The Greatest Comebacks in U.S. Open History

The time has come again, folks. One of the biggest four tournaments in modern tennis is about to resume on Aug. 31.

Once again, we will cheer for our favourite tennis heroes. Once again, we will watch some out-of-this-planet tennis. Once again, we will witness the great potential of the human mind and body.

Throughout the years, the US Open has been a stage on which legendary tennis players like Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg, Andre Agassi, Stefan Edberg, and many more have attempted to eradicate the word "impossible" from the dictionary.

Tennis is not only an ordinary game of two players, two rackets, a net, and a ball. Tennis is much more than that; it is a reflection of the human strength and the unending potential of the human body and mind—the two reasons for which we have seen countless comebacks in tennis.

The US Open has also had its fair share of great comebacks. But which ones were the greatest? Well, let's look into it.

Here are the greatest comebacks in the US Open since the day the tournament was created from its predecessor, the US National Championship, in 1968.

Ilie Nastase vs. Arthur Ashe: 1972, US Open Final

It was one of the first comebacks since the tournament was created and it was one of the most dramatic ever. In front of a record audience of 14,696, Romanian Ilie Nastase and American Arthur Ashe faced each other to decide which path the fourth US Open trophy would embark on.

The first set went to Ashe 6-3, but then Nastase tied the game, taking the second set, 6-3. The third was taken, once again, by the American.

In the fourth, Ilie Nastase trailed two to one sets and 1-3 games at serving game. Eventually, he managed to turn it around and win it, 6-4.

The fifth and final set once again went to the Romanian, but not before he trailed again due to a break by Ashe. Ilie Nastase completed his first US Open triumph in one of the most dramatic comebacks up to date.

Pamela Shriver vs. Martina Navratilova: 1982, US Open Quarterfinal

Pam Shriver caused the big upset by beating reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion, and her partner in the women's doubles, Martina Navratilova. She managed to come back from 1-6 to take the remaining two sets 7-6, 6-2.

Unfortunately for Pam Shrivers, beating the top-seeded challenger could not help her win the US Open. Still, the match is considered to be one of the greatest in the US Open women's singles.

Stefan Edberg vs. Michael Chang: 1992, US Open Semifinal

The match between Stefan Edberg and Michael Chang is believed to be the longest match in the history of the US Open. It lasted for over five hours (five hours and 26 minutes to be exact). And what a test of endurance it was.

Edberg's perfect execution of serve-volley and Chang's perfect returns and passing contributed to one of the closest games ever in tennis.

In the first set, Chang took the lead with five games to two, but Edberg did not give up and fought back to earn a tiebreak. Eventually, he lost the tiebreak and the first set went to Michael Chang.

In the second set, strangely enough, the script was the opposite of the first. Edberg took the lead with 4-0, only to see Chang come back to lock the game into a tiebreak again. Nevertheless, it was still Edberg that won the tiebreak.

The third set went to Stefan Edberg, 7-5. In the fourth, the Swede missed the chance to end the match and allowed Chang to push the game into a final fifth set.

This is when the battle for endurance became most obvious. Both were physically tired, and the battle was led in the minds of the players.

Stefan Edberg emerged victorious, defeating the mentally exhausted Michael Chang with 6-7, 7-5, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.

Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario vs. Steffi Graf: 1994, US Open Final

It only took 22 minutes for Steffi Graf to snatch the first set from Vicario, 1-6. But how wrong would she have been if she thought it was going to be an easy game.

Vicario fought back in the second set and at the result 4-3, having executed a half-volley, saw Steffi Graf suffer some kind of injury while attempting to reach the ball. Nevertheless, Steffi continued to battle on with a slight pain in her lower back. Later, she claimed that the injury only bothered her for a couple of games.

Arantxa took the second set 7-6.

In the final third set, Graf's main weapon started to fail. She netted a few forehands and made some unprovoked errors. Eventually, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario fought to snatch the win, took the final set 6-4, defeating Graf. It was her first US Open title. After the game, she said, "It was the happiest day of my life and the biggest win."

About the injury that Stefi seemed to suffer during the match, she said, "Well, I know she had a back problem. When I won the second set, I knew everything was different, but I thought she was still playing a good match."

Steffi Graf, nonetheless, had no excuses for her defeat. "I just couldn’t stay with this level. That’s all."

