Roland Garros Re-Lived 1999: Agassi At Last

Not many people expected Andre Agassi to win the French Open, especially not in 1999, and certainly not when he fell two sets down in the final against Andrei Medvedev.

But then he produced one of the greatest comebacks of all time, recovering to beat Medvedev and complete the coveted career Grand Slam.

In this episode we talk through the events which led Agassi to that point. What had happened in his previous two French Open finals? Why did he used to skip Wimbledon and the Australian Open? And how did he get his career back on track after dropping to No.141 in the world?

We hear from Brad Gilbert, Agassi’s coach at Roland Garros in 1999, who explains why Agassi’s participation at that year’s French Open was in doubt, how he came through a tough draw, and what he said to him during the rain delay.

Andrei Medvedev, meanwhile, gives his version of events, and Chris Clarey of the New York Times tells us how Agassi’s Roland Garros title set in motion the most dominant spell of his career. 

The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, featuring Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.

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