1985 US Open Ivan Lendl John McEnroe Hana Mandlikova Martina Navratilova Highlights

[@FLAC2023]

The day that Lendl beat McEnroe at the US Open in 1985 is a day I will never forget in my entire life...

[@gentlemanjim480]

same here!

[@inxia38]

This was brilliant to watch. I think we can safely say that tennis back then was less athletic and powerful than today, but much more skilful. To all those who thought Lendl was nothing more than a baseline slugger, you've got to watch this.

[@vincenthannah7209]

When Hana was on she was one of the very few players who could beat Martina and Chris. In this match she beat Martina to the net......I was very happy Lendl finally won here because he had lost to Connors and McEnroe in previous years.

[@muralikrishnag1629]

Ivan Lendl was the most dedicated and never-die -spirited all time great Tennis player.Imagine loosing 3 consecutive US finals from 1982-84,he won the next three years 1985-1987.In 1988 and 1989 he lost to wilander and Becker respectively in gruelling five setters.In finals,unlike the present US open where players get one rest day between semifinals and finals the players in seventies and eighties played semifinals and finals on consecutive days (Saturday and Sunday). That's why Ivan Lendl was mentioned as the ultimate Tennis Machine and was declared as the player of the decade(1981-1990).

[@Wh01sTh1sGuy]

Thanks so much for uploading this! It was great to watch. :)

[@maestrodimente]

Nice summary of the events of 85! Great to see some old favourites showing the artistry and magic, lacking in so many of the modern players, with a few exceptions. Thanks for posting!

[@Chewieization]

This is real tennis unlike today.

[@seoulman2743]

huh?

[@007balute]

thanks for the upload, it was fun to watch

[@keithmckeith]

Mcenroe is a freakish once in a century pure talent. Bud Collins calls Mac the most skilful player of all time. I’d agree with that. If Mac is in form, no one stands a chance.

[@gmnboss]

Mandlikovs-Navratilova was engrossing!!

[@jdfagen]

This is a fabulous recap of the 85 US Open. Would love to see more US Open highlights arranged like this video, Robert.

[@gentlemanjim480]

I miss those days.

[@russellfrancis6294]

This is great !

[@alin1975]

Well... Martina was 32 in 88. The mere fact that she could still compete and remain at the very top into her mid-late 30s, plus give Graf a run for her money, is simply amazing.

[@MrPernell27]

Alan F won 2 of their final 3 matches, including the 91 US OPEN semi. Best overall female player ever!

[@sharpasaneraser]

Wow, a whole second of Heinz gundthart.

[@7Lukibi99Tore7]

McEnroe had very little energy left after the first three games of his 1985 U.S. Open Men's Singles Final against Lendl because he had not recovered from the tremendously draining match he played the day before in the semifinals against Wilander which went five sets in 117 degree heat.

[@dazwalia]

Yeah, amazing. I'd never seen this before...

[@rushrush1209]

I remember the men's doubles final. It started as an incredible match and it ended as a joke. All of the first 3 sets went to tiebreakers. They were tied at 1 set each. While in the third set tiebreaker, a ball screamed past the long hair of Ken Flach. The Frenchmen thought the ball hit Flach's hair, so it would be their point. I'm not sure whether or not it hit his hair, and Flach said he wasn't sure either. The referee ruled in favor of Flach and Seguso. Flach and Seguso won the 3rd set. Afterwards, the Frenchmen gave up and lost the 4th set 6-0. Completely inexcusable that the Frenchmen just quit.

[@kljMN2]

6:10 - typical Graf handshake when she loses... what a snot...

[@gentlemanjim480]

exactly. great player but zero grace

[@alandvorak1351]

Lendl a monster at Flushing Meadows from 85-87 especially, interestingly the commentator kept referring to McEnroe's five titles, when he had actually won four!! Amazing performance from Mandlikova, trying to think if any other player beat Evert & Navratilova in the same event at their prime?

