Ranking The Greatest US Open Finals of the Open Era

Flushing Meadows has always been the loudest, most theatrical stop on the calendar, and its championship matches tend to match the mood. Since the Open Era began in 1968, New York finals have produced upsets, comebacks, and heavyweight rivalries settled under the lights. Here are six of the greatest US Open finals, ranked by drama, stakes, and the way they still hold up decades later.

1. 1980 John McEnroe def. Björn Borg

Score: (7-6, 6-1, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4)

The 1980 US Open men’s final between fierce rivals remains one of the greatest ever. McEnroe and Borg had played a scorching Wimbledon final a few weeks earlier, and their Flushing rematch somehow lived up to it.

McEnroe took a wild opening tiebreak, rolled through the second set, then watched Borg refuse to fold and level the match by taking the third and fourth. In the deciding set, the two traded blows until McEnroe found the edge, closing out his second straight US Open, denying Borg the one major that always slipped away from him.

2. 1984 Martina Navratilova def. Chris Evert

Score: (4-6, 6-4, 6-4)

The defining rivalry in women’s tennis reached its peak on the hard courts of New York. Evert took the opening set and pushed the defending champion to her limit, sensing a chance to break the pattern of recent losses.

Navratilova then steadied herself, tightened her serve-and-volley game, and reeled off the final two sets to claim her sixth consecutive major and tie an all-time record. It was two legends at the absolute height of their powers, separated by the thinnest of margins across three tense, high-quality sets.

3. 1995 Steffi Graf def. Monica Seles

Score: (7-6, 0-6, 6-3)

This match was a dramatic swing of momentum wrapped inside one of the sport’s most poignant comeback stories. It was Seles’s first major final since the 1993 stabbing that halted her career, and the emotional weight was enormous.

Graf won a tight first-set tiebreak, then was bageled in the second as Seles found the ferocious form that once made her untouchable. The third set swung back Graf’s way, and she held firm to take it. With the win, Graf matched the Open Era record for major singles titles.

4. 2012 Andy Murray def. Novak Djokovic

Score: (7-6, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2)

For years, Andy Murray struggled to win his first men’s major. He finally delivered for his fans in New York, in a marathon that stretched close to five hours in windy conditions that turned rallies into a war of attrition.

Murray built a two-set lead, then saw Djokovic surge back to level with the relentless defense that defined the era. Unfazed, he dug deep to reassert himself and run away with the fifth. It ended a long British drought and announced Murray as one of the sport’s elite players.

5. 2009 Juan Martín del Potro def. Roger Federer

Score: (3-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2)

Federer arrived chasing a sixth straight US Open title and looked well on his way, leading in the second set before Juan Martín del Potro found his range. The towering Argentine took two tiebreaks from the five-time champion, weathering every shift in momentum and every ounce of Federer’s brilliance.

Del Potro then pulled away decisively in the fifth to claim his first and only Grand Slam. Few players ever figured out how to beat Federer in New York in his prime. Del Potro did it with a game-changing forehand and a composure well beyond his 20 years.

6. 2005 Kim Clijsters def. Mary Pierce

Score: (6-3, 6-1)

Not every great final is a three- or five-set epic. After a string of near-misses, Clijsters finally broke through with a commanding performance to win her first Grand Slam title.

Pierce had enjoyed a resurgent run to the final, but Clijsters was too sharp and steady, sealing a breakthrough that opened the door to the rest of her decorated career. Although the scoreline was one-sided, the match was a milestone moment and a release of years of pressure.

These were six matches with very different kinds of drama. That range is exactly why the US Open keeps delivering the sport’s most unforgettable finals.

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