The History of Men's Tennis (Open Era)

Born: July 8, 1970 in Hinsdale (Illinois)
Height: 1.98 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

My first sighting of the almost two-meter-tall Martin was at the US Open ’92. At the main arena, during the night session, he lost to a one-year-younger yet much more experienced Pete Sampras. Still, my overall impression was that Martin could have emerged victorious; it came down to just a few crucial points. It surprised me that a 22-year-old player with such a powerful serve, excellent net coverage, and exquisite returns, had just broken into the Top 100 before the Open.
The following year confirmed Martin’s immense potential as he soared from No. 90 to 13, delivering commendable results across all surfaces (even American clay, he played on European clay only in Paris). From late 1993 to early 1997, Martin was perceived as a top 10’er, besting all the world’s top players in those years (aside from Jim Courier). However, the lack of clinching a significant title tarnished his career. A severe elbow injury sidelined him for eight months, plummeting his ranking from No. 12 to 81. After the resurgence, with first grey hair in the years 1998-99, he was arguably better than ever regarding his consistency on every surface and ability to win tight matches on a regular basis (the best results he had in 1994).
Despite clay being his weakest surface, Martin secured presumably his most significant title after a two-year hiatus from his previous win – Barcelona ’98. What’s even more remarkable, it is his convincing victory in Barcelona over six players who excelled on clay. Martin was an exceptional fighter, rallying back nine times from 0-2 down in sets (the most memorable vs Greg Rusedski at the US Open ’99). Yet, he also suffered unimaginable defeats on Centre Court at Wimbledon against fellow Americans: MaliVai Washington (1996) and Andre Agassi (2000), losing those matches despite holding a double-break advantage in fifth sets.
Regarding his serve, although his towering height was somewhat misleading due to his larger head, Martin was never considered among the best servers; he knew how to swiftly secure service games with a mix of aces, service winners, and volleys though. Well-regarded among his peers, he was elected president of the ATP in 1998. The presidency featured his second career phase, where regularity in achieving good results in the early 00s proved elusive compared to his pre-injury form of the mid 90s. Nevertheless, as a seasoned veteran, he secured his second Grand Slam final at the US Open ’99, where he led 2-1 in sets against Agassi.
From a historical standpoint, I rank Martin alongside Cédric Pioline in the tennis hierarchy (6-4 for Martin in matches between them), although the Frenchman secured one big title while Martin narrowly missed out. Martin’s prime opportunity arose in Montreal ’93, but despite seemingly having the title within his grasp, he fell short against Mikael Pernfors.
Sampras remained Martin’s toughest rival, boasting an 18-4 Head-to-Head record against him. “I always joke (that) I beat him four times, (but) don’t ask me how many times I played him. Because he truly dominated me. I just so happened to not be dominated the way I could have been dominated.” stated Martin many years after finishing his career. However, other serve-and-volleyers struggled against Martin due to his equally efficient groundstrokes from both wings. Great players like Stefan Edberg (Australian Open 1994) and Boris Becker (Munich 1995) discovered this challenge when facing Martin, among others.
In an interesting trivia note, despite both “towers” Martin and Marc Rosset competing on the tour throughout the ’90s, they never crossed paths in singles matches! However, they did encounter each other once on the doubles court at Indian Wells ’96, where Martin and his partner secured victory with a 7-6 triumph in the third set.

Career record: 411–234 [ 230 events ]
Career titles: 8
Highest ranking: No. 4
Best GS results:
Australian Open (runner-up 1994; quarterfinal 1999 & 2001)
Wimbledon (semifinal 1994, 1996; quarterfinal 1993 & 1999)
US Open (runner-up 1999; semifinal 1994 & 2000)
Davis Cup champion 1995 (played doubles in the final)

Born: June 15, 1969 in Neuilly-sur-Seine (Île-de-France)
Height: 1.89 m
Plays: Right-handed

