How it unfolded
Agassi, 29, had fallen to world No. 141 in November 1997 and rebuilt through the lower tours; in Paris he was the 13th seed. Andrei Medvedev of Ukraine arrived from outside the top 100 on an unexpected run. Medvedev dominated early with flat power for 6-1, 6-2. Rain interrupted the third set; on a heavier court after the delay Agassi's returns and compact backswing began to bite. He took the third and fourth 6-4, 6-3, broke once in the fifth for 6-4, and sank to his knees on the clay. He became only the fifth man after Budge, Perry, Laver and Emerson to hold all four majors, then won the US Open and finished No. 1 that year.
Why it still matters
In the 1990s, when surface specialists made a career Grand Slam seem impossible, one player conquering all four surfaces reopened the path Federer, Nadal and Djokovic would follow.