Roland Garros ruminations: Kafelnikov's 1996 career-highlight triumph

Close followers of Yevgeny Kafelnikov are quick to point out that this Russian stylist celebrated a wide range of achievements by collecting two major singles titles, 26 career singles titles and 27 more in doubles, an Olympic gold medal, playing on a victorious Davis Cup team, and achieving the highly coveted No. 1 world ranking.

Kafelnikov’s productivity from the mid-1990s into the early stages of the following decade was extraordinary. He stood 6’3”, weighed 185 pounds, covered the court with alacrity, and operated masterfully from the backcourt when he was at peak efficiency.

I asked him this past week if he regards his 1996 Roland Garros triumph as the highlight of his career.

“I would say yes,” he responded. “That was the first Grand Slam [tournament] win for me and I became the first Russian to win a Slam. I don’t want to put aside all of the other major successes I had in my career like the Olympic gold, Davis Cup or being No. 1 in the world. All professional athletes understand that the French Open is the hardest Grand Slam to win. Knowing I won it is really big. I loved all of the Grand Slam tournaments but the French Open was special for me.”

Kafelnikov was primed for Roland Garros 24 years ago. In 1995, he had gone to the semifinals in Paris, upending both Alex Corretja and Andre Agassi before losing to the indefatigable left-hander Thomas Muster. Moreover, he had played some stellar tennis during the 1996 clay-court season, fueling his self-conviction.

“Everything just came together,” he explains. “Let’s go back a month before the French Open. What gave me confidence was the title I won on the red dirt in Prague. I was peaking at the right time. I got to the semis in Hamburg and beat some tough clay-court opponents and went to Düsseldorf, which was key for me. I got three matches in there and beat Krajicek and Sampras. If I was confident on that surface I could play really well.”

Kafelnikov found his form at Roland Garros immediately, sweeping through the first four rounds without conceding a set before removing soon to be Wimbledon victor Richard Krajicek, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2, in the quarterfinals.

Getty Images

In the penultimate round, Kafelnikov faced world No. 1 Pete Sampras on a scorching afternoon. Sampras had endured three rugged five-set duels against Sergi Bruguera, Todd Martin and Jim Courier, leading seasoned observers to believe he was destined to capture the only major to elude his grasp.

But Kafelnikov liked his own chances.

“I was playing better than him in that tournament and playing better than anybody,” he says. “I knew that in best of five-set matches the best players win. I was feeling strong and I approached this match with Pete like I was the favorite, not the other way around. I don’t want people to think that I won that match because Pete was really tired after playing those three five-set matches. I believed in myself.”

The first set of that clash was critical. Kafelnikov prevailed in a tie-break. Does he feel that Sampras needed that opening set more than he did?

“You are absolutely right,” he answers. “I felt like he did need that set more than me. His body language was kind of like, ‘Jesus Christ, I played a quite solid first set and Yevgeny beat me 7-6, so to beat him I need to play another three or maybe four sets.’ Maybe Pete felt he was not ready for that big uphill climb. That is why the next two sets were 6-0, 6-2 for me. I have no other explanation.”

Winning over such a prodigious champion to reach the final was no mean feat. Sampras toppled Kafelnikov in 11 of their 13 career meetings, and never lost to him again after that encounter. Retrospectively, does that surprise Kafelnikov?

“To be honest,” he replies, “it doesn’t surprise me. The only two times I won were in that three-week span in 1996 against Pete. Pete is the greatest player I ever faced. Whenever I played him I believed I had a chance to beat him—even if it didn’t happen 95% of the time. No question in my mind that if he is not No. 1 of all time he is No 2. I played Roger when he was young and never played Djokovic, Nadal or Laver, Borg or McEnroe. I have my opinion about who is the best and someone else has a different opinion. But Pete was definitely the best in my time.”

Kafelnikov was one of the finest players of his time, and he was inspired when he took on 1991 Wimbledon champion Michael Stich in the 1996 Roland Garros final. He had a 6-3 head-to-head lead against the German in their career series, and Kafelnikov’s ground game was more reliable on the clay. The Russian’s two-handed backhand was arguably the best in the game, right up there alongside Andre Agassi’s.

Stich had upended defending champion Thomas Muster in the round of 16, raising Kafelnikov’s morale.

“I would be lying to you,” he says, “if I did not say I was overjoyed when I found out Stich beat Muster. We all watched Thomas going down to Michael. Thomas was the opponent I feared most of anyone in the tournament. So I thought, ‘Here we go. Thomas is gone. You are playing well. Here is your chance.’”