Arguably the best Frenchmen in the 90s, but not the crowd favorite; I recall his Toulouse ’93 final when he faced Arnaud Boetsch, just two months older. Surprisingly, almost the entire stadium cheered for Boetsch, despite neither of the Frenchmen hailing from the south of France; both were born in cities near Paris. Unlike other prominent French players born in the 60s, such as Yannick Noah, Guy Forget, Henri Leconte, he hadn’t secured interesting victories during his teenage years, making it difficult to anticipate notable achievements on the ATP Tour, therefore Fédération Française de Tennis didn’t support him in the late 80s.
In my view, the turning point in Pioline’s career emerged at the US Open ’92. At 23 years old, he engaged in a gruelling four-set match against the era’s top player, Jim Courier. Pioline gained confidence from that defeat, subsequently reaching his first final in Lyon, followed by a remarkable advancement to the Monte Carlo and US Open finals (he avenged his loss to Courier on the same court). With a burden of misfortune in the finals, he needed to participate in as many as 148 main-level events before finally claiming his maiden title in Copenhagen on his tenth final attempt. Among the nine successive lost finals, he was considered a clear favorite only once, and was stunned by the powerful serving of Jonathan Stark in Bolzano.
Ultimately, Pioline concluded his career with five titles, the most prestigious being Monte Carlo ’00. Although he didn’t defeat any top-ranked players then, all six defeated opponents had already established recognizable positions in the tennis world. Regarding his playing style, it’s worth noting that perhaps the most challenging shot in tennis (excluding trick shots), the backhand overhead, could be considered his trademark. The son of volleyball players, with his mother hailing from Romania, had an innate ability to leap using both legs, and while his classical overhead might not have been as spectacular as Pete Sampras‘, it was an efficient shot. Pioline’s one-handed topspin backhand stood as a rock-solid stroke, serving as the precursor to a shot highly valued in Stan Wawrinka‘s game more than a decade later.
Pioline demonstrated adeptness in both serve-and-volley, evident in his journey to the biggest grass-court final, and an offensive baseline style, displayed notably in reaching the French Open ’98 semifinal. Pioline excelled as a tie-break specialist in 1999, ending the season with a 30-12 record (71%); he illustrated his versatile skills and mental resilience by defeating two much younger players in the ‘best of five’ format with the help of tight tie-breaks, both of whom would rise to become the best in the world soon: Gustavo Kuerten at the US Open and Lleyton Hewitt in the Davis Cup final.
Interestingly, similar to Miloslav Mečíř, Pioline swiftly lost both major finals to the most dominant player of the decade. Mečíř fell to Ivan Lendl (the best player of the 80s) at the US Open ’86 and the Aussie Open ’89, while Pioline faced Sampras (the best player of the 90s) at the US Open ’93 and Wimbledon ’97 (in both finals, Pioline was overwhelmed by Sampras’ serves). Combined, the Lendl-Mečíř finals lasted 3 hours and 54 minutes, whereas the Sampras-Pioline finals totalled 3 hours and 38 minutes. The Frenchman was the only notable player in the 90s who used an aluminium racquet. However, in 1996, he made a switch from the Prince “Magnesium Pro 90” (specially painted white for him, visible in the photo) to the Head “Radical Tour”. In the last few years of his career, he relied on the Dunlop “Muscle Weave 200G”. Personally, I regard him as the most adept player of the 90s among those who never graced the season-ending championships – he came remarkably close in 1993, being just two points away in the Antwerp semifinal as he faced his toughest opponent, Sampras (0-9 in their meetings, the same against Boris Becker; Pioline was close to beating both on two separate occasions, including a memorable Wimbledon ’95 quarterfinal when he lost 7-9 in the 5th set – the same score in the decider was repeated a year later in a match which would give Pioline the biggest satisfaction as he was two points away from clinching the Davis Cup title for France.

Career record: 389–318 [ 306 events ]
Career titles: 5
Highest ranking: No. 5
Best GS results:
Roland Garros (semifinal 1998; quarterfinal 1996)
Wimbledon (runner-up 1997; quarterfinal 1993, 95 & 99)
US Open (runner-up 1993; semifinal 1999)
Davis Cup champion 1996 and 2001 (played only doubles in the final)

