Pat Rafter stuns tennis world to win US Open - 1997 | Wide World of Sports

In 1997 Australian tennis star Patrick Rafter hit career-best form to win his way to a maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. The victory propelled Rafter to world number 3, as well as superstardom as a guest on the David Letterman Show. READ: 9Soci.al/3G7850wAa2v | Subscribe: 9Soci.al/c66350wAa29
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[@Marekxk]

I think we all love Pat Rafter, and his game.👍👍👍

[@insulani]

Pure and natural serve and volley. Great player and personality. Too bad he didn’t win a Wimby.

[@pauldavey422]

i met him while coaching an australian player at the '94 French open, he was a young bloke and beat one of the favourites Muster in the 3rd round, serve volleying on clay - the french loved it! The Aussies were pretty close knit and we all ate together every night. He was obviously on his way to the big time but was the most down to earth player I have ever met, no ego, trained so hard, and had time for everyone. That serve screwed his shoulder up - he would have won at least 2 more slams if he had remained fit. Top bloke

[@gyozop]

It looked to me as a laborious serve for sure, I didn't know it killed his career. It was effective though. Probably the Sampras motion is number one, with Ivanisevic up there too creating pace and spin with ease on the shoulders too.

[@theroosevelts4572]

First time hearing of this guy since I’m new to following tennis. Seems super down to earth. Hard to stay in shape for that long it seems like! But he is awesome!

[@youngsuit]

if i recall, it's said that in his family when he would win a trophy, his parents were adamant that he not brag about it in the household

[@pauldavey422]

Bizarrely we both had surgery on a torn rotator cuff in 1999..keyhole didn't exist then so the operation was pretty traumatic..my surgeon predicted i would need at least 13 months rehab, he was spot on..its lasted till now. Rafter took 9 months. My surgeon told me that was too quick and it will go again..sadly he was correct..he retired 2001..

[@terrycarthy4433]

Fabulous hearing Tony Trabert commentating with Newk ; Trabert was involved in tennis his entire life.

[@user-uh6lm5wv6n]

Pat Cash and Pat Rafter the 2 most loved tennis players in Australia. Great serve/volley game from both, superb net work. Rafter was a legend and a super polite player. Loved watching him.

[@cruzmakaveli9891]

My all time favorite Australian Tennis Player !

[@andydavidson6841]

Great Aussie style. Serve volley..... backhand slice. Legend

[@vinayshende9867]

Loved watching him play.. A true serve and volley player after Edberg

[@medo_pg7786]

Edberg and rafter had the most elegant and beautiful game

[@brotherd9904]

met him breifly at the miami open... he must have been coaching... that guy was big as a NFL linebacker

[@matteobettini8088]

Patrick was also awesome and humble, that's why he was adored by millions of fan. But Rusedsky too looked like a guy who knows how to behave himself. Honour to him, I remember the '97 NY Final as it was yesterday: thrills, emotions n' smiles too. It's right like this, man.

[@georgepalavi5060]

Always loved Rafter’s super-athletic style of play. What an athlete!

[@info781]

Rafter played a game that no longer exists at the professional level. It was exciting to watch. Sampras was better but he also had some many free points on his serve it always bugged me, Rafter did not have that kind of serve. Unfortunately, that was the future of the game, huge serve , big forehand.

[@Dman9fp]

Were a few serve volleyers in era of big 3 (Llodra, Stepanek, plenty in doubles, Dustin Brown maybe(?), Stakhovsky beat Fed at wimbledon doing it) but yeah, Very hard if not impossible to do it consistenly at top level and dominate the game with it at present in Singles

[@th8257]

A lot of the "true" serve volley players didn't go for aces as much and instead focussed on putting heavy spin on their serves to get an easier first volley. Apart from Rafter, Edberg and McEnroe did that, and Martina Navratilova did it on the women's side.

[@keaneoRX7]

Back then, you could win using Serve and Volley even against players like Agassi, Chang or Courier

[@jamesbedukodjograham5508]

This victory for Patrick Rafter was heaven sent and he repeated the victory also in the year 1998 as well. Wow amazing stuff.

[@quiddy]

Rafter has got to be one of the handsomest guys who has ever played the game

[@ssenssel]

@Eric Estrada Stepanek was the most handsome neanderthal to ever play the game

[@squidjames7735]

... don't worry lads, ya mamas think ya the most handsomest tools on earth.

