Fansided

14 best players to never win the French Open

By Nathaniel Reeves

25 May 1999: Pete Sampras of the USA in action during Round One of the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris, France. Sampras won in 5 sets. \ Mandatory Credit: Clive Brunskill /Allsport
25 May 1999: Pete Sampras of the USA in action during Round One of the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris, France. Sampras won in 5 sets. \ Mandatory Credit: Clive Brunskill /Allsport /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – OCTOBER 12: Tennis player Tracy Austin reacts after scoring a point at the Mylan World TeamTennis Smash Hits charity tennis event at Caesars Palace on October 12, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – OCTOBER 12: Tennis player Tracy Austin reacts after scoring a point at the Mylan World TeamTennis Smash Hits charity tennis event at Caesars Palace on October 12, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /

14. Tracy Austin

One of the best women’s players for a brief yet impressive stretch in the early 1980s, Austin only participated in three French Opens in her career and was unable to win any of them.

Austin rose to the No. 1 spot in the singles ranking in April of 1980 following a string of high finishes in Grand Slam events the previous year. In 1979, Austin became the youngest women’s US Open singles champion ever at 16 years and nine months, defeating four-time defending champion Chris Evert in the final.

She followed that up with the 1981 US Open singles title, and made a three other semifinals appearances between Flushing Meadows and Wimbledon from 1979-1981. However, Austin never made it past the French Open quarterfinals in 1982 and 1983, her first two times participating in the tournament.

It wasn’t as if Austin never had success on clay, as she ended Evert’s 125-match winning streak on the surface in early 1979, in addition to numerous other successes. Still, she could never advance past the quarters at Roland Garros while seeded No. 3 and No. 4 in 1982 and 1983, respectively.

Austin very well could have won a French Open (and many other tournaments) had back injuries and a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 1989 not cut her career short. She attempted one more French Open run in 1994, but lost in the first round.

Next: 13. Arthur Ashe

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