Andre Agassi vs. James Blake: 2005, US Open Quarterfinal

35-year-old Andre Agassi had a younger opponent, much stronger than him. James Blake's hard-hitting shots and serves were enough to show the aging Agassi that he meant business, taking the first two sets 6-3, 6-3.

He couldn't have imagined what would happen next.

In the third set, Agassi broke to tie the games, 3-3. He kept serve for 4-3 and then in the eighth game, the turning point of the match developed.

Agassi fought to reach a break point, but failed to push further and deuce had to be played. Blake managed to take three advantages, but failed to capitalise on all of them. His nerves betrayed him and with three double faults from his serve, he surrendered the game and eventually the set, 6-3 to Andre Agassi.

The aging American made the turnaround complete and secured his progression to the semi-final, beating 25-year-old Blake 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6. Great comeback by Andre Agassi.

Manuel Orantes vs. Guilermo Villas: 1975, US Open Semifinal

In the year when night tennis was introduced, the battle between these two made the perfect advertisement.

It was probably the greatest comeback ever to occur in the world of tennis. The Spaniard Manuel Orantes quickly lost the first two sets by 4-6, 1-6, but he managed to recover for the third and won it 6-2.

But it was in the fourth set when it was meant for people to suffer heart attacks. Orantes trailed by 0-5 games but, unbelievably, made a terrific comeback to win it 7-5: striking performance by Manuel Orantes. In the finals set he was able to finish off Villas, winning 6-4.

He later continued on his quest and beat defending champion Jimmy Connors in the final.

Steffi Graf vs. Monica Seles: 1995, US Open Final

The 1995 US Open witnessed one of the most memorable women’s singles tennis match in the history of the tournament. Two years after she was stabbed on court, Monica Seles was back in top form and was battling it out with Steffi Graf for the US Open title.

Very dramatic, full of tension, and jam-packed with great tennis, the match saw Graf turn the odds in her favour, winning 7-6, 0-6, 6-3.

In the first set, Monica Seles failed to capitalise on a set point and lost the tiebreak 6-8. In second, it only took her 27 minutes to neutralize Graf's tennis and tie the score.

However, Graf had a different opinion. At 1-1 games in the final set, Monica failed to take a break point, leaving Graf to take full advantage, winning 6-3. The great comeback secured Graf’s fourth US Open title.

Andre Agassi vs. Marcos Baghdatis: 2006, US Open Second Round

“You are not guaranteed these moments," Agassi said after the game, "and to feel it out there is something I can keep in me forever."

It was one of the last games of the tennis all-time great Andre Agassi. The 36-year-old once again stunned the millions of tennis fans around the world.

Cheered by a crowd of 23,700, Agassi strolled on to take the first two sets from his 21-year-old opponent. Contradictory to the expectations that Agassi would crumble physically first, it was Baghdatis' feet that locked up. He had to receive help from his trainer. Falling on his wrist in the first set did not make things easier for him. But did he quit?

Through amazing will power Marcos Baghdatis fought through a deficit of 0-4 games in the fourth set, and tied the sets at 2-2. Agassi’s wife Steffi Graf now looked worried in the stands.

But it was the old school's calm and calculated tennis that was in favour tonight. Eventually, Andre Agassi won the final set 7-5 to record one of the most exciting games of the US Open men’s singles history.

He was later greeted by a crowd of fans in his locker room. In the next round he was to meet Benjamin Becker, which would later be looked backed on as his last game in tennis.

Justine Henin-Hardene vs. Jennifer Capriati: 2003, US Open Semifinal

John McEnroe described the match as the greatest ever to have been played in the history of the US Open. And it is easy to see why.

The match proceeded more than three hours and stretched to midnight. It finished at 12:27am.

The first set went to Capriati, 6-4.

In the second set, Henin-Hardene trailed by 3-5 games but recovered, winning the set in the tiebreak 7-5.

In the third set, she trailed once again by 2-5, but miraculously fought back to reach the tiebreak and eventually won one of the most exciting matches ever to be played in tennis. Throughout the match, Jennifer Capriati had 11 opportunities to finish the match off, but a resolute Justine Henin-Hardene refused to give up.

Later that evening, the Belgian tennis player was treated for muscle cramps and dehydration in order to play in the final the next day.

She defeated her country-woman Kim Clijisters in straight sets and was crowned US Open champion. But nobody would have a slightest degree of doubt which match was the real final in the 2003 US Open championship.