[@Yowza78]

Say what you will about Stepanek, he pulled in some top-shelf girlfriends.

[@ssenssel]

@@Yowza78 Yeah.. money and fame are great aphrodisiacs

[@quiddy]

@@Yowza78 did he date Hingis too?

[@OvaleTv]

Buen jugador. Muy buena volea. En esa epoca, incluso hasta los 2001 no habia grandes voleadores de saque y red. Tenias la ultima etapa de Sampras, Henman y Patric Rafter, los unicos.

[@miguelbarahona6636]

Te olvidas de Wimbledon: Goran que ganó en 2001 y Federer en 2003. Ambos haciendo saque y red.

[@OvaleTv]

@@miguelbarahona6636 Lo que nombre era su forma de juego, incluso cualquier superficie. Salvo Henman en polvo. Federer te lo discuto. Si cerraba puntos asi, pero sobre todo con primer saque. Pero no es su juego sacar y volear.

[@miguelbarahona6636]

@@OvaleTv Mira el partido contra Sampras en 2001 y la final contra Philipoussis en 2003. Federer hacia saque y volea en Wimbledon. En 2004 ya no.

[@IvanGlavas]

With no injuries. He with Sampras and Agassi would be big three of the 90’s

[@th8257]

1997 had some real shocks at the grand slams. Nobody was expecting Rafter to win the US Open, or for Rusedski to get to the final. On the women's side, nobody was expecting Venus Williams to get to the final. Earlier in the year, Gustavo Kuerten had come out of absolutely nowhere to win the French Open and Iva Majoli was a shock winner in the women's event.

[@roter13]

Literally the only serve and volley player that I liked.

[@rocknral]

Queenslandeerrr!!! Don't we miss the days of serve and volley. Pat could of won a few more but his body let him down.

[@ssenssel]

No, we don't. But Pat was really good at S&V. I'm glad is gone though.

[@rocknral]

@@ssenssel Really. Why didnt you like s&v? I thought it made the game more interesting with more than the one demensional smashing it from the baseline.I thought It brought a bit more finesse to the game.

[@ssenssel]

@@rocknral I like slice, dropshots, nice baseline rallies and the ocasional S&V.. like Roger did it most of his career. Just pure S&V like the old days is actually one dimensional.

[@rocknral]

@@ssenssel Yeah, I do agree. I like to see both as well. It's just that there are so few good volleyers ( is that a word??), these days, It's a lost art. Like you said, serve AND volley can be a bit much.👍

[@squidjames7735]

would not go too deep in grand slams in today's era. facts.

[@user-gx5kk2ik8m]

High risk high reward but as deadly serve and volleyer as there ever was

[@SuperBosbon]

Awesome player

[@robjames1037]

The 'Brit' Greg Rusedski. What a joke. Dude was born, raised and and learned his tennis in Canada then declares himself British as an adult. LOL.

[@Brendan-CoachingStar]

This is a shockingly better level than the 2001 Wimbledon championship

[@charltonleninparedeschoque3164]

El ultimo genio de saque y bolea.

[@philipwant8531]

What’s the music at 1:00 sounds so familiar

[@Rumblingbelly]

Of course its robert miles children

[@philipwant8531]

@@Rumblingbelly legend thank you

[@joelcrawford28]

@@Rumblingbelly yes rest in peace Robert Miles! Taken way too soon. Really went well played in Rafters highlights on his journey to the 1997 US Open Final😊.

[@TennisOnAction]

Played with guts.

[@johnrenehan7406]

Dont belive any slam winner from his era - and certainly not the big four era - had to face such a class field !! Like compare the quality of his opponents from the very first round - to say djokovic s 2023 Aus open oponents list ; Rafters opponents were the who s who of class players back then ; where os djokovic did not face s seed until the semi ...... A joke

[@markthomas3730]

never a Rafter fan...

[@uncletony6210]

why not?

[@americanitalianisrael4008]

MR. PAT RAFTER IS ONE OF THE MOST GORGEOUS SEXY BEAUTIFUL PLAYER IN MENS TENNIS HISTORY. EVERY INCH EXQUISITE.