactics reminiscent of Edberg’s style (the Swede was his toughest rival, winning all their six encounters). Additionally, Noah’s exceptional athleticism, ability of switch from defence to attack, and emotional intensity, echoed the spirit of Nadal on the court.
Reflecting on Noah’s game, one wonders how formidable he would have been under different circumstances. For instance, if restricted to ground-strokes with only one serve, Noah’s impact might have been brutally diminished. While his ground-strokes lacked potency in standard exchanges, Noah possessed a flair for improvisation akin to a jazz musician, utilizing unorthodox shots to surprise opponents.
Despite his acumen, Noah’s performances at Wimbledon remained a conundrum (just a 6-6 record, skipped the event many times). Notwithstanding his powerful serve as well as sacrificial serve-and-volley inclination (stretching, diving, squatting), he never progressed beyond the third round at Wimbledon. Actually his best grass court win comes from the Davis Cup ’83 as he outplayed a teenage Pat Cash in straight sets, the future Wimbledon champion. His lack of good results in London was perhaps hindered by challenges adapting to grass courts: his offensive backhand, reliant on extreme grip, struggled to find traction on grass, limiting his effectiveness. In addition, the footwear available in the 80s made it impossible to replicate clay-court movements, a style Noah heavily relied on, especially his frequent use of sliding on the red surface.
In exploring the Noah family lineage, a pattern of sporting excellence emerges. Yannick’s father, Cameroonian Zacharie Noah (lived 1937-2017), was a professional footballer, while Yannick’s son, Joakim Noah (b. 1985), pursued basketball, achieving successes as a basketballer of the Chicago Bulls. Their remarkable height increase across generations — Zacharie (176 cm), Yannick (193 cm), and Joakim (211 cm).
Noah’s crowning achievement came with his French Open ’83 victory (the last Slam won with a wood/graphite composite – Le Coq Sportif), a lifelong dream realized. There was certainly no stroke of luck in that triumph, as he dispatched Ivan Lendl en route to the title, among others. Lendl, already a top player at the time, didn’t intimidate Noah in the least, and their Head-to-Head record was tied at 5-5 after that match. Although Noah couldn’t follow up his French Open ’83 triumph with another major title, he maintained his status as one of the world’s most prominent players throughout the remainder of the 80s, securing numerous titles, with Rome ’85 standing out as the most significant. His inability to take part in another major semifinal of the 80s may seem strange, but it’s worth mentioning that in the years 1987-89, Key Biscayne had a status of the “fifth Slam”, and Noah reached the semifinal there in each edition (only one set separated him from the ’89 final as he was eliminated by Thomas Muster). His long awaited second semifinal appearance at Slams (the Australian Open ’90) marked his farewell from competitive singles tennis. Following this, his win-loss ratio drastically declined, prompting his retirement in 1991; in the meantime he transitioned into the role of Davis Cup captain. In this new capacity, Noah guided France to their first Davis Cup victory in fifty-nine years. He replicated this achievement five years later, returning briefly to professional play after a 3.5 year break in ’95 (three events) and ’96 (one event). As a player, Noah had led France to the Davis Cup ’82 final, where he narrowly lost the opening rubber to John McEnroe in a gripping five-set encounter.
Career record: 478–209 [ 215 events ]
Career titles: 23
Highest ranking: No. 3
Best GS results:
Australian Open (semifinal 1990; quarterfinal 1987)
Roland Garros (champion 1983; quarterfinal 1981-82, 84 & 87)
US Open (quarterfinal 1983, 85, 89)
Born: September 6, 1973 in Montreal (Quebec)
Height: 1.93 m
Plays: Left-handed
July 1992, I first encountered this surname with typical Polish suffix “-ski”. At 19 years old, Rusedski shared a position of the most gifted Canadian in decades with fellow left-hander Daniel Nestor, who was only a year older (no Canadian in the Top 100 in those days). Despite their youth, they had already gained some experience at the main level, with Nestor making a significant mark by stunning Stefan Edberg in the first round of the 1992 Davis Cup, nearly clinching victory for Canada against Sweden before narrowly falling to Magnus Gustafsson in a deciding rubber. Nestor held the rank of 235, while Rusedski stood at 153 when as ‘wild cards’ they entered the Canadian Open ’92, where they were both outplayed by the eventual champion Andre Agassi in the second and third rounds respectively.
