US Open: 4 most successful men's singles players in the Open Era

Modified Aug 20, 2019 06:51 GMT

Novak Djokovic is the defending US Open champion, having won the tournament in 2018

#2 Pete Sampras (5 titles)

Pete Sampras became the youngest ever winner of the US Open when he beat his compatriot Andre Agassi in straight sets in the 1990 final. After falling short against Edberg in the 1992 title match, Sampras won his second US Open title in 1993 by beating Frenchman Cedric Pioline in the final.

Two years later, the American beat Agassi for the second time in as many US Open finals between the pair to lift his third title at the last Grand Slam of the year. In 1996 Sampras had his first successful US Open title defence when he beat compatriot Michael Chang in straight sets in the final.

After a four-year hiatus, Sampras was back in a US Open final in 2000 where he went down to Russian Marat Safin. Sampras endured back-to-back US Open final heartbreaks the next year when Lleyton Hewitt thwarted the American.

At the 2002 US Open, Sampras tied Lendl's Open Era mark of 8 US Open finals and went on to beat his compatriot Agassi for the third time in a US Open final to go level with Connors' record of 5 US Open titles. It turned out to be the last professional match in the career of the then-record 14-time Grand Slam champion.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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