Pete Sampras seemed to have nothing left. After a tough two weeks, Sampras had finally succumbed to Australian Lleyton Hewitt in the final of the U.S. Open in September, 7-6, 6-1, 6-1. Sampras, a 13-time Grand Slam champion, had lost in his last attempt to win a major tournament in 2001. But two days later, the American's loss would be forgotten when terrorists slammed planes into the World Trade Center in New York, forever altering the skyline visible from the Arthur Ashe Tennis Center.
For Hewitt, the victory was one the 19-year-old Australian had prepared for his entire life. Hewitt would end 2001 with six titles, including his U.S. Open win over Sampras. Hewitt also ended the year as the youngest-ever number one in the world. He beat out Gustavo Kuerten after defeating the Brazilian in the Masters Series final in Australia. However, Hewitt and his Australian teammates were not able to win the Davis Cup title on home soil, that honor went to France, 3-2.
American Andre Agassi started the year by winning his third Australian Open title and his seventh major tournament by beating Arnaud Clement of France in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.
"I came into this week, this tournament, feeling like my game was solid," he said. "I was in a good position physically and winning it felt special. Defending it again is certainly a good feeling as well."
The Australian Open also saw the continuing comeback of American Jennifer Capriati. The 24-year-old scored victories over compatriots Lindsay Davenport and Monica Seles, and in the final over Martina Hingis of Switzerland, (6-4, 6-3). It was Capriati's first ever Grand Slam tournament win.
Capriati would capture her second major title of the year four months later on the red clay of Roland Garros. Again she had to fight her way past the top players in the world, scoring wins over Hingis, Davenport, Seles and Serena Williams.
Some thought Capriati might be too tired to take the French Open, and she lost the first set of the title match to Kim Clijsters of Belgium (1-6). However, the American came back to capture the title in three sets 1-6, 6-4, 12-10. Afterwards, Capriati struggled to believe she had won.
"I really never thought I would be standing here, 11 years later after playing my first time here when I was 14 years old," she said. "So really I am just waiting to wake up from this dream. It doesn't seem like a reality right now."
The men's champion was a familiar name, Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil. The 1997 and 2000 winner and a crowd favorite, Kuerten beat 1998 finalist Alex Corretja of Spain in four sets 6-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-love.
"Every time I come here I really give it all. It is like a magic place for me. All of my dreams coming true," he said. "So for me it is the place I am always going to enjoy more playing and so far it is the place where I have better emotions in my tennis."
Kuerten became the sixth man to win three French Open championships and the first to accomplish the feat since Sweden's Mats Wilander won his third title at Roland Garros in 1988.
Kuerten decided to skip Wimbledon and another crowd hero emerged on the grass of the All-England Club - Goran Ivanisevic. The tall Croatian with the powerful serve had come close to winning Wimbledon before - losing in the finals twice to Pete Sampras and once to Andre Agassi. He needed a wild-card invitation to this year's tournament, but he made the best of the opportunity.
After surviving a three-hour, five-set semifinal match against England's Tim Henman -- a match that took two days to complete because of rain -- Ivanisevic battled Australian Patrick Rafter.
Rain delays forced the final to be played on a Monday and it turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime event. Ivanisevic rallied from two match points down to beat Rafter in five sets 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7.
"This was my dream all of my life and you know to serve for the match suddenly I have a match point out of nowhere," he said. "I came here and nobody even talked about me and now I am holding this trophy. This is too good."
American Venus Williams had a much easier time defending her Wimbledon ladies' title. Though Belgium's Justine Henin took her to three sets, Williams overpowered her smaller foe 6-1, 3-6, 6-0.
"This year was a lot more difficult to win. Last year I was kind of like a deer in the headlights, I just kept going. This year it was a lot harder," she said. "I thought a lot more and you now I just think that I am really happy to be here."