Born: August 17, 1970 in Sanford (Florida)
Height: 1.85 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Raised in Dade City, a quaint town with a population of 6.5 thousand, Courier’s journey into tennis was initiated by Emma Spencer. She was his great aunt and proprietor of the ‘Dreamworld Tennis Club’ in Sanford. “In the early days, tennis was simply a fun family activity, and I didn’t harbor grand aspirations,” Courier remarked. “We caught glimpses of tennis on television, but it wasn’t a professional pursuit I had in mind. I wasn’t the kid pretending to win Wimbledon against a wall, as you often hear about.”
At the age of 14, Courier transitioned to Nick Bollettieri‘s domain, joining the ranks of the most promising boys at the academy alongside Andre Agassi, his roommate, and the slightly older David Wheaton. Despite excelling as a junior, securing the Orange Bowl under-16 and under-18 titles in 1986 and 1987 respectively, the media spotlight was focused on other U.S. teenagers, such as Agassi, Michael Chang, and Pete Sampras, who later became Courier’s doubles partner. Concluding the year 1990, Courier stood fourth among these talented youngsters, but the onset of the 90s saw his ascendancy. He held the top position in the tennis world for over two years, spending a total of 58 weeks at No. 1 during four distinct periods from 1992 to 1993.
Courier’s rise to the top commenced with a triumph at the Sunshine Double: Indian Wells–Key Biscayne in March ’91. However, the following week he suffered a surprising setback in his Davis Cup debut against Mexico at very high altitude, losing to Leonardo Lavalle and Luis Herrera, both top-50 level players. Despite this, the American team clinched the tie 3-2, and in the following 13 ties where Courier participated, the team remained undefeated, until their failure in 1999 against the Australians. At the age of 22, Courier became the youngest player to reach finals in all four majors, an achievement not seen since Rod Laver in 1969. His feat of reaching the finals of the Australian, French, and Wimbledon in the same season wasn’t equalled until Roger Federer accomplished it in 2006.
Courier’s dominance was characterized by his western-grip topspin forehand (this grip was gaining popularity in the early 90s), “baseball backhand” (short backswing) and exceptional physical fitness, a mental hammer for his opponents. His forehand was a consistent threat, wearing down opponents from the baseline or executing precise passing-shots. Stefan Edberg, the ranking leader of 1990-91, couldn’t handle those heavy passing-shots; he succumbed to Courier in four major defeats across three different venues (always in four sets), a trend that continued between 1991-93, even at Wimbledon, where Courier’s groundstrokes seemingly would be less effective.
1992 marked a pinnacle for Courier, as he ascended to the top the tennis pyramid, reaching the San Francisco final. Recalling his semifinal against Derrick Rostagno, Courier remarked: “I was very aware of the situation and just wanted to secure the top spot for one week. Derrick was a tricky and dangerous fast-court player, and I had to grind my way through that match to reach No. 1. Battling Derrick and the rankings was both a relief and a thrill to win that last point and claim the top spot.”
However, despite this achievement, his initial weeks at the top exposed vulnerabilities, particularly his inability to clinch matches in tense situations. Courier appeared composed like Björn Borg, but something crucial seemed absent from his game. His defeats when holding match points against Boris Becker (unbelievable final in Brussels) and Goran Ivanišević (Stuttgart, QF) were telling. Despite this, Courier evaded tense situations on clay in 1992. After winning two Asian titles on hard courts (Tokyo & Hong Kong), Rome, and the French Open for the second consecutive year, he was seen as a contender at Wimbledon. However, he was ousted by qualifier Andrey Olhovskiy (b. 1966), ending his 25-match winning streak. This loss was a significant morale blow, particularly as fellow offensive-baseliner Agassi clinched the Wimbledon title that year; the edition being relatively low on rain, thus more favorable for players accustomed to hardcourts.
During the latter part of the season, Courier grappled with form issues, including a shock loss at the Olympics in Barcelona on clay to Marc Rosset, where Courier was the main favorite for the gold medal. Nonetheless, the year ended triumphantly with a “Masters” final and a Davis Cup victory, sealing the final match. However, the following year started similarly to the previous one, with Courier securing an Australian Open title after vanquishing Edberg in another final. Subsequently, he reached the French Open and Wimbledon finals, losing to Sergi Bruguera and Sampras respectively, after which his career trajectory changed. The Swedes, Borg and Mats Wilander experienced burnouts at 24, Courier, one year younger, experienced a similar, albeit lesser, downturn. Although reaching two major semifinals in 1994, he didn’t secure a title that year, dropping out of the Top 10. The subsequent year witnessed a partial resurgence for Courier. However, his former doubles partner Sampras, who had overtaken him, remained beyond his reach. From Hong Kong ’93 to Rome ’97, they met ten times and Sampras left the court nine times as a victor. The following decade would bring something similar in Federer’s confrontations against Lleyton Hewitt & Andy Roddick; those are examples when a more gifted player simply has all the answers against very tough opponents who try everything, only to fail, even when the score is tight… In the second half of the 90s, Courier turned into a very solid, yet predictable player. Actually after Roland Garros ’94 when lost his status of the ‘King of Clay’ after a second straight defeat to Bruguera on Centre Court in Paris, he was never considered as a major threat; to the end of his career he was claiming titles only in tournaments corresponding with today’s ‘ATP 500’ or ‘ATP 250’. He decided to quit at the beginning of 2000 when he almost turned thirty. In the years 2010-18 he served as a captain of the Davis Cup team for the United States. Courier led his country with a modest 10-8 record during his captaincy (two semifinals). Trivia: he lost his first five meetings against Andrey Chesnokov, 4-6 in the end (four of those defeats when Courier was within a few points from winning).

Career record: 506–237 [ 241 events ]
Career titles: 23
Highest ranking: No. 1
Best GS results:
Australian Open (champion 1992-93; semifinal 1994; quarterfinal 1995-96)
Roland Garros (champion 1991-92; runner-up 1993; semifinal 1994; quarterfinal 1996)
Wimbledon (runner-up 1993; quarterfinal 1991)
US Open (runner-up 1991; semifinal 1992 & 95)
Masters runner-up 1991-92
Davis Cup champion 1992 & 95

Year-end ranking 1987-00… 346 – 43 – 24 – 25 – 2 – 1 – 3 – 13 – 8 – 26 – 21 – 77 – 32 – 290

Born: October 18, 1968 in Pinneberg (Schleswig-Holstein)
Height: 1.93 m
Plays: Right-handed