[@rushrush1209]

Steffi Graf beat them both in 1989 Wimbledon (probably some other tournaments too). But Evert was past her prime in 1989. Martina won 1990 Wimbledon, but I would say she was past her prime in 1989 too.

[@lzv6990]

1:51 Becker just moves with a size and aggression not seen at that point in tennis.

[@gojipoj]

it was the best that I've seen lendl play, mcenroe was shell shocked, exact oppositer to the year before, lendl however got better and better and more confident whereas mcenroe started going down hill. But you are right tennis was much better than than now. now it's slowed down because the organisers want to make more money from long boring games of rallies.

[@polytide51]

He keeps saying "McEnroe's 5-previous titles" - he only won four

[@SonateSonate]

"only"

[@kljMN2]

What happened with Mandlikova after she won her last Slam in 1987? It seems she just totally disappeared.

[@romania4712]

kljMN2 Injuries. Even after this tournament Hana had to default several events because of her shoulder. She tried to play through a pulled stomach muscle and hamstring in 1987 and part of 1988 before she finally left the tour. When she came back in 1989 she was not the same. She had a taste of life outside of tennis and became personally happier. She lost her competitive edge. And her serve was never the same. In the spring of 1987 she could only spin the ball in. In 1989 there were matches where she served 20 or more double faults. Just not the same player.

[@jyy82993]

If women's tennis was still this way. Same for men's too. So much more exciting.

[@7Lukibi99Tore7]

@ Christopher King. I misspelled the word ''Open'' in my previous comment about the 1985 U.S. Open and failed to place a period after the capital letter ''U'' and after the capital letter ''S''.

[@misztong]

@aagold76 I agree with you on the playing tennis part - back then it looked beautiful, tennis was art. They did not have to resort to smashing balls with strokes more powerful than a pistol in order to win a point. I think the art in tennis ended somewhere around Sampras's retirement. To me he was the last tennis artist. Now we only have craftsmen.

[@7Lukibi99Tore7]

@ Christopher King. Lendl did not have a walkover match at the 1985 US Opren. None of his matches at that tournament that year were won by walkover. He defeated Lapidus, Scanlon, de la Pena, Yzaga, Noah, Connors and McEnroe. If, however, you mean that he defeated Connors in a match that was almost a walkover in the sense that Connors played that match with a severely sprained ankle which Connors sustained while practicing before his semifinal match against Lendl, then you would be correct.

[@inxia38]

@Pundit2k Sorry, but of the four players you have mentioned, only Federer would have the skill to match McEnroe and Edberg. The other three rely on very high fitness levels and heavy groundstrokes from the baseline. They have some variation but when you're armed with a modern racquet, there is simply no need to develop the variety of shots that were needed by the players of the past.

[@Pundit2k]

@inxia38 I think Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray (though Federer especially) are as skilled as anybody was in the day. Yes, their game is faster, but they also have the amazing touch of a McEnroe or Edberg.

[@jasoncowell5133]

sorry they do not have anywhere near mcenroes or edbergs skill and touch at the net. stop talking baloney

[@cosmito6]

12:28 that's a hindrance, Navratilova should have lost that point.

[@KingCast65]

@kljMN2 She has done some coaching IIRC. What a body. What a game. Love this highlight reel and the hokey music. Too bad Mac got knifed by Lendl in the end.

[@sidh05]

Pity they did not show the match point of Nystrom - Becker where Boris let the ball go thinking it was out...

[@Kevinsf]

Mandlikova made Evert eat her words. How presumptuous for Evert to say that Martina will beat Mandlikova. Seems like sour grapes to me.