These lanky, tall youngsters, keen to attack the net after each serve, were heralded as the new faces of Canadian tennis, with a promising future seemingly laid out before them. Shortly thereafter, Rusedski emerged as one of the fastest servers in the world, swiftly climbing the ranks. Meanwhile, Nestor carved out his own successful path, becoming one of the most accomplished and enduring doubles specialists in the game.
Rusedski broke into the Top 100 in 1993, making his debut at Wimbledon where he played a tight four-setter against grass-court specialist Edberg. His victory at Newport followed shortly after, a title earned after battling through five tie-breaks in the last six sets. While Rusedski’s prowess on faster surfaces was evident, his luck at Newport didn’t seamlessly transition to other courts. Despite his reputation as a formidable server, Rusedski’s ground-strokes, particularly his offensive backhand, were deemed mediocre, prompting him to dedicate significant effort to improving his volley and forehand in order to challenge top players and clinch crucial tie-breaks against them.
The day after his lone clay-court final, Rusedski changed his nationality from Canadian to British, thanks to his English mother (his father of Polish and Ukrainian descent). This move afforded him special treatment during the English grass-court season. However, the years 1995-96 didn’t see his career ascend to greater heights; he found himself on the losing end of tight matches more often than not.
In 1997, Rusedski experienced a breakthrough season, defying expectations by soaring to No. 4 in the rankings within twelve months (following the Indian Wells final, at Key Biscayne ’98 he even had a theoretic chance to become No. 1 – he needed to win the title on the assumption four players ahead of him in the ranking would lose early). He excelled on indoor, grass, and hard courts, culminating in a memorable run to the final of the US Open ’97 (Princess Diana‘s death), where he faced off against Patrick Rafter. Rusedski’s tenure in the Top 10 spanned roughly two seasons, during which he began working with coach Tony Pickard, who had previously coached Edberg. However, their partnership came to an abrupt end after Wimbledon ’98, when Rusedski retired in the first round and accused Pickard of pressuring him to compete despite an injury.
Sven Groeneveld took over as Rusedski’s coach, and under his guidance, Rusedski with an enhanced backhand and having improved his own records in the serve speed, secured his two biggest titles (both indoors): Paris-Bercy ’98 (carpet) and the Grand Slam Cup ’99 (hard). The latter victory, which earned him $1.3 million, was absolutely unexpected two weeks before the final, akin to winning the lottery for Rusedski – he participated in the event because as many as five players withdrew! He followed this success with a title in Vienna, overcoming a 0-2 set deficit against Nicolas Kiefer erasing bad memories from a final in the same city two years before when he was within a few points to win 3-0 against his toughest opponent Goran Ivanišević. However, Rusedski’s form began to wane at the turn of the millennium, especially at majors and Davis Cup, leading to speculation that winning the Grand Slam Cup title might have negatively impacted his motivation to keep the physical fitness at the highest level. Nevertheless from time to time with the help of his killer serve, he was capturing another titles (San Jose ’01 is the most impressive among them as he defeated two top players).
As far as the main-level in concerned, in singles, Rusedski concluded his career on a high note in 2006, clinching a Davis Cup victory against Sergiy Stakhovsky, after saving a match point in the fifth set of the first rubber (Great Britain defeated Ukraine 3-2). It was a fitting conclusion for a player who had consistently thrived in high-pressure situations throughout his career. In 1998 Rusedski became just one of a few players in history to finish four consecutive matches in five-setters.
Career record: 436–287 [ 293 events ]
Career titles: 15
Highest ranking: No. 4
Best GS results:
Wimbledon (quarterfinalist 1997)
US Open (runner-up 1997)
Grand Slam Cup champion 1999