The second-best German player of the Open Era, following Boris Becker, yet his initial years on the tour didn’t hint at this status. The ’80s and ’90s marked the period when many top players established themselves successfully from their teenage years, but Stich was an exception. Amid West Germany’s triumphs in the 1988-89 Davis Cup, which saw the emergence of Becker and Carl-Uwe Steeb (both from Baden-Württemberg, a southern region of Germany and both a year older than Stich), the man from northern Germany, didn’t feature in any rubber across eight ties. Instead, Eric Jelen and Patrik Kühnen were considered doubles specialists who might replace the leading singles players. It seemed improbable that the fifth-best German player of that era would lead Germany to its third Davis Cup (first since the reunification) title in 1993!
Stich made his mark on the tour in February ’90, triumphing in Memphis as world number 80. Although he won six matches, he didn’t defeat any particularly notable opponents; the highest-ranked player he overcame was Andrey Chesnokov [19], who wasn’t known for indoor play. “It’s a great feeling,” said Stich about securing his first title. “I don’t really know what happened out there. But I’m sure I’ll recognise what happened some days from now. There aren’t that many German players who have won Grand Prix titles. Maybe I’ll get some recognition,” he remarked. And recognition he received! A few weeks later, Niki Pilić nominated him for a Davis Cup tie in Argentina; however, Stich lost in five sets to Martín Jaite. Their second-round encounter at Roland Garros two months later, extended to 4 hours and 46 minutes, making it one of the longest matches of the year. Despite Stich’s impressive improvement in the following years, his loss to Jaite highlighted the weakest aspect of his tennis – the inability to play at his best when a match surpassed the three-hour mark; it was the most emphasized as Stich lost a Davis Cup ’95 rubber to Chesnokov squandering nine match points on serve (!) in one game – an unprecedented moment in the Open Era. In 1990, during the US Open, the German for the first demonstrated his big potential by pushing Ivan Lendl to a hard-fought four-set victory. Lendl acknowledged Stich’s pressure, stating: “He pushes and pushes, and then he sneaks in on an unusual shot. He puts a lot of pressure on you that way.” The next year they played a five-setter on the same court.
The classical serve-and-volleyer was evolving, becoming more patient and enhancing his ground-strokes. The breakthrough came in January ’91 – Stich reached two Australian finals (Adelaide, Sydney) and progressed to the third round at the Australian Open, where he faced the best server of the time, Guy Forget, losing in a tight four-set match.
Maintaining his form after the Australian events, a series of notable results, including unexpected clay-court semifinals (Hamburg, French Open), led him to the tournament of his life – Wimbledon. In a miraculous fourth-round match against Alexander Volkov, Stich turned the tables after trailing *1:3 (30/40) in the deciding set. His incredible recovery against Volkov relieved him of any pressure in subsequent matches. Stich’s relaxed demeanor contributed to his victories against three top players – Jim Courier, Stefan Edberg, and Becker in the final – not based on rankings. Particularly notable was the match against Edberg; never before had a player in a ‘best of 5’ format failed to break an opponent’s serve prevailing anyway. This novelty in the ’90s brought attention, along with another significant match versus Richard Krajicek at the Aussie Open ’92 – a tight five-setter with only three breaks of serve, a rare occurrence at the time. Stich epitomized the all-serve player, someone primarily focused on maintaining the serve. The inability to break the opponent’s serve wasn’t a concern due to the tie-break rule at 6-all.
Stich was part of a league of players in the early ’90s, including Pete Sampras, Goran Ivanišević, and Krajicek, renowned for their ability to sustain their serves on faster surfaces. He triumphed over them in gripping serve-and-volley clashes during the 1993 indoor finals (Stuttgart, Stockholm, and Frankfurt), marking a unique feat in the Open Era by winning at least 30 tie-breaks within a season. He engaged in compelling matches against other formidable servers of the time – notably against Forget at the Hopman Cup, where he hit 31 aces in a three-set match, an unprecedented occurrence at that time. Additionally, his encounters with David Wheaton in Munich ’91, and Becker at Wimbledon ’93 added to the list of his remarkable matches displaying his mindset.
The year 1993 stood out for Stich; not only was he playing exceptionally well across tournaments, but he also found himself in unprecedentedly intense situations. He played a record number of matches for his country, participating in 15 singles matches: three at the Hopman Cup (title), four at the World Team Cup (runner-up), and eight at the Davis Cup (title). He bid farewell in style, reaching the Wimbledon ’97 semifinal at just 28 years old. However, a severe injury sustained in Vienna ’95 resulted in permanent ankle issues for the next two seasons. Despite this setback, his exceptional talent shone through even on clay, eliminating Thomas Muster, the primary favorite for the title, at the French Open ’96.