[@7Lukibi99Tore7]

@ Pundit2k. The top players of today (Djokovic, Nadal, Murray and Federer) do not have the touch of John McEnroe! Not even Federer is even remotely close to having McEnroe's phenomenal feel for the ball on his racket! Edberg was not a ''touch'' volleyer. Edberg was a classic, textbook volleyer, the most consistent, day-in-and-day-out volleyer of the Open era. McEnroe was a greater volleyer than Edberg in terms of touch and the diversity of volleys he demonstrated. Contrary to common, erroneous belief among younger tennis fans, none of the current top players in men's tennis (not even Federer) demonstrate the all-around abilities of a McEnroe, Sampras or Edberg. For example, since he serve-and-volleyed in his first Wimbledon Men's Singles Final in 2003, Federer serve-and-volleying has been about as rare as hair on a bald man's head.

[@drejtoman2974]

BALLS ARE MOVING MUCH FASTER TODAY. PLAYERS COME IN ON PERFECT APPROACH SHOTS - BUT GET OFTEN PASSED AS GROUNSTROKES ARE SO MUCH BETTER!!! NOT MUCH OPPORTUNITY FOR TOUCH IF CANNOT GET TO THE BALL

[@fundhund62]

Today´s players just don´t have the skills required at the net. And I hardly see any "perfect approach shots" in today´s game. Even Federer comes in on normal groundstrokes most of the time, which does not give him enough time to volley. You can see this pattern over and over again in his matches versus Nadal.

[@lawrencegarrison3792]

McEnroe may be the better volleyer, but Federer is way better overall than McEnroe. Better groundstrokes, better serve, better speed, stronger, and more fit. Even Mac said Federer is the best player ever.

[@lawrencegarrison3792]

If you want to gain a sense of how Mac's game would fare against the likes of Fed, Nadal and Djoko, just look at all the matches in which he was dominated by Lendl. Today's players are Lendl 2.0

[@seteetlemonde7656]

Oui MC enroe est le goat et il est globalement meilleur que Federer

[@hardsam68]

I love the way Evert plays for the sympathy of the crowd by putting her hand on Hana's shoulder

[@aagold76]

today's players would be clueless about how to play back then- they were raised with super rackets and played big from the start- the 70-80s generations learned to oplay with wood or small headed steel frames- not even a 10th the power or control of today- you had to be a tennis player to win- not just a ball sluugger....Federer and Henin of todays era are the only ones I think would make a serious impact back then.

[@gnapingnapin236]

Je crois que c'était la dernière finale de grand chelem de Mc Enroe

[@darius3000]

Graf sure had to pay her dues against Navratilova in the beginning! But from 1988 on, Graf owned her.

[@princesofthepower3690]

Helped in part due to the fact Navratilova was well into her decline and was 31 pushing 32 years old .

[@martm216]

Hana was so cute.

[@Pundit2k]

Who the hell is Boris Becker?

[@KingCast65]

Also Mats tired McEnroe out. Hana 4ever!

[@tomloft2000]

Laver was dead on about Boris Becker.

[@KingCast65]

And Lendl got a walkover too! Recipe for TROUBLE and it sure was.

[@miguel6440]

Exhausted Mcenroe in final

[@maxipazz8214]

Hana would loved to have won Wimbledon which is the words in official championships...nobody really cares much outside of America about who wins the US Open....not in those days

[@aagold76]

eveolve- no, it's devolved- they don't play tennis anymore- that's my point- they just hit the ball- 90%...the quality of the top men is getting a lot better/more enjoyable....so- you get over it!

[@pajarosnaranja]

12:27 "Yes, I won! Oh shit... Yes I won!"

[@bonhamhouse1169]

Glickstein had Mac beat?

[@aagold76]

it wasn't so much that they didn't resort to smashing balls- they COULDN'T, pick up a wooden racket and try to smash a ball- it would fly on you- all these players learned with wood, even the oversized rackets they began to use in the early- mid 80s weren't anywhere near the quality/power of todays- if you gave the Williams sisters or Nadal wood- Evert and Borg would eat them alive!

[@bonhamhouse1169]

Mac had no energy. Bad format.