Andre Agassi won his first US Open title in 1994.
Two years after his maiden Grand Slam triumph at Wimbledon, Agassi lifted the trophy in front of his home fans at Flushing Meadows.
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In doing so, the American made tennis history.
Andre Agassi became the first unseeded player to win the US Open in 1994
Agassi struggled with injuries in 1993, which saw him drop out of the world’s top 20.
Heading into 1994, he hired Brad Gilbert as his coach, and while the results didn’t improve immediately, things started to look up with the US Open fast approaching.
Agassi won the Canadian Open before traveling to New York without a seed next to his name.
His countryman, Pete Sampras, was one of the favourites for the title, having won the event a year earlier, although his lack of matches throughout the summer had some doubting his chances.
During a press conference after winning his first-round match, Agassi was asked how he felt about not being seeded, as he assessed his chances at the event.
“Coming here, I thought it was going to be crucial for me being seeded. I am quite surprised how I really haven’t thought much about it,” he said.
“I think with Pete [Sampras] not having any matches this summer kind of opens up the door for maybe five, six, or seven guys that actually believe they can come in here if they are playing their best tennis and win.
“I guess a lot has to do with the draw that you have. And if I was playing, you know, [Pete] Sampras or Goran [Ivanisevic] first round, I mean, you know, that is not easy. But I like my draw, and I feel like I can really work myself into this tournament.
Agassi didn’t mind his draw, and it showed, as he reached the quarter-finals of the 1994 US Open, defeating Robert Eriksson, Guy Forget, Wayne Ferreira, and Michael Chang.
The big news, however, was that Sampras didn’t join him in the quarter-finals.
Sampras was stunned in the fourth round by Peruvian star Jaime Yzaga.
In fact, none of the top three seeds reached the last eight, as Sampras lost in the fourth round, Goran Ivanisevic lost in the first round, and Sergi Bruguera lost in the last 16.
So, heading into the quarter-finals, there were more unseeded players than there were seeds.
1994 US Open men’s singles quarter-finals
- Jaime Yzaga vs Karel Novacek
- [4] Michael Stich vs Jonas Bjorkman
- Andre Agassi vs [13] Thomas Muster
- [9] Todd Martin vs Bernd Karbacher
Agassi was the biggest name left in the competition, and outlined his title-winning credentials by making light work of Thomas Muster in the quarter-finals, defeating the Austrian, 7-6, 6-3, 6-0.
He advanced to take on his countryman, Todd Martin, in the semi-finals.
Martin had taken out a future two-time US Open champion, Pat Rafter, on his way to the last four and was playing great tennis at Flushing Meadows, but he, too, was no match for Agassi.
Agassi won in four sets, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, to reach the US Open final.
There, he met Germany’s Michael Stich.
It was easy to draw parallels between Agassi and Stich heading into the final, as both players had won one Grand Slam to that point, at Wimbledon.
But with the US Open title on the line, it was Agassi who emerged victorious, doubling his major tally.
He became the first unseeded player to win the US Open in the Open Era, and the first overall since Fred Stolle in 1966 (Amateur Era).
Agassi was understandably delighted with the win and shared his thoughts on how his US Open victory compared to his Wimbledon triumph.
“I think nothing can touch the dynamics of everything that was going on when I won Wimbledon. The fact that I never won a Grand Slam, the fact that nobody believed I could play on grass; nobody believed I had the heart to get through a tough match in the championship rounds. And so, I think those dynamics make that the most special thing I have ever been through for its own reason,” said Agassi during his post-match press conference.
“But winning this has its own place to me; that is really the greatest thing I could experience after Wimbledon.”
Agassi won his home Grand Slam for the first time in 1994, but how many more times did he lift the trophy in New York?
Andre Agassi won one more US Open title after 1994
The American played six total US Open finals, but ‘only’ won two titles, in 1994 and 1998.
His second title came four years after his first, defeating Martin, the man he beat in the 1994 semis, to claim victory.
Andre Agassi’s record in US Open finals (2-4)
| Final | Opponent | Result | Score |
| 1990 | Pete Sampras | LOSS | 4-6, 3-6, 2-6 |
| 1994 | Michael Stich | WIN | 6-1, 7-6, 7-5 |
| 1995 | Pete Sampras | LOSS | 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 5-7 |
| 1999 | Todd Martin | WIN | 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2002 | Pete Sampras | LOSS | 3-6, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6 |
| 2005 | Roger Federer | LOSS | 3-6, 6-2, 6-7, 1-6 |
Agassi retired with eight Grand Slam titles to his name, making him one of the most successful American tennis players of all time.