Career record: 385–176 [ 179 events ]
Career titles: 18
Highest ranking: No. 2
Best GS results:
Australian Open (semifinal 1993; quarterfinal 1992)
Roland Garros (runner-up 1996; semifinal 1991)
Wimbledon (champion 1991; semifinal 1997; quarterfinal 1992-93)
US Open (runner-up 1994; quarterfinal 1991)
Masters champion 1993
Grand Slam Cup champion 1992
Davis Cup champion 1993
World Team Cup champion 1994
Hopman Cup champion 1993

Born: February 27, 1960 in Guayaquil (Guayas)
Height: 1.93 m
Plays: Left-handed

He is widely regarded as one of the best players of the 80s, and the best South American among guys born in the 60s. His surname has been written in sport history since he achieved an unexpected victory at Roland Garros in 1990. Riding on excellent form from winning two big clay-court Spanish events that year (Barcelona & Madrid), Gómez’s triumph added to his previous decade’s victories (Rome ’84 being his most prominent win). Roland Garros ’90 was a unique event; Gómez’s toughest opponent and three-time champion, Ivan Lendl, withdrew from the event to prepare for Wimbledon (which, incidentally, didn’t culminate in triumph). Additionally, two other top players, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg, faced early eliminations in the first round, losing to future major champions.
This open playing field worked in Gómez’s favor; until the semifinals, he was favored to win every match and conserved energy as his potentially toughest opponent, Magnus Gustafsson, gave him a walkover in the fourth round. The semifinal against Thomas Muster was up for grabs, considering their recent encounter at Rome’s semifinals, which Muster barely survived. However, in Paris, Gómez clearly outshone Muster. In the championship match, despite not being the favorite against the highly experienced and immensely talented 20-year-old Andre Agassi, Gómez managed to win crucial points in tight games, securing victory in a rather peculiar fashion (the winner got one point fewer), reflected in the scoreline of 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
At the age of 30, Gómez emerged as a Grand Slam singles champion, having previously secured two doubles titles – US Open ’86 along with Slobodan Živojinović, and French Open ’88 with Emilio Sánchez. Post the Agassi’s final, Gómez candidly admitted his lack of mobility, emphasizing that his game prioritized producing winners over errors. His primary weapons were his serve (very low toss) and forehand, enabling him to dictate the pace of the game efficiently. Despite being among the tallest players of the 80s and excelling in doubles, akin to Yannick Noah, grass wasn’t Gómez’s forte. He never claimed a tournament title on that surface, reaching just one Wimbledon quarterfinal, where he faced significantly lower-ranked opponents – including an 18-year-old Guy Forget – in four consecutive matches.
Following his sensational Parisian triumph, Gómez’s form dwindled. Despite this, his remarkable Spring ’90 performances on clay earned him a spot in the first German editions of the ‘Masters’ in Frankfurt and the ‘Grand Slam Cup’ in Munich that allowed him to earn good money at little effort. Unfortunately, these appearances cumulated in twelve consecutive defeats, an unprecedented slump for a Top 10 player. Gómez’s prime days were numbered, yet in Autumn ’91, ranked No. 142, he secured his final title as a ‘wild card’ entrant in Brasilia. The subsequent year at Key Biscayne, he engaged in an intense battle with Jim Courier, the then newly-crowned world’s best player; he saved a double match point in the 2nd set before retiring due to an ankle (tendinitis) injury at an open scoreline of 4-6, 7-6, 3-4 (15/30) ret.
A year later, facing one of the era’s top clay-courters, Carlos Costa, Gómez [183] fought for 2 hours and 30 minutes in Mexico City, ultimately losing 4-6, 7-6, 6-7. This marked the end of his physical abilities, leading to his retirement. To this day, Gómez remains the best Ecuadorian player of the Open Era. His son, Emilio Gómez, ventured into professional tennis making his major debut at Roland Garros ’20 at the age of 29. Meanwhile, his nephew Nicolás Lapentti soared to a world ranking of No. 6. Trivia: Gómez was the biggest specialist of playing tie-breaks among those born in the 60s, with an impressive 63% ratio (182-106, including a decent 15-12 in deciding 3rd set tiebreaks).

Career record: 531–273 [ 279 events ]
Career titles: 21
Highest ranking: No. 4
Best GS results:
Roland Garros (champion 1990; quarterfinal 1984, 86-87)
Wimbledon (quarterfinal 1984)
US Open (quarterfinal 1984)

