1988-1992: Strongest 5-Year Era in ATP History

[Sunny014]

Statistically.... 91 and 92 were weak years

Strong era ended in 1990 with the decline of Sir Ivan Lendl
Peter Sampras the teenager won USO in 1990, this means weak era had begun


Number of players with 80+% Win% in the year - (number of players with 80+% win% in slams)

1974 - 4 Players Overall - (3 Players in Slams)
1975 - 6 Players Overall - (7 Players in Slams)
1976 - 4 Players Overall - (9 Players in Slams)
1977 - 4 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams)
1978 - 4 Players Overall - (8 Players in Slams)
1979 - 3 Players Overall - (7 Players in Slams)
1980 - 4 Players Overall - (7 Players in Slams)
1981 - 6 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
1982 - 5 Players Overall - (9 Players in Slams)
1983 - 4 Players Overall - (8 Players in Slams)
1984 - 3 Players Overall - (7 Players in Slams)
1985 - 2 Players Overall - (6 Players in Slams)
1986 - 4 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
1987 - 3 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams )
1988 - 6 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams )
1989 - 4 Players Overall - (6 Players in Slams )
1990 - 3 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams)
1991 - 2 Players Overall - (6 Players in Slams )
1992 - 0 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams)
1993 - 1 Player Overall - (5 Players in Slams)
1994 - 1 Player Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
1995 - 3 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams)
1996 - 1 Player Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
1997 - 1 Player Overall - (2 Players in Slams)
1998 - 1 Player Overall - (3 Players in Slams) [ That 1 player was not Sampras ]
1999 - 2 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
2000 - 0 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
2001 - 1 Player Overall - (5 Players in Slams)
2002 - 2 Players Overall - (3 Players in Slams)
2003 - 2 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
2004 - 2 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
2005 - 4 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
2006 - 2 Players Overall - (2 Players in Slams)
2007 - 2 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams)
2008 - 2 Players Overall - (6 Players in Slams)
2009 - 4 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
2010 - 2 Players Overall - (6 Players in Slams)
2011 - 5 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams )
2012 - 4 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams )
2013 - 3 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams )
2014 - 3 Players Overall - (6 Players in Slams )
2015 - 3 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams )
2016 - 2 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams )
2017- 3 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams )
2018 - 3 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams )
2019 - 3 Players Overall - (3 Players in Slams )
2020 - 2 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams )
2021 - 4 Players Overall - (6 Players in Slams )

 

[Milanez82]

[

To each their own. To me S&V tennis is truly boring. Some of those matches had like 95% short points. Serve, run to the net, volley. Over, and over, and over, and over. They would barely sweat! Personally I’m happy it’s all in the past.

You forget that 30-40% of points started with an error or service winner /ace
Basically ace/double fault/unreturned serve before you got to an actual volley

 

[BayAreaBooster]

Statistically.... 91 and 92 were weak years

Strong era ended in 1990 with the decline of Sir Ivan Lendl
Peter Sampras the teenager won USO in 1990, this means weak era had begun


Number of players with 80+% Win% in the year - (number of players with 80+% win% in slams)

