Aaron Krickstein
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox tennis biography
Aaron Krickstein (born August 2, 1967),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> nicknamed "Marathon Man",<ref name="google1">Template:Cite book</ref> is an American former professional tennis player who competed on the ATP Tour from 1983 to 1996. He currently competes on the Outback Champions Series Over-30 tour.
Krickstein reached his career high ATP ranking of World No. 6 on February 26, 1990.<ref name="autogenerated1">Template:Cite web</ref> He achieved this ranking on the back of wins in Sydney and Los Angeles, as well as his best ever results at Wimbledon and the US Open. He is perhaps best known for his five-set, marathon loss to Jimmy Connors at the 1991 US Open, which ESPN called "an instant classic".
Personal life
Krickstein was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the son of Evelyn, a housewife, and Herb Krickstein, a pathologist.<ref name="parents"> Template:Cite news </ref> His sister, Kathy, won the Big Ten tennis championship in 1978.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> He is the uncle of LPGA golfer Morgan Pressel, Kathy's daughter.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Krickstein is Jewish and in the early 1990s was one of three highly ranked Jewish-American tennis players, along with Jay Berger and Brad Gilbert.<ref name="google1" /><ref name="google2">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="google3">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Rosen, Harvey (May 10, 1989) Sporting Touch. The Jewish Post and News via Google news Page A20. Retrieved March 20, 2011</ref><ref>Rosen, Harvey (August 15, 1990) Sporting Touch. The Jewish Post and News via Google news Page 15. Retrieved March 20, 2011</ref> In 2025 Krickstein was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Krickstein has been the director of tennis at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida, since 2002.<ref name="Closure">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Career
Junior
Krickstein started playing tennis when he was six.<ref name="people1">Template:Cite magazine</ref> He became an active competitor on the high school tennis scene during his teens, and still holds the Michigan record for most consecutive match wins at this level (56). He played for University Liggett School.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>
Krickstein won the American National Under 16 championship in 1982. While still only 16, he was the US National Junior Tennis Association Champion, Clay Champion, and USTA National Champion in the 18s in 1983.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He won five consecutive junior championships.<ref name="people1" />
Professional
Krickstein set an ATP record for being the youngest player to win a singles title on the ATP Tour (at age 16, 2 months after his 16th birthday), in Tel Aviv. Krickstein set a record for being the youngest player to ever break the top 10 (at age 17).<ref name="google1" /><ref name="google2" /> As of January 2026, both records still stand.
In 1984, he won the U.S. Pro Tennis Championship, becoming its youngest winner, and a clay court tournament in Boston.<ref name="google3" /> In 1989 he won the Tokyo Indoor Tennis Tournament and a hard court tournament in Sydney, Australia.<ref name="google3" /> In 1991, 1992, and 1993 he won the South African Open.<ref name="google3" />
Krickstein had an injury-plagued career, which included stress fractures in his feet, problems with his knees and wrists in 1985 and 1986, and injuries suffered when he was hurt in a car accident in 1987.<ref name="Jews In Sports profile">Template:Cite web</ref>
His best finishes in a Grand Slam event were at the 1989 US Open, and at the 1995 Australian Open, where he reached the semi-finals.
Krickstein is perhaps best remembered for his famous five-set match against Jimmy Connors on Labor Day at the 1991 US Open. Krickstein had led the match 2–1 in sets and was ahead 5–2 in the fifth set, before losing the match in a tiebreaker. The match lasted four hours and 41 minutes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> According to ESPN, "The match was an instant classic." Before retractable roofs were constructed for use at the US Open, this match was the default television filler during tournament rain delays; because of this, it is probably the most viewed tennis match of all time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For about 24 years after the match, Krickstein and Connors only spoke a few words to each other. But in 2014, Krickstein called Connors to invite him to play a "reunion match" for members at the Florida country club where Krickstein was (and still is) the tennis director. They played in February 2015 and Krickstein won a pro set 8–5.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
He had a record of 10 career wins from 0–2 set deficits. His nickname "Marathon Man" was a reference to his ability to make a comeback when behind in a match.<ref name="google1" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=down>Template:Cite news</ref> Krickstein won 28 of his 37 career matches that went into a fifth set.
Krickstein defeated a number of top players, including Ivan Lendl (world #1) in 1990, Michael Stich (world #2 and #4) in 1994 and 1991, Stefan Edberg (world #3) in 1988 at the US Open, Boris Becker (world #3) in 1992, Mats Wilander (world #4) in 1984, Jimmy Arias (world #5) in 1984, and Sergi Bruguera (world #5) in 1994. He won against Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.