Born: 21 October 1966 in Göteborg (Västra Götaland)
Height: 1.89 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Svensson, my initial favorite player, stood out amidst the incredible generation of Swedish players born in the 1960s in terms of game-style. While most of his compatriots were characterized as solid baseliners with two-handed backhands (unlike Stefan Edberg, a one-handed serve-volleyer), Svensson didn’t conform to neither of two basic categorization of players at the time. His style was marked by flair and improvisation, sudden shifts of the rhythm. Perhaps he was showcasing the finest mastery of the lob among all players born in the ’60s and ’70s. He was generally utilising both hands at his backhand, yet frequently switching to one-handed backhand slices and dropshots, either after the bounce or as volleys, emphasising his distinctive approach; his transition between two-handed and one-handed backhands as well as between defence and attack was exceptionally fluent making him equally dangerous in all conditions except grass (he never won three matches in succession on this surface). All his skills are condensed in an incredible Wembley ’86 final when being relatively unknown, he almost defeated Yannick Noah, a top player at the time.
Svensson’s prime performances unfolded on clay (although he never secured a title on this surface) and indoors (where he was applying more offensive attitude), particularly in his beloved Paris. Notably, both his French Open semifinal appearances were impressive, especially his first in 1988 as he stunned Ivan Lendl, the double-defending champion, in straight sets in the quarterfinals (he defeated Lendl three times in their five encounters). Two years later, he overcame the future double champion, a 19-year-old Sergi Bruguera, who had earlier eliminated Edberg in the first round, before losing to Andre Agassi.
Svensson found Edberg to be his toughest adversary, facing off ten times, with only one occasion resulting in a deciding set, swiftly won by Edberg nonetheless (they played two four-set finals against each other, 1987 and 1991). Another major upset in Svensson’s career was his straight-sets victory over Boris Becker in the fourth round of the Australian Open ’89. Becker praised Svensson’s impeccable performance, stating: “He played superb tennis over three sets. He didn’t let anything distract him, and he never let me into the match.”
During the years 1990–91, Svensson consecutively reached the semifinals at Paris-Bercy. At the age of ~25, he attained the pinnacle of his career, steadily declining over the next three years and gradually losing his good ranking. Given his height, his serve certainly may be considered a weakness. In a curious turn of events, Pete Sampras faced his arguably most humiliating main-level defeat against Svensson, enduring a crushing 0-6, 1-6 loss in München ’90, in one of his first clay-court appearances. Sampras won another three matches against him without any trouble, including an encounter on Svensson’s beloved Roland Garros courts. Despite being one of Sweden’s best players in the late 80s and early 90s, he was not very successful in team competitions. Admittedly he won two tough vital matches against Yugoslavia in the Davis Cup semi-finals of 1989, but was not called up to the final. He was a member of the winning squad at the ’91 World Team Cup, but suffered a minor injury during a practice session that prevented him from playing once.

Career record: 258-204 [ 205 events ]
Career titles: 5
Highest ranking: No. 10
Best GS results:
Australian Open (quarterfinal 1989)
Roland Garros (semifinal 1988, 1990)
World Team Cup 1991 champion (didn’t play a match though)

Born: June 2, 1969 in Minneapolis (Minnesota)
Height: 1.93 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

A man often seen sporting either caps or headbands adorned with the US flag, Wheaton, with flashing eyes before his serve, stood as one of the most intriguing players born in the late 60s, and the elder statesman in the golden era of American young talents – a generation that shook the tennis world in the late ’80s and early ’90s. He appeared destined for a major final at least, having already reached two major quarterfinals at different venues as a newbie. His journey to the Key Biscayne ’91 final and Wimbledon semifinal the same year, included gripping victories on Centre Courts against Stefan Edberg (2-0), Ivan Lendl (3-1) and (twice) Andre Agassi, who became one of Wheaton’s most formidable early rivals (despite Wheaton leading 3:1 after Wimbledon ’91, he lost their subsequent five meetings)… Todd Martin, not Wheaton, secured the anticipated results, “stealing” Wheaton’s destiny in their fourth round at Wimbledon ’93, in a match where Wheaton squandered a two-sets-to-one lead and a 3:0 advantage in the fourth set with a double break. This loss on grass – considering Wheaton’s prowess as a big server – seemed improbable. Although both were Top 40 players at the time, this match heralded Martin’s meteoric ascent while signalling Wheaton’s gradual decline. Wheaton had become a victim of his unexpected prior successes, particularly the Compaq Grand Slam Cup in Munich. The tournament, which drastically altered his life, saw Wheaton earning two and a half million dollars in just seven matches (semifinalist in 1990 and champion the following year)!
Wheaton once expressed: “I hope the money won’t change me. I’ve been brought up with a certain set of values and ethics. I don’t think I’m going to change. I’m not a materialistic person.” However, Wheaton later admitted that the astonishing wealth ($3M) earned between December ’90 and December ’91 had indeed altered him. It not only diminished his dedication and motivation to still train rigorously but also distanced him from many good friends as he embraced a life of luxury. His realization came later, acknowledging that wealth did not equate to personal fulfillment or peace. It was two years after the enormous financial success, through embracing Christianity, that Wheaton found lasting hope and joy.
Post his spiritual awakening, Wheaton encountered two average years on the tour. Before it happened, during the 1993 majors, he notably stunned Michael Chang twice (Australian Open and Wimbledon), leading 6:1 in their rivalry before Chang easily won their subsequent four matches. In an attempt to revive his career as a new-born Christian, Wheaton altered his service motion (longer preparation, shorter ball toss), almost reaching the Aussie Open ’95 quarterfinals; his defeat to Andrei Medvedev, losing 8-10 in the 5th set despite holding a breakpoint at 3:1, marked the conclusion of his elite player status.
Injuries plagued his performances – a hip injury in 1994, a right Achilles injury in 1996, an operation to remove a bone spur under his Achilles’ tendon in 1997, and a hurt medial collateral ligament in his elbow in 1998. Reflecting on his career, Wheaton admitted: “My biggest disappointment is looking back and thinking I could have done better if I had a better perspective on life and tennis. At the same time, I learned valuable lessons through the ups and downs of tennis that continue to guide me today.”
Recognized as a big server during his prime, Wheaton’s skill set, particularly his backhand and half-volley, set him apart. Despite his patriotic displays, Wheaton’s impact on the success of the Davis Cup team in the years 1990-92 was none (however, in 1991 he led his country to the Hopman Cup final) – ranked as the fifth young American, he wasn’t appointed to the US ties. His dreamy 1993 representation for the United States resulted in a loss to Mark Woodforde in four sets, contributing to the USA’s 1-4 defeat to Australia at Kooyong on grass.
Noteworthy moments in Wheaton’s career include edging the best player of the 80s, Lendl 5-3 in their rivalry, while finding Pete Sampras, the most dominant player of the following decade, as his toughest opponent. Despite losing all eight official meetings against Sampras, Wheaton remarkably defeated him twice in straight sets within a week in an exhibition event in Atlanta ’91 – first in a ’round-robin’ match, and then in the semifinal. Additionally, Wheaton holds a negative record for the most consecutive sets lost in tie-breaks (six): in 1989, trying to crack the Top 100, he lost 6-7, 6-7 in Bristol, 6-7, 6-7, 6-7 in his Wimbledon debut, and lost 6-7 again at his another appearance (Washington), but the subsequent two sets he quickly won.

