Most Dominant US Open Title Runs (Open Era)

Most Dominant US Open Title Run by a Man in Open Era?

  • 1976 Connors

  • 1977 Vilas

  • 1979 McEnroe

  • 1985 Lendl

  • 1986 Lendl

  • 1987 Lendl

  • 2010 Nadal

  • 2021 Medvedev

Results are only viewable after voting.
Berrettini_Fan

Berrettini_Fan

Hall of Fame
In the Open Era, no man has ever won the U.S. Open Title without losing a set. In contrast, flawless runs have occurred at each of the other 3 slams.

There have been 8 times the U.S. Open Men's Champion lost just a single set during the fortnite:

1. Jimmy Connors 1976: Only set lost to Borg in Finals.
2. Guillermo Vilas 1977: Only set lost to Connors in Finals.
3. John McEnroe 1979: Only set lost to Nastase in 2R.
4. Ivan Lendl 1985: Only set lost to Yzaga in 4R.
5. Ivan Lendl 1986: Only set lost to Leconte in QF.
6. Ivan Lendl 1987: Only set lost to Wilander in Finals.
7. Rafael Nadal 2010: Only set lost to Djokovic in Finals.
8. Daniil Medvedev 2021: Only set lost to Botic van de Zandschulp in QF.
 
McEnroe in 1979 finished strong by beating the defending champ Connors in straight sets, followed by beating Gerulaitis in straight sets. However, he had a walkover win earlier and a win where his opponent retired 3 games into the match.

Lendl’s 1985 run from the QF, semis, and final was extremely impressive by beating Noah, Connors, and world #1 Mac(impressive 61-5 record at that time) respectively in straight sets.

My biased side will give this to McEnroe. But I see a case for Lendl.
 
The French Open, clay, is considered the "hardest." Your stats (Berrettini Fan) suggests the US Open is the most difficult to win.
With the heat and humidity in NY, on a hard court baked in the sun, I might believe it, regardless of the covered courts.
 
Lendl’s 3 year run was incredible from the QF-F

1985
QF: beat Noah in straights
Semis: beat Connors in straights
Final: beat world #1 McEnroe in straights

1986:
QF; beat #8 LeConte in 4, but with 2 breadsticks
Semis: beat Edberg in Straights
Final; beat Mecir in straights

1987:
QF: Beat McEnroe in straights
Semis: beat Connors in straights
Final: beat Wilander in 4– the one set he lost was a tiebreaker. However, he bageled Wilander.
 
Pheasant said:
Lendl’s 3 year run was incredible from the QF-F

1985
QF: beat Noah in straights
Semis: beat Connors in straights
Final: beat world #1 McEnroe in straights

1986:
QF; beat #8 LeConte in 4, but with 2 breadsticks
Semis: beat Edberg in Straights
Final; beat Mecir in straights

1987:
QF: Beat McEnroe in straights
Semis: beat Connors in straights
Final: beat Wilander in 4– the one set he lost was a tiebreaker. However, he bageled Wilander.
Click to expand...
That's why I picked 1987 Lendl. His only set lost was via tiebreak.
 
Berrettini_Fan said:
In the Open Era, no man has ever won the U.S. Open Title without losing a set. In contrast, flawless runs have occurred at each of the other 3 slams.

There have been 8 times the U.S. Open Men's Champion lost just a single set during the fortnite:

1. Jimmy Connors 1976: Only set lost to Borg in Finals.
2. Guillermo Vilas 1977: Only set lost to Connors in Finals.
3. John McEnroe 1979: Only set lost to Nastase in 2R.
4. Ivan Lendl 1985: Only set lost to Yzaga in 4R.
5. Ivan Lendl 1986: Only set lost to Leconte in QF.
6. Ivan Lendl 1987: Only set lost to Wilander in Finals.
7. Rafael Nadal 2010: Only set lost to Djokovic in Finals.
8. Daniil Medvedev 2021: Only set lost to Botic van de Zandschulp in QF.
Click to expand...
Had there not been the interruption in the 2010 final, Nadal would likely have won the title without losing a single set.
:cool:
 
