He became the first player from his country to win a Grand Slam title when he beat Andre Agassi 35 years ago

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Winning a Grand Slam title is the pinnacle of most player’s careers, as they search for success at the sport’s four biggest tournaments.

The Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open tournaments, are the four biggest in tennis, as players begin every year with dreams of Major success.

In 2024 it was Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz who shared the four Grand Slams, with the former winning in Melbourne and New York, while the latter took victory in Paris and London.

Sinner carried his Grand Slam-winning form into 2025, as he defended his Australian Open title, beating Alexander Zverev in the final.

Both Sinner and Alcaraz have added to their nation’s Major winning history, as Italy and Spain have enjoyed their fair share of champions over the years.

The same can’t be said for every country, however, with some enjoying just one victory, as was the case for a South American nation back in 1990.

Andres Gomez: The man who beat Andre Agassi to win Ecuador’s only Grand Slam title 35 years ago

Looking to build on America’s storied history in tennis, Andre Agassi qualified for his first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros, 35 years ago.

Entering the event as the number three seed, 20-year-old Agassi knocked out the legendary Jim Courier and defending champion Michael Chang on his way to the showpiece match in Paris.

He was favored to come away with the trophy, facing off against Ecuador’s Andres Gomez, who was appearing in his first Major final at 30 years of age.

Gomez had looked imperious on his run to the French Open final, dropping just one set, as he stood a match away from history.

The Ecuadorian began the final in excellent form, clinching the first set, 6-3 battling hard against his younger opponent.

Agassi fought back, dominating the second set, as he leveled proceedings, 4-6, 6-2, heading into the third.

It was there that Gomez pushed ahead, winning the final two sets 6-4, 6-4, as he lifted the title high on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The powerhouse tennis nation of America had been stunned by Ecuador and Gomez, as the 30-year-old won his nation’s only Major singles title.

Returning to the scene of his greatest victory in 2020, Gomez reflected upon the win that saw his name etched into Ecuadorian sporting history.

“It’s just surreal, it still is, it’s hard to describe,” he told Roland Garros.

At 30 years of age, Gomez was nearing the end of his career when he beat Agassi 35 years ago, a poetic end to his time in the sport that he summed up beautifully.

“With the years passing by it was probably a sunset for my ATP career,” he said.

“But it became a sunrise for the rest of my life.”

Did Andre Agassi ever win the French Open title?

The young American returned one year later searching for his first Major title, but came up short once again, losing in the final to Courier in a five-set thriller.

He then began to struggle at the event, reaching the semi-finals just once in his next five visits to the French capital.

• 1992 French Open – Andre Agassi lost to Jim Courier (SF)
• 1994 French Open – Andre Agassi lost to Thomas Muster (2R)
• 1995 French Open – Andre Agassi lost to Yevgeny Kafelnikov (QF)
• 1996 French Open – Andre Agassi lost to Chris Woodruff (2R)
• 1998 French Open – Andre Agassi lost to Marat Safin (1R)

Fresh off a first-round defeat in 1998, expectations weren’t too high for Agassi when he entered the 1999 tournament as the 13th seed.

The American hadn’t won a title on the clay in seven years but showed his class as he qualified for the final, playing some of his best tennis.

On the other side of the court from Agassi stood Andrei Medvedev, who had won four Masters series events on the clay in the 1990s.

It was Medvedev who got out of the blocks quickest, establishing a two-set lead, as the ghosts of French Open past looked to haunt the American.

He was not to be denied, however, as he took his game to another level, eventually winning in five sets, 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

At the third time of asking, Agassi had taken to the court for a French Open final and won, as it was finally his turn to lift the trophy in front of the Parisian crowd.

Nine years on from his heartbreak against Gomez, Agassi was a French Open champion, a feat no American male has repeated since.

Perhaps the likes of Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton could change that later this year, when tennis returns to Paris for the French Open on Sunday, May 25.