Career record: 232–191 [ 193 events ]
Career titles: 3
Highest ranking: No. 12
Best GS results:
Australian Open (quarterfinal 1990)
Wimbledon (semifinal 1991)
US Open (quarterfinal 1990)
Grand Slam Cup champion ’91

Born: May 20, 1969 in Misiones (Mesopotamia)
Height: 1.79 m
Plays: Right-handed

At the time (from mid- to late 80s) when two icons of Argentine tennis, Guillermo Vilas and José-Luis Clerc, were nearing the end of their careers, three new promising Argentinian players emerged on the scene: Martín Jaite (b. 1964), followed shortly by five years younger Mancini and Guillermo Pérez-Roldán. Among these three, Mancini showed the most potential, but his progress was unexpectedly halted at the age of 20. Despite his young age, Mancini, with his heavy top-spin style (he looked like a right-handed version of Thomas Muster), stunned the tennis world in the Spring of 1989, securing victories in two significant clay-court tournaments, then not yet named ‘Mercedes Super 9’ – Monte Carlo and Rome. His triumphs were especially remarkable given the caliber of opponents he faced in the (semi)finals and the manner in which he defeated them: after destroying the best player of ’88 Mats Wilander in the semifinal, Mancini overcame Boris Becker in a tight four-setter and a few weeks later Andre Agassi in the five-set Roman final, where he saved a match point in the fourth set. In Italy, Mancini enjoyed a support like an Italian, at the time Roberto Mancini – who was looking like a cousin at least – was a striker in the Italian national team.
He expressed his joy in Monaco, saying, “To beat Wilander and Becker on center court in Monte Carlo… it’s like a dream. I’m very happy.” Mancini’s success put him among the contenders for the French Open title. However, he struggled against the inclement weather and Stefan Edberg‘s serve-and-volley style in the quarterfinals, as the Swede had previously defeated him in Munich after his Monte Carlo victory and repeated the feat in Paris. Although Mancini had already clinched three titles in his first three ATP finals, including two big ones, he didn’t add to his tally in five more finals, including two ‘Mercedes Super 9’ events in Rome, and Key Biscayne on hardcourts, where he wasn’t expected to shine. He was never a favorite in any of the eight ATP finals he participated in. Injuries and inclination to partying, forced him into retirement at just 25, a year after the disappearances of Jaite and Pérez-Roldán (they led Argentina to the World Team Cup ’89 final; Mancini didn’t participate in that team event as he was preparing to conquer Paris). Mancini was a part of a trend in the late 80s/early 90s leading to specialization in focusing on the red surface; he was regularly skipping the grass-court sub-season. After reaching the Indian Wells ’93 quarterfinal, Mancini was losing the first rounds in majority of his appearances for more than a year. In 1996 he came back only to play a few Challengers. He later became the captain of the Argentine Davis Cup team (two finals: 2006 and 2008). A piece of trivia: he faced his compatriot Pérez-Roldán five times, losing their first two matches and winning the subsequent three. In the early 20s he coached Fabio Fognini, marking almost two decades since his own noteworthy coaching success with Guillermo Coria. Mancini unexpectedly went beyond the Latin sphere of influence, and the level he reached as a player, becoming a coach of a German – “second league” I’d say – player, Daniel Altmeier in 2023.