1976 Connors: At 1 set all in the final, Borg had 4 set points in the tiebreak that Connors eventually won 11-9.​
1977 Vilas: At 1 set all in the final, Connors had 2 set points on Vilas's serve at 5-4 before Vilas won the set in a tiebreak.​
1979 McEnroe: McEnroe was never in trouble. He dropped the second set in the second round to Năstase, who was making a scene, & then easily took the last 2 sets, 6-3, 6-2.​
1985 Lendl: Yzaga won the first set against him; McEnroe won 13 of the first 14 points in the final and was up 5-3 before his game fell apart.​
1986 Lendl: Lendl was never in trouble. Was up 2-0 in sets against Leconte in the QF before trading breadsticks.​
1987 Lendl: Wilander won the first set and had set points in the third set before losing it in a tiebreak.​
2010 U.S. Open: Nadal was never in trouble. Split the first two sets with Djokovic in the final and then won sets 3 & 4, 6-4, 6-2​
2021 U.S. Open: Medvedev mostly wasn't in trouble. Won first 2 sets easily against van de Zandschulp in the QF, then lost set 3. Couldn't serve out set 4 & got extended to 7-5.​

Looking at this, 1976 Connors, 1977 Vilas, and 1987 Lendl aren't the pick. They were a point away from being 2-1 down in sets in the final.

I think 1985 Lendl is out, too. His set loss was a first set, and he came out flat as hell in the final.

2010 Nadal lost a set in the final. 1986 Lendl and 2021 Medvedev a set in the QF.

So, I'm going with 1979 McEnroe. Lost a set in his chaotic match with Năstase and then breezed through the rest of his matches.
 
Berrettini_Fan said:
That's why I picked 1987 Lendl. His only set lost was via tiebreak.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but that tiebreak was set #1 of his final against Wilander, and Mats then had two set points in set #3 to take a 2-1 set lead. Not too much of a stretch to say Lendl might have been 1 point away from losing that match.
 
buscemi said:
Yeah, but that tiebreak was set #1 of his final against Wilander, and Mats then had two set points in set #3 to take a 2-1 set lead. Not too much of a stretch to say Lendl might have been 1 point away from losing that match.
Click to expand...
It was an epic match. Wilander was trying to torture Lendl with a lot of long gruelling rallies.
 
Mustard said:
It was an epic match. Wilander was trying to torture Lendl with a lot of long gruelling rallies.
Click to expand...
Yes. IIRC, Lendl was visibly tiring more than Wilander in set #4, but was still able to close out the match. If Wilander wins set #3, I think he conserves energy in set #4 and takes it in the fifth set.
 
buscemi said:
Yes. IIRC, Lendl was visibly tiring more than Wilander in set #4, but was still able to close out the match. If Wilander wins set #3, I think he conserves energy in set #4 and takes it in the fifth set.
Click to expand...
And then the following year, Wilander changes tactics, being much more aggressive and using serve and volley tactics a lot, to beat Lendl. That was actually looking like a straight sets win when Wilander led 6-4, 4-1, but then the umpire out of nowhere gave Wilander a time violation, which threw Mats off for a while, as he lost the next 5 games in a row. Wilander won in 5 sets in the end, with a crazy last set (Wilander led 2-0, trailed 2-3, led 5-3, won 6-4).
 
DSH said:
Had there not been the interruption in the 2010 final, Nadal would likely have won the title without losing a single set.
:cool:
Click to expand...
Nadal's USO 2010 final win was one of the most significant matches of all time as he to date is the only player to win the Triple Slam Crown and to do it beating one of the top 3 hard court players of all time was astonishing. With all due respect to Connors 76 and Lendl 87, i think its Nadal 2010
 
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TheGoldenEra1990’s said:
Nadals 2010 hands down. Would have said Pete's in 2001 in terms of level, however he gassed out and lost the final
Click to expand...
A better reference point for Sampras (2001 is irrelevant as he lost and was hammered in the final so isnt even in the same league as Goatdal's 2010) would be 1995. Sampras level that event was up there as the best ive ever seen and right there with Nadal 2010. He beat a well playing in 1992 form Courier in the Sf and then Agassi at his prime in the final. And hammered both of them. Sampras at his very best on US Hard courts arguably was the greatest ever on decoturf.
 
