The 1990s was a great era for tennis.

It will be remembered for larger-than-life characters like Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, and Stefan Edberg. Through these rivalries, the sport reached new heights of popularity. These players weren’t just great athletes; they were also charismatic entertainers who knew how to capture the public’s imagination. Here are five of the most entertaining tennis players of the 1990s.

1. Andre Agassi

My favorite player of all time and the most popular player of his generation, Andre Agassi was famous for his flamboyant style and aggressive and unpredictable baseline game. I still own a pair of his jean shorts! In total, he won eight Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold medal. But it was Agassi’s personality that really set him apart from the pack. He was brash, confident, and always ready with a quip or a theatric gesture. His game reflected that personality. He was never hesitant to rip an outrageously fast backhand or forehand. His game just looked cool. Period.

2. Boris Becker

Many people will remember Boris from the 80s. But he was very much still at the very top in the 90s. Andre Agassi and Becker never got along during these years and established a pretty epic rivalry. Becker would win two Australian Opens in the 90s. His serve is legendary. His net play is as athletic and exciting as you will ever see. Boris was built more like an NFL linebacker and his big body abled him to push around his opponents from all sides of the court. Plus, he would yell at himself in German all the time. Loved that!

3. Stefan Edberg

A two-time Wimbledon champion, Stefan Edberg was one of the most elegant players of his generation. He had a beautiful serve-and-volley game that was a joy to watch; Edberg made it look easy! Off the court, he was known for being the utmost gentleman. Don’t let that fool you though, he was fiercely competitive on the court; just ask Boris Becker, who lost two out of three epic Wimbledon Finals against Edberg in the late 80s early 90s.

4. Goran Ivanisevic

Goran Ivanisevic will always be remembered for his extraordinary run to Wimbledon glory in 2001 when he defeated Patrick Rafter in an epic five-set final as a wild card. That run was a coronation for a player that had reached three Wimbledon finals and lost them all in the 90s – twice to Sampras! Goran had an incredibly dominant serve which is why he was so successful at Wimbledon. However, what made Goran entertaining was not his amazing serve, but his crazy and fun personality. He would often say there were always two Gorans on the court, the focused one and the crazy one. It was this Jekyll and Hyde show that people loved to watch. One minute he was dominating and the other he was berating himself and down multiple breaks, only to come back and win. Goran wore his emotions on his sleeve and this is why the world loved to watch him.

5. Yevgeny Kafelnikov

Kafelnikov was not entertaining because of his personality. I’m not saying he has a lame personality or anything like that. What I mean is that he was quite reserved on the court and his game did most of the talking. And what a game it was! He was a modern baseliner, defending great and going from defense to offense in a dime. His strokes also looked smooth as butter. Everything looked effortless. He also had arguably the best down-the-line backhand the world has ever seen. That shot alone was probably responsible for the two Grand Slams he owns. Kafelnikov would hold the number-one ranking for six weeks in 1999 being one of only 28 players to ever do so since the Open Era.

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