Seeing a reply again on this got me to read the first page of the thread again, it really is quality stuff. Just about every team people threw out there brings back vivid memories. When it comes to culture, sports and hip-hop are the only things I know thoroughly that can bring back such clear memories.
I didn't even touch tennis, and I grew up going to the tennis club every weekend from about 5 years old to 11 years old, and then regularly again in high school, though we lived a bit further away. All we did there was play and watch tennis (with a little college football thrown in there).
Bjorn Borg - I'm a bit too young
McEnroe - That's around the time I was born. He was still playing when I got into it, but it wasn't his peak.
Steffi Graf I remember for sure. My tennis coach had a crush on her. When she was on her game, she was so unbeatable it actually became a bit boring, but she had the total package. Btw, I was little, so my tennis crush was Jennifer Capriati.
Martin Hingis - Legit. You like the surgical/cerebral type of players. Well, except for McEnroe.
Given your love for some bonkers and rather violent films, I'm surprised you didn't list Monica Seles.
My tennis heroes:
Michael Chang - But why? He only won one Grand Slam, and it was when I was 7. It was the lobs. From a young age, I loved to hit lobs and just run all over the court. He was elite in those areas and I just thought he was the best to watch.
Pete Sampras - I only really appreciated him when he started to decline. I saw him play an opening round match at center court at the US Open, and we were only in there for like an hour and a half. He just dispatched his opponents. I liked him over Agassi because at the time the flair didn't really impress me, and also my dad was a huge Agassi fan, and a lot of teams and players I rooted for were just to oppose him, lol.
Serena and Venus Williams - They were at that same US Open as teenagers, playing doubles together on one of the small side courts. We watched them, and while they weren't spectacular at doubles at the time, you just watched their best points and thought, no one will be able to beat them when they figure it out. Then they did.
My problem with tennis is that I get bored with the domination of individual players. The Williams sisters never got boring because I love their story so much and think they're phenomenal people. Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal are all pretty boring, though. Nadal has some flair, but none of them really interest me. I should start watching again a bit more, though. I should start playing again, too.
The Raducanu story is just wild because she did the impossible. Leicester City winning the Premier League in 2016 is still probably the least probable thing to happen in the sports that I follow, but Emma and Leicester and pretty neck and neck. (Tom Brady becoming the greatest QB of all-time might beat them both. Hmm.)