How the tennis world looked like the last time Knicks made Eastern Conference Finals ft. Pete Sampras, Monica Seles, Andre Agassi, Serena Williams

The New Yorkers had their wish finally granted, as the New York Knicks have made it to the Eastern Conference final in the NBA after 25 years. They won 51 of their 82 matches in order to do so. The last time they made it to the finals was in May 2000.

A lot has changed in the world of sports in the last 25 years. Tennis is no exception in this regard. Let’s look back at the time to get an idea of how things were in the world of tennis.

Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras ruled the roost in men’s tennis:

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Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras were barely 30 at that time. Agassi was the world No. 1, closely followed by Sampras, his arch-rival. It was thus an era of American dominance in men's tennis, which was to last for a few more years until Sampras' retirement. Agassi had just won the Australian Open a few months back, and Sampras would go on to win his seventh and last Wimbledon title a few months later.

As for the Europeans, there were a few surprise entrants in the men's top-10 rankings. Magnus Norman of Sweden and Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia were ranked third and fourth, respectively. Then, there was Brazil's Gustavo Kuerten, who had won three consecutive French Open titles in the late 1990s and was ranked fifth in May 2000.

Surprisingly, players like Thomas Enqvist, Cedric Pioline and Nicolas Kiefer made it to the Top 10, with a future Grand Slam winner in Lleyton Hewitt at the ninth position.

Martina Hingis and Venus Williams were among the top women players then:

As for the women, Hingis, the World No. 1, was barely out of her teens, but was a multiple Grand Slam winner already. Lindsay Davenport of the United States finished the previous year as the World No. 2, and the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, were third and fourth, respectively. Davenport had beaten Hingis in the Australian Open final in January 2000. Venus Williams would go on to beat Davenport to win the Wimbledon title a few months later.

Mary Pierce was ranked fifth and Monica Seles, then in her late 20s, was the World No. 6. There were players like Nathalie Tauziat and Barbara Schett in the Top 10.

As things turned out, Hingis would not last long as a top singles player. Davenport would retire soon and Serena Williams would go on to have an incomparable career. The American dominance in men's and women's tennis, with the glorious exception of Serena Williams, would ultimately wither as the new century progressed.

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About the author

Subhadeep Roy

Subhadeep, an adept tennis journalist at Sportskeeda, has been writing about the sport for seven years. He is known for his exclusive match reviews and opinion pieces, utilizing his MBA degree to tackle them effectively with his problem-solving abilities.

Subhadeep lives and breathes tennis. He watches matches regularly and engages in social media platforms to stay on top of the latest happenings. As a writer, he brings the fan's perspective to his pieces, ensuring his readers enjoy an exceptional experience every time.

Growing up, he idolized Boris Becker, but he now firmly believes Novak Djokovic stands alone as the 'Greatest of all Time', especially considering the 24-time Grand Slam champion's incredible stats. One thing that still puzzles Subhadeep, however, is how Becker's Wimbledon tally might have reached five if not for Pete Sampras.

Speaking of the All England Club, the British Major holds a special place in his heart as he admires its blend of tradition and grass-court excellence. When not working for Sportskeeda, Subhadeep delves into the other "love of his life": football, and enjoys contributing his insights to different websites dedicated to the sport.

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