Top 10 Moments in US Open Tennis

10 best moments US Open Tennis — The current version of the US Open tennis event has had plenty of excitement. Five set matches seem to be the norm in the men's draw while upsets dominated the women's side. However, some of the moments with the most staying power happened in the golden age of U.S. tennis from the late 1980s to the mid-2000s. Of course the biggest memory still comes from the namesake of the largest arena in tennis. Let's relive the magic of the US Open.

10. 1980 Final - John McEnroe Becomes the New Face of Tennis

John McEnroe2 — Bjorn Borg was John McEnroe's biggest rival in tennis. In the 1980 Wimbledon final Borg won a grueling match and headed to Flushing Meadows looking for the career Grand Slam. McEnroe emerged from the four-plus hour match as champion. His yell back to the crowd in the post-match interview showed his personality. Borg would never be the same player and lost to McEnroe at Wimbledon and the US Open in the following year.

9. 2001 Men's Quarterfinal - Shot Making in Agassi vs Sampras

A match in which nobody broke serve was history before it was ever played as so many other players in the US Open field hailed this as a match for the ages. Pete Sampras’s 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5) victory over Andre Agassi was an exhibition in differing styles in game play and personality. Agassi in all black took on Sampras in all white and shot after shot was pulled off with more precision than the last.

8. 1988 - Steffi Graf's Grand Slam

Steffi Graf2 — Steffi Graf beat one of her biggest rivals, Gabriela Sabatini, to win the 1988 US Open title. She became the first woman since 1970 to complete the Grand Slam. It was the third time ever that any woman had clinched the Grand Slam. For someone that lived and breathed tennis and never showed much emotion, Graf wiping away a tear in the post-match interview showed us all that she was human.

7. 1979 - Tracy Austin Becomes the Youngest Champion

7. 1979 - Tracy Austin Becomes the Youngest Champion

Tracey Austin2 — At the age of 16 years and nine months, Austin became the youngest US Open champion by defeating Chris Evert. She had to get past Martina Navratilova in the semifinals. Her triumph was enough for the Associated Press to name Austin the female athlete of the year. She wore pigtails on the court and looked innocent. However, it was that win that by many accounts made her the best tennis player on the circuit for the next two years.

6. 2009 - Roger Federer Tweener

This shot has become old hat for many of the pros. Those that like to be flashy will pull it out just for the reaction. Federer was in trouble and his skill triumphed over luck as the ball whizzed beyond the reach of Novak Djokovic. Federer would do it again in the following year creating a shot that all would imitate.

5. 1995 Women's Final - Graf vs Seles

It took Monica Seles two years to return to tennis after being stabbed by a fan that thought the number one ranking should belong to Graf. Her comeback was amazing and made her a role model to many. Despite losing the 1995 final to Graf, Seles said she finally felt closure. The two will always be tied as great tennis players under the sad circumstances of one man's fandom gone too far.

4. 1991 Women's Final - Seles vs Navratilova

Seles was 17 years old when she beat Martina Navratilova and she had not yet earned many fans. Her victory was met with muted applause and stark silence at times. She was cashing in on her talent with connections to Donald Trump, who she thanked in the post-match ceremony, and sponsorship deals with jeans company No Excuses. She had fully embraced capitalism on a U.S. stage. If the disturbing stabbing had never happened maybe her group of fans would have remained small given her early attitude showcased in the 1991 winner's circle.

3. 1991 Run of Jimmy Connors

The 39-year-old Connors made a run in 1991 that brought new fans to the sport. He brought a different type of passion to the US Open and his run that ultimately fell short was featured on nightly national news. Connors was outright rude to the chair umpires in 1991 but he seemed above the law. The points shown here against Paul Haarhuis were the epitome of Jimmy Connors that year. He made everyone want to watch.

2. 2006 - Andre Agassi Retirement

The 2006 US Open was the end of the line for Andre Agassi no matter how far he progressed. He was ousted in the four sets by Benjamin Becker and delivered a tearful speech. He left the game as one of only five men to win all four Grand Slam tournaments. At the time it was hard to see, but his retirement was the beginning of a downfall for U.S. men.

1. 1968 - Arthur Ashe Wins the First US Open

This was the first time that pros could play in the US Open. The top four players were all professionals from Australia, but it was amateur Arthur Ashe that captured the crown. He was the first African-American to capture a Grand Slam event. His amateur status excluded him from the first place prize money. Ashe's impact went well beyond the court and today the biggest stadium in tennis is named after him. Arthur Ashe Stadium is where coverage of the US Open by CBS ended after they covered the triumph by Ashe in 1968.