Davis Cup
Krickstein was a member of the United States Davis Cup team from 1985 to 1987, and also was a member of the 1990 squad. He compiled a 6–4 record in singles play during Davis Cup ties.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The highlight of Krickstein's Davis Cup career came in 1990 when he scored two, hard-fought victories in a World Group Quarterfinal tie against Czechoslovakia, leading his team to a 4–1 win.
ATP career finals
Singles: 19 (9 titles, 10 runner-ups)
|
|
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | [[1983 Tel Aviv Open – Singles|Template:Dts]] | Tel Aviv, Israel | Grand Prix | Hard | Template:Flagicon Christoph Zipf | 7–6, 6–3 |
| Loss | 1–1 | [[1984 Italian Open (tennis)|Template:Dts]] | Rome, Italy | Grand Prix | Clay | Template:Flagicon Andrés Gómez | 6–2, 1–6, 2–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 2–1 | [[1984 U.S. Pro Tennis Championships|Template:Dts]] | Boston, United States | Grand Prix | Clay | Template:Flagicon José Luis Clerc | 7–6(7–2), 3–6, 6–4 |
| Loss | 2–2 | [[1984 Sovran Bank Classic – Singles|Template:Dts]] | Washington, United States | Grand Prix | Clay | Template:Flagicon Andrés Gómez | 2–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 3–2 | [[1984 Tel Aviv Open – Singles|Template:Dts]] | Tel Aviv (2), Israel | Grand Prix | Hard | Template:Flagicon Shahar Perkiss | 6–4, 6–1 |
| Win | 4–2 | [[1984 Geneva Open – Singles|Template:Dts]] | Geneva, Switzerland | Grand Prix | Clay | Template:Flagicon Henrik Sundström | 6–7, 6–1, 6–4 |
| Loss | 4–3 | [[1985 Seiko Super Tennis Hong Kong|Template:Dts]] | Hong Kong, Hong Kong | Grand Prix | Hard | Template:Flagicon Andrés Gómez | 3–6, 3–6, 6–3, 4–6 |
| Loss | 4–4 | [[1986 Tel Aviv Open – Singles|Template:Dts]] | Tel Aviv, Israel | Grand Prix | Hard | Template:Flagicon Brad Gilbert | 5–7, 2–6 |
| Loss | 4–5 | [[1988 Tel Aviv Open – Singles|Template:Dts]] | Tel Aviv, Israel | Grand Prix | Hard | Template:Flagicon Brad Gilbert | 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 2–6 |
| Loss | 4–6 | [[Little Caesars Championship Tennis Tournament|Template:Dts]] | Detroit, United States | Grand Prix | Carpet | Template:Flagicon John McEnroe | 5–7, 2–6 |
| Win | 5–6 | [[1989 New South Wales Open – Men's singles|Template:Dts]] | Sydney, Australia | Grand Prix | Hard | Template:Flagicon Andrei Cherkasov | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Win | 6–6 | [[1989 Los Angeles Open – Singles|Template:Dts]] | Los Angeles, United States | Grand Prix | Hard | Template:Flagicon Michael Chang | 2–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Win | 7–6 | [[1989 Tokyo Indoor – Singles|Template:Dts]] | Tokyo, Japan | Grand Prix | Carpet | Template:Flagicon Carl-Uwe Steeb | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Loss | 7–7 | [[Japan Open (tennis)|Template:Dts]] | Tokyo, Japan | Championship Series | Hard | Template:Flagicon Stefan Edberg | 4–6, 5–7 |
| Loss | 7–8 | [[Queensland Open|Template:Dts]] | Brisbane, Australia | World Series | Hard | Template:Flagicon Brad Gilbert | 3–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 7–9 | [[Queensland Open|Template:Dts]] | Brisbane, Australia | World Series | Hard | Template:Flagicon Gianluca Pozzi | 3–6, 6–7(4–7) |
| Win | 8–9 | [[1992 South African Open (tennis)|Template:Dts]] | Johannesburg, South Africa | World Series | Hard | Template:Flagicon Alexander Volkov | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Loss | 8–10 | [[1992 Monte Carlo Open – Singles|Template:Dts]] | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Masters Series | Clay | Template:Flagicon Thomas Muster | 3–6, 1–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 9–10 | [[1993 South African Open (tennis)|Template:Dts]] | Johannesburg (2), South Africa | World Series | Hard | Template:Flagicon Grant Stafford | 6–3, 7–6(9–7) |
Performance timeline
Singles
Records
- These records were attained in the Open Era of tennis.
| Championship | Years | Record accomplished | Player tied |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Youngest player to end a year in the top 100 (16y 4 m; #94) | Stands alone | |
| Youngest player to win a singles title (16y 2 m) | Stands alone |