Getty Images

Asked if he had a game plan against Stich, Kafelnikov replies, “We played many times before that final, but this one was completely different. This was the final of a Slam and he wanted it probably as much as I did. We had a wonderful match which was great for the spectators. But it was hard to have a game plan. You are just trying to beat your opponent the best way you can.”

Kafelnikov took a fiercely fought first set in a tie-break but trailed by two breaks in the second set with his German adversary leading 5-2. Stich was one of the best servers in the sport but Kafelnikov’s  return was outstanding. The Russian captured five games in a row, breaking serve three consecutive times to salvage the set.

“I got one break back to make it 5-3 and then held my serve so it was 5-4,” he says. “I was perhaps thinking why not try to win another game on the return and see how it goes. I probably got one good return back and played a few good rallies from the baseline. Michael made some mistakes. That set came to be alive for me and I won it.”

Now Kafelnikov recognized he was on the edge of a career-altering moment.

“You are up two sets to love,” he says, “and you are just one set away from the biggest title of your career, so you just try to close it out. I had a match point when I was ahead 5-4 in the third with Michael serving, but somehow he won that game and I started cramping in one leg. I just had to concentrate for the next ten minutes and knew if I did the match will be over.”

The 7-6 (4), 7-5, 7-6 (4) triumph was immensely fulfilling. Kafelnikov had taken the preeminent clay court tournament in the world convincingly.

“We all as youngsters are dreaming of being one time on the main stage playing a Grand Slam final and lifting the trophy of course in the end,” he says. “I was only 22 and I knew my career was just starting. I ended up winning only one more Grand Slam title at the ‘99 Australian Open which is quite sad in a way, but if you asked me when I started would I be happy with two Slams in my career I would definitely say yes.”

Should he have secured a couple more majors?

“When Guga Kuerten won the French Open [1997, 2000, and 2001], he beat me all three times in the quarterfinals,” Kafelnikov says. “So I was a bit disappointed. I feel like I should have at least won one more French Open title if I had been able to get through Guga.”

Getty Images

If Kafelnikov had one match at a major that he would like to have back, it is his 1999 US Open semifinal defeat against Agassi in New York. The Russian was unstoppable from the backcourt in taking the first set 6-1, but Agassi recouped to win in four.

“He just started to play better,” Kafelnikov laments, “and I had no answers for what he presented me with in the last three sets. But that match I regret the most because Todd Martin got to the final. His game was suitable for me. There is no way I would have lost to Todd in that final.”

Regardless of an occasional defeat he might have lamented, Kafelnikov exploited most of his opportunities, and not only in singles. He collected four major doubles titles across his distinguished career, including three at Roland Garros. Most importantly, he claimed the 1996 French Open crown with Daniel Vacek. No one in men’s tennis has swept the singles and doubles titles at a major since Kafelnikov managed that considerable feat nearly a quarter of a century ago.

“As time goes, by I am realizing more and more how difficult it is to win both the singles and doubles at a Grand Slam tournament,” he reflects. “It is mind boggling. I was practicing all of the elements of my singles game by playing doubles. I always committed to playing doubles even when I was going out early in the singles. Many experts say I did it for money, but it was really to keep my confidence level high on an everyday basis.”

But even if Kafelnikov was passionate about doubles for different reasons, singles was still his highest priority. He was so gratified to capture the 1999 Australian Open, overcoming Sweden’s big hitting Thomas Enqvist in the final, validating his ‘96 victory at Roland Garros, and avoiding wearing the “One-Slam Wonder” label.

“That was a quite extraordinary tournament,” he says. “Pete was not there because he was tired after a long ‘98 season. Some other guys were not playing their best tennis. I had a bit of luck with the draw as well. I believe I was just due to win another Slam and it happened in Australia. It meant a lot. We were always joking with each other in the locker room and saying things like,’You have just one Slam.’ Now I had a second. The other guys look at you as legit. You are for real.”

Kafelnikov did not land at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2019 accidentally. In his most prolific seasons from 1994-2001, he averaged 95 singles matches a year, playing as many as 105 in both 1995 and 1996.

“I did that for two reasons, “says Kafelnikov. “We all knew our careers in those days would be ending around age 30 at best. I knew my time would run out so I wanted to win as many majors and as many tournaments as I could. I played all of those matches for that reason. For nine or ten years in my professional career I left everything on the tennis court. 2003 was the last year of my career and I didn’t have any tournament wins so I said to myself, ‘Your glory days are gone. It is time to move on.’”

Kafelnikov left the sport knowing he had stretched himself to his limits. “I don’t have any lasting regrets. I am very proud of my career, period.”