On This Day: Kafelnikov seals No. 1 breakthrough in 1999

Yevgeny Kafelnikov holds a rare distinction that even fellow ATP No. 1 Club giants like Pete Sampras, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer can't claim.

In 1996, Kafelnikov pulled off one of the sport's most elusive feats by winning both the singles and doubles titles at the same Grand Slam at Roland Garros. Yet this was not the pinnacle of his career.

Three months after capturing his second major title at the 1999 Australian Open, Kafelnikov became the 16th player to rise to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. He surpassed Sampras on 3 May, and stayed there for six weeks before the American reclaimed it.

Kafelnikov’s ascent marked the third of eight changes at the top of the PIF ATP Rankings during that year of tough competition for top spot. He remains one of eight players, out of the 29 who have reached No. 1, to spend 10 weeks or less at the summit.

“I think it’s the ultimate goal for every professional tennis player, to be able to reach that pinnacle. That’s what we play for,” Kafelnikov told ATPTour.com in 2020. “It’s one of the most enjoyable accomplishments from my career.”

Kafelnikov's steady ascent began in 1994, when he captured his first three ATP Tour titles in Adelaide, Copenhagen and Long Island. By the end of the season, the 20-year-old had used his dynamic and well-rounded game to surge to No. 11 in the world.

Breaking new ground and entering the Top 10 in February 1995, Kaflelnikov would remain a staple there for most of the next four years, spending only 12 weeks outside that elite group before rising to No. 1. A triumph at Roland Garros in 1996 — no man has won singles and doubles at the same major since — cemented his place among the game’s best. But a series of early exits at the seven majors that followed raised doubts over whether he could add another Grand Slam title to his resume.

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Those questions were answered in emphatic fashion at the start of 1999. After missing the two previous editions, he returned to Melbourne and stormed to the Australian Open crown, beating five players who reached the Top 5. He followed with his 19th tour-level title in Rotterdam the following month, the momentum carrying him past Sampras and into the exclusive ATP No. 1 Club on 3 May 1999. He remained at the summit for six weeks before Sampras reclaimed top spot with a title run at Queen’s Club.

Kafelnikov wasn't just a standout in singles, where he added Olympic gold to his resume at the 2000 Sydney Games. He also won 26 tour-level doubles titles, including his rare Roland Garros double in 1996.