1974 - 4 Players Overall - (3 Players in Slams)
1975 - 6 Players Overall - (7 Players in Slams)
1976 - 4 Players Overall - (9 Players in Slams)
1977 - 4 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams)
1978 - 4 Players Overall - (8 Players in Slams)
1979 - 3 Players Overall - (7 Players in Slams)
1980 - 4 Players Overall - (7 Players in Slams)
1981 - 6 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
1982 - 5 Players Overall - (9 Players in Slams)
1983 - 4 Players Overall - (8 Players in Slams)
1984 - 3 Players Overall - (7 Players in Slams)
1985 - 2 Players Overall - (6 Players in Slams)
1986 - 4 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
1987 - 3 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams )
1988 - 6 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams )
1989 - 4 Players Overall - (6 Players in Slams )
1990 - 3 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams)
1991 - 2 Players Overall - (6 Players in Slams )
1992 - 0 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams)
1993 - 1 Player Overall - (5 Players in Slams)
1994 - 1 Player Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
1995 - 3 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams)
1996 - 1 Player Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
1997 - 1 Player Overall - (2 Players in Slams)
1998 - 1 Player Overall - (3 Players in Slams) [ That 1 player was not Sampras ]
1999 - 2 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
2000 - 0 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
2001 - 1 Player Overall - (5 Players in Slams)
2002 - 2 Players Overall - (3 Players in Slams)
2003 - 2 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
2004 - 2 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
2005 - 4 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
2006 - 2 Players Overall - (2 Players in Slams)
2007 - 2 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams)
2008 - 2 Players Overall - (6 Players in Slams)
2009 - 4 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams)
2010 - 2 Players Overall - (6 Players in Slams)
2011 - 5 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams )
2012 - 4 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams )
2013 - 3 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams )
2014 - 3 Players Overall - (6 Players in Slams )
2015 - 3 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams )
2016 - 2 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams )
2017- 3 Players Overall - (4 Players in Slams )
2018 - 3 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams )
2019 - 3 Players Overall - (3 Players in Slams )
2020 - 2 Players Overall - (5 Players in Slams )
2021 - 4 Players Overall - (6 Players in Slams )

This is a superficial and zeroeth order way to identify weak era. Simple histogram analysis conveys little information on player talent, quality, champion mentality etc.

 

[Sunny014]

This is a superficial and zeroeth order way to identify weak era. Simple histogram analysis conveys little information on player talent, quality, champion mentality etc.

But if 3-4 players are avging 80% in wins in the year then it should be a strong year and if it is on 0 then it must be weak, right ?
I mean lets look at performance of players, Novak started avging 80+ per year from 09 or 10 I think so, that is when he truly became a great player/entered his prime, right??
Can't be correlate in that way?

 

[travlerajm]

This is a superficial and zeroeth order way to identify weak era. Simple histogram analysis conveys little information on player talent, quality, champion mentality etc.

Exactly.

However, it is possible to compare era strength, but the analysis can’t simply look at each year on its own (because that’s a zero sum game that doesn’t tell you much).

Instead, to compare eras, you need to take age curves into account, and determine which era has the largest number of strong competitors at the peak of their powers.

A strong competitor can’t be determined by peak ranking, because that is era strength dependent. For example, we had Anderson, Isner, Fognini, RBA, and many other players achieving their peak ranking a few years ago in their 30s. This is a clear indicator that the era when these players peaked in ranking was much weaker than the era 8 years or so prior (when they were in their physical primes, along with the other members of the Djokodal gen).

You could argue that 35 is the new 25 and that players are now peaking in their 30s, but your argument wouldn’t be very convincing.

 

[BayAreaBooster]

My favorite memories ranked in no particular order:
1) Becker-Edberg trilogy in SW19, 1988-90. This was true popcorn stuff.
2) Chang-Edberg, RG 1989
3) Chang-Lendl, RG 1989
4) Pete Sampras on way to USO winning run in 1989
5) Edberg coming back from 2 sets down multiple times enroute to USO win in 1992
6) Stich upsetting Becker and Edberg on way to SW19, 1991. He was borderline unplayable.
7) McEnroe beating Becker in AO 1992. Still shake my head it actually happened.
8) Agassi besting Becker enroute to winning in SW19, 1992. This was a stressful 5 setter classic, with the last set played over the next day due to rain.

 

[T007]

This era concentrated a lot of talent at the top!
A remarkable 16 different players with a slam on the resume finished the year in the Top 10 during this period.
These 16 players won a combined 75 slams.

Sampras
Agassi
Lendl
Connors
McEnroe
Wilander
Becker
Edberg
Courier
Chang
Muster
Gomez
Stich
Ivanisevic
Krajicek
Korda

How an old connors who wasn't winning much is a part of strong era

 

[travlerajm]

How an old connors who wasn't winning much is a part of strong era

He would have won another 3 slams in his late 30s if he was luckier and born when Fed was.

 

[T007]

He would have won another 3 slams in his late 30s if he was luckier and born when Fed was.

Fed could have whipped him back and forth in any era. Agassi was technically far better than connors and he failed to counter Federer late in his career.

The man who failed win 5 slams in his prime excluding that 3 slam season can't beat any legend of any era