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6 Jun 2026 | 11.07
There are feats that only transcend over time, when one understands the difficulty of the deed. What Yevgeny Kafelnikov did at Roland Garros 1996 is a clear example, a double triumph that we have not witnessed again in the men's circuit.
I have always tried to give space to the legends of our tennis at Punto de Break, to remember the victories of those who helped lay the foundations of the current circuit. However, reaching everyone is not easy, which is why the album Yevgeny Kafelnikov is one of the least touched since his retirement in 2010. As we are now in the final weekend of Roland Garros, the timing demanded a refreshing of the history with what happened in Paris exactly thirty years ago. The day when the Russian achieved an epic feat of such magnitude that our eyes have not seen since.
Born in Sochi in the mid-seventies, the figure of Yevgeny Kafelnikov burst onto the scene strongly in the locker room once he turned twenty. He quickly started sending warnings in the Grand Slam territory, where it was no longer a surprise to see him reaching the latter stages. He was so eager to conquer the world that he even participated in doubles, where, by the way, he also did well. But what role would destiny have in store for the Russian? In which discipline would he leave his mark? This question was not answered until Roland Garros 1996, where something unthinkable happened.
At that time, Yevgeny had won 9 individual titles - all of minor category - and 10 doubles titles - achieved with five different partners. The 1996 season started very well, although Kafelnikov had been in the top 10 for over a year. However, once the clay court swing began, he hit a wall. Defeats in the first round of Estoril (Gaudenzi), Barcelona (Burillo), and Montecarlo (Pioline) seemed to indicate that it would not be a good spring for the Russian, but there was time to turn the situation around.
Prague changed everything, a humble event where he began to turn the tide: champion in the singles draw and champion in the doubles draw, alongside Daniel Vacek. Their connection on the court led them to team up in Paris as well, but let's not jump ahead. In Hamburg, he reached the semifinals - losing to the best version of Roberto Carretero - in Rome, he made the round of 16 - falling to the Ukrainian Medvedev - and in the World Team Cup, he dominated in all three matches, including one against the current World No. 1, Pete Sampras.
"I don't think even Pete thought I could play that well at that particular moment, considering how bad my record was against him," explains Kafelnikov in an interview for ATP about that match which he won 6-3 and 6-2. "Even on clay, he always beat me, so he never thought he would lose that match against me. We played on a different court; I showed him how the history had changed five months after we met in the Davis Cup, something that also helped me at Roland Garros," adds the Russian.
In Paris, he landed as the seventh seed, although the draw set him on a path filled with specialists: Galo Blanco, Thomas Johansson, Félix Mantilla, and Pato Clavet. Interestingly, he did not lose a set until he met Richard Krajicek in the quarterfinals, the least adept on clay. He wouldn't drop a set for the rest of the tournament. In the semifinals, he once again faced Pete Sampras, whom he decisively defeated, and then put the cherry on top on Sunday against Michael Stich. For the first time in history, Russia celebrated a Grand Slam champion in singles.
"It wasn't easy to defeat all those guys on clay, but I managed to do it. I beat them all thanks to the confidence I had in myself. I was in great physical shape, ready to compete for three, four, or five hours against anyone [...] Except for Thomas Muster, perhaps. He was the only player I wanted to avoid in the draw; luckily Stich defeated him in the fourth round," comments Yevgeny about the man who had beaten him the year before in the semifinals, only to then claim the trophy.
And how did things go for him with Vacek in doubles? They lost only one set in the six matches they played. "At that time, I had a plan, a task in hand that I needed to accomplish. My physical condition at that time was fantastic, and my confidence in my game was above any other feeling I had in my entire career. I was destined to win it all that week. Given how I was feeling, I saw a huge opportunity to leave there with both trophies," acknowledges the man who reached the world No. 1 spot in 1999.
Indeed, many of us believe that Kafelnikov's figure is not adequately recognized among that group of legends who reached the top of the rankings, as recently expressed by Alexander Zverev. "To this day, doing what Yevgeny did is impossible; that's why I say he is the most underrated player of all time. He may not have been as exciting to watch as Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, or Marat Safin, but he always won. He won much more than Marat, but people know much more about Marat Safin than about Yevgeny Kafelnikov. I don't know, maybe Yevgeny was a calm guy who didn't need that attention, but on the court, he was an absolute beast,".
Yevgeny Kafelnikov's feat that no one has managed to repeat on the circuit
Three decades later, the men's circuit is still waiting for the player who dares to repeat the feat witnessed at Roland Garros in 1996. To the brave one willing to try it, given that currently, there are few top 10 players who opt to compete in the doubles draw as well. In women, we saw it last in 2021 when Barbora Krejcikova proved it is still worth the effort, although the scenario changes when you have to play best of five sets.
Kafelnikov continued to achieve new milestones in his career, such as becoming the player who needed the fewest points (3,382) to reach the world No. 1 spot. We also saw him win the Olympic gold in Sydney, lift the Davis Cup in 2002, and reach the finals of all five Masters 1000 tournaments he played. Every rose has its thorn, of course. The Russian closed the 2000 season with a total of 101 matches played in singles, setting a record that in 2003, the German Rainer Schuettler would equal. Kafelnikov ended his career with two Grand Slam singles titles and four in doubles, although he only held the top ranking solo. Thirty years later, his name stands alone whenever we remember that Roland Garros of 1996. The last man capable of achieving a double Grand Slam triumph.
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, el último hombre que dobló en Grand Slam
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