Aaron Krickstein
A teenage tennis prodigy who became famous for his epic, grueling five-set matches on the global stage.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American tennis player·Birthday: August 2·Generation X
Biography
Aaron Krickstein became the youngest male to win a top-level singles title at age 16, a record that held for decades. His baseline-hugging, relentless style earned him the nickname "Marathon Man"—he specialized in draining, physical battles that tested his own endurance as much as his opponent's. Though he never captured a Grand Slam singles title, he consistently ranked among the world's best, reaching the semifinals of the US Open and the Australian Open. His career is most remembered for a specific, dramatic loss: a five-set thriller to Jimmy Connors at the 1991 US Open, where the veteran pointed at the teenage Krickstein during his comeback. That match secured his place as a central figure in one of the sport's most memorable moments.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Aaron was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Aaron Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Aaron's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the youngest male player to win a top-level Grand Prix tour event in 1983 at age 16.
- Achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 6 in 1990.
- Reached the semifinals of the US Open in 1989 and the Australian Open in 1995.
- Won nine ATP Tour singles titles over his professional career.
- Played on the United States Davis Cup team in 1989 and 1990.
Did You Know?
He turned professional immediately after graduating from high school.
His sister, Allison Krickstein, was also a professional tennis player.
He is Jewish and is often cited among the sport's most successful Jewish players.
The famous match against Jimmy Connors on his 39th birthday was on Krickstein's own 24th birthday.
After retiring, he became a successful tennis coach and commentator.
“My game was built on consistency and making my opponent work for every point.”