NLIMD3UOMPNZHPXAVHALHOZLA4.jpg
 
Hitman said:
Maybe that had to do with the fact that Sampras had to beat three USO champions in a row just to get to the final.

Give him Nadal's 2010 run to the final. Lopez, Verdasco, Youzhny? LOL - Now compare that to Rafter, Agassi and Safin.
Click to expand...
Perhaps Sampras shouldn't have allowed himself to slip down to world number 10 going into the 2001 US Open, then ;)

Lleyton Hewitt's form in the semi final and final of the 2001 US Open was devastatingly good. He won the tournament despite a racism storm going on around him (against Blake and afterwards), and a 5-set night match quarter final win over Roddick.

Hewitt starting 2004 as far down as world number 17 (due to feuding with/suing the ATP in 2003) was directly responsible for him not finishing 2004 as world number 2.
 
Mustard said:
Perhaps Sampras shouldn't have allowed himself to slip down to world number 10 going into the 2001 US Open, then ;)

Lleyton Hewitt's form in the semi final and final of the 2001 US Open was devastatingly good. He won the tournament despite a racism storm going on around him (against Blake and afterwards), and a 5-set night match quarter final win over Roddick.

Hewitt starting 2004 as far down as world number 17 (due to feuding with/suing the ATP in 2003) was directly responsible for him not finishing 2004 as world number 2.
Click to expand...

Well, Sampras did retire the following year, back then careers were pretty much over when they turned 30.

Hewitt was good that year, no question.
 
Biotic said:
2010 must be the absolute weakest year ever. Just how weak was it? Well, I'll just say that even washed up Roddick had his small renaissance on HC. ROFLMAO
Click to expand...

2010, Del Potro and Davydenko the two in form players of 2009 both out with an injury, Del Potro unable to even defend his USO title.

Djokovic with zero top ten wins until 8 and half months into the season, and even then he needed to save MPs, serves more double faults and than aces.

Federer losing steam, unable to keep up the finals and semis streak. Murray was lost at sea after that AO final loss.

Luby and ARod rise back from the dead to win IW and Miami. Baggy beats both Federer and Nadal in masters.

2010 sticks out like a sore thumb in that era, but it was the transitional year, before Djokovic 2.0 finally rose from the ashes. :)
 
Berrettini_Fan said:
As long as you are ok with folks saying that 2015 and 2021 were weak years too. Fair is fair :unsure:
Click to expand...

LOL - Is there a day that goes by that threads are not made about Djokovic vulturing? They can all say it.

All that matters to me is who won the most. Fair? (y):)
 
Hitman said:
Well, Sampras did retire the following year, back then careers were pretty much over when they turned 30.

Hewitt was good that year, no question.
Click to expand...
My point was that Sampras faced Rafter, Agassi and Safin in succession (the US Open winners of the previous 4 years from 1997-2000) because he had slipped down to world number 10 and being seeded at #10.

Federer at 2021 Wimbledon (his last singles tournament, at age 39) was ranked world number 8.
 
Mustard said:
My point was that Sampras faced Rafter, Agassi and Safin in succession (the US Open winners of the previous 4 years from 1997-2000) because he had slipped down to world number 10 and being seeded at #10.

Federer at 2021 Wimbledon (his last singles tournament, at age 39) was ranked world number 8.
Click to expand...

Yes, of course he slipped, he was one year away from retiring. It's not surprising, he was unable to stay consistent anymore. Sampras won zero titles between W 2000 and USO 2002.

30 back in his day was old.
 
DSH said:
Look at Djokovic's draws from the 2015, 2018, and 2021 US Open and his fans will be ashamed.
:giggle:
Click to expand...

You're in no position to complain about weak draws at USO.

Djokovic USO 2011 single handily blows away anything Nadal has ever done. He beat Federer and Nadal back to back.

Nadal's embarassing draws at USO 2010, I mean Lopez, Verdasco, Youzhny? LMAO.

What was his path in 2013 to the final? Robredo and Gasquet in the quarters and semis? What?

ZERO top 25 players in 2017...this is the worst of the worst. And in 2019 again nothing.

A Federer fan can talk about it, but you, a raging Nadal fan has no place to say anything, considering what Nadal had. Give him Pete's 2001 draw and he doesn't make the final.
 
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