Career record: 134–132 [ 121 events ]
Career titles: 3
Highest ranking: No. 8
Best GS result:
Roland Garros (quarterfinal 1989)

Born: November 12, 1964 in Praha (Czechoslovakia)
Height: 1.87 m
Plays: Right-handed

Born as Jakub Hlásek, his parents fled with him from their country to the French-speaking area of Switzerland during the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. Richard Krajicek‘s parents (Krajíček) did the same, but Krajicek was born in the Netherlands three years after those events. On paper, Hlasek displayed similar skills to Stefan Edberg and Pat Cash. These three players, born in the mid-60s, were more or less the same height, right-handers, and serve-and-volleyers. They possessed a more stable backhand than forehand, and their technique became obsolete in the second half of the ’80s, as they were using just one grip for all strokes, characteristic of wooden racquets.
One significant difference between Edberg and the other two players was that the Swede had better control over all basic elements of tennis craftsmanship. Cash and Hlasek especially, both had a faster first serve, but Edberg’s serve could be considered overall better, given his distinctive second delivery. Cash enjoyed a much better career at Slams than Hlasek, managing longer distances adeptly. However, Hlasek (only one major quarterfinal, in Paris ’91), largely uninjured, in terms of events played, enjoyed a much prolonged career than Cash. Ultimately, each collected five Grand Prix/ATP titles. The difference between Edberg and Hlasek was particularly visible when they were facing each other, it happened as many as 16 times and the Swiss got only one victory. Nonetheless, the Swede needed deciding tie-breaks thrice.
In the initial years on the tour, Hlasek held a solid Top 50 position. However, in the latter part of the ’88 season, a transformative shift occurred when he switched his racquet from Kneissl “White Star Pro” to Puma “Becker Winner” (photo) – a racquet with a distinct futuristic shape and coloristic – and underwent a change in hairstyle to a classic crew cut; this alteration bore a striking resemblance to Ivan Drago, a fictional character from the widely popular film at the time “Rocky IV”. These changes seemed to spark a remarkable transformation in his performance, as he exhibited an awesome level of play, triumphing in matches across four continents, almost week after week.
It all started in New York at the US Open, where he reached the fourth round and played a competitive 4-setter against the then-best player in the world, Ivan Lendl. After a week’s break, he flew to Asia (South Korea) for the Olympics to win two matches, returned to Europe, rested a bit to begin in October his superhuman effort: five indoor events within six weeks, playing four or five matches in each of them (!); after the final in Basel and three semifinals in four weeks (Toulouse, Paris, Antwerp-exho), he secured his maiden title at Wembley. Directly from England, he flew to Africa (Johannesburg), winning another trophy, this time outdoors, only to play the third successive final, in Europe (Brussels, indoors) the following week.
All these events allowed him to jump from No. 29 to No. 8, which meant that one day after being a runner-up in Belgium, he joined the top eight players of the world in New York in the season-ending championships. Despite the astonishing intensity of his appearances, he stunned Lendl in his first match at the “Masters,” trailing 2:4 in the 3rd set, won two more matches, only to be beaten in the semifinal by Boris Becker after two tie-breaks. Between his two New York events, Hlasek achieved a 32-7 record (35-8 inc. Antwerp), while in the first three quarters of the season (being injured in the first quarter), he had just 17-8.
Like many players before and after, Hlasek remained a one-season man, or more precisely, a man of an amazing five-month period. He transferred his great form of Autumn ’88 to the first two months of 1989, triumphing in Rotterdam, reaching the Lyon final, and narrowly losing the opening, extraordinary match in Dallas (WCT Finals) to Lendl. That bitter loss basically concluded an interval between tournaments on US hardcourts when he was winning more matches than any other player on the tour. He was never the same in the aftermath.
Hlasek, a player of two decades, defeated at least once all the greatest players of the late ’80s and early ’90s, having the best Head-to-Head against them, facing John McEnroe, stunning him twice 7-6 in the third sets at Paris-Bercy. In a trivia note, Hlasek is the only Open Era player to lose two gruelling five-setters within a few days. It occurred in the Davis Cup tie (Euro-Zone) between Switzerland and Israel in 1986. On a Friday in St. Gallen, Hlasek was defeated on carpet by Amos Mansdorf 2-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 10-12. Two days later, he suffered a heartbrekaing loss to Shlomo Glickstein 3-6, 6-1, 6-8, 12-10, 9-11. Hlasek’s poor 12-20 record in five-setters (38%) explains why he performed below expectations at majors, despite his ability to be a dangerous floater in the ‘best of three’ format on all surfaces.

Career record: 432–330 [ 307 events ]
Career titles: 5
Highest ranking: No. 7
Best GS result:
Roland Garros (quarterfinal 1991)
World Team Cup 1996 champion
Hopman Cup 1992 champion