US Open: Ranking the Top 7 Male Players in the Open Era

The final Grand Slam of the year has embraced the modern aspect of tennis without really losing its own tradition. It is, after all, tradition in New York to be the first ones to give anything a try! The vibrant atmosphere, the largest tennis stadium in the world and the electric night matches are only a few of the reasons why the greatest players have always enjoyed come to the city that never sleeps.

Triumphing at Flushing Meadows is one of the toughest challenges for professional tennis players as they battle fatigue and wear and tear of a gruelling season, and some argue that this is the reason only the real champions rather than one-Slam wonders have ever won the tournament.

Some have had outstanding success here, and all of them are household names. Here, we take a look at the best US Open tennis players in the Open Era.

7. Stefan Edberg

The temperamental Swede is only one of seven men in the Open Era to have won back-to-back titles at Flushing Meadows. He won the last two of his six majors at the US Open, annihilating an aging Jimmy Connors in 1991 before coming from behind to defeat a young Pete Sampras the following year.

His stylish one-handed backhand was a pleasure to watch when at its most fluent and a particular asset on the hard courts of the US Open.

6. Andre Agassi

The unpredictable and charismatic American had particular success on the hard courts of the US Open. Agassi reached five finals in New York and won two titles there.

A sentimental favourite of the New York crowd, Agassi continued to play at Flushing Meadows well into his thirties, with a fifteen year gap between his first and last final appearance at the Open.

He is the last unseeded player to triumph at Flushing Meadows, which is testament to the class of the American. He played his final tournament at the US Open in 2006 and battled through severe pain to still make the third round, after defeating Marcos Baghdatis in probably the best US Open match of all time. 

5. John McEnroe

McEnroe might be best remembered for his on-court antics, but he was a formidable player whose best success came in New York. He was a fearsome force in New York, reaching five finals and winning four of them.

He is one of only three people (Lendl and Federer are the others) to have won three straight titles at Flushing Meadows. His duels with Borg at the US Open were a major reason in the Swede's premature retirement from tennis, where McEnroe beat Borg two years in a row in the final. He won an astounding 77 titles in his career. You cannot be serious, Mac.

4. Ivan Lendl

Ivan Lendl was, and probably still is, the most consistent US Open champion in the Open Era. He was the dominant US Open player in the 1980s, reaching an unbelievable eight consecutive finals at the Big Apple. It is therefore unfortunate that he ranks a rather lowly fourth in this list, for if there was ever a weakness that Lendl had, it was winning Grand Slam Finals.

He won "only" eight of nineteen Slam finals and three of eight in New York. If he had converted just a few more finals into victories, he would probably have been sitting comfortably at the top of this list. His consistency at the US Open helps him pip McEnroe to fourth spot despite winning one less title here than the left hander.

3. Jimmy Connors

Jimmy Connors, quite simply, never seemed to go away. He competed with a variety of players and in various eras, playing against the likes of Rod Laver as well as Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras 20 years later.

He had a special affiliation with the US Open, winning five of his eight Grand Slams here. He made an amazing run to the semifinals in 1991 at the age of 39, seventeen years after he won his first US Open crown. He reached seven finals here and is a joint record holder for the number of US Open titles won.

2. Roger Federer

Just like Wimbledon isn't complete without strawberries and rain interruptions, any "Greatest Ever" list without the Swiss maestro in it leaves something to be desired. Federer will, almost unarguably, cement his place as the greatest US Open player of all time if he can win one more title here, which means he could climb to the summit of this list within two weeks.

Not only has he won five US Open crowns, but he's done so in consecutive years, a feat that may never be bettered, or even matched. He reached six straight finals at Flushing Meadows and defeated five different players in the final from 2004-2008. Anybody discounting his chances of doing it for a sixth time does so at their own peril. 

1. Pete Sampras

This was the place where Sampras opened his sizable Grand Slam account in 1990, and it was also the venue of his last Slam victory in a rousing finale, fittingly against his long-time rival, Andre Agassi, in 2002. He reached a total of eight finals in New York, a feat matched only by Ivan Lendl.

He is the youngest as well as the oldest player to win the US Open, as he won in 1990 at the age of 19 and also in 2002 at 31. His second serve, considered to be the best of all time, was a lethal asset on these fast hard courts. Federer may surpass him later, but as of now, Pete Sampras ranks as the best US Open champion in the Open Era.