By Scoop Malinowski
We all know about the famous Houston Astrodome Battle of the Sexes match – or hoax event as some imply – but there was another fusion clash between the sexes that happened on the practice courts at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in 1996.
I had never heard about it, the story was never talked about or written about. But yes, it actually happened, Marcelo Rios, a rising star in the ATP, faced off against a WTA journeywoman named Sandra Cacic.
Sandra’s brother Nenad tells the story: “Not too many know the story, but with all due respect l remember my sister Sandra Cacic beating Marcelo Rios in a very meaningful game of 21 without the serve. He wouldn’t let her have the center hard court she signed up for until she beat him for it, and he became ATP number one two years later and Nick was there watching with my dad. She won’t tell the story, but I will! This was before she played The Auckland Open in 1996, which she qualified for and then won the singles ladies championship title (defeated Barbara Paulus in final 63 16 64). Fourteen matches in a row in three weeks record stands to this day. This was the biggest tournament before the Australian Open everyone played. She went from 300 to top 30 with one tournament. Beating quite a few in the top ten and top five. Would be nice if her name was placed on the IMG Academy top 50 board of tennis players professional list, as I noticed it was missing when I was at the 2024 IMG Junior Championships.”
Rios finished 1995 ranked 25 in the world and despite this ego-deflating practice match loss to Sandra Cacic early in 1996, he still managed to have a breakout season and cracked the ATP top ten. The then 20-year-old Rios achieved excellent results in Masters 1000 tournaments, making the quarterfinals in Masters Series of Stuttgart and Rome, and the semifinals in Indian Wells, Monte Carlo, and Canada. In St Pölten, Austria, he won his fourth career ATP title by defeating Félix Mantilla 61, 64. Ríos also reached the final in Santiago, Barcelona and Scottsdale and finished 1996 ranked no. 11. In April 1998 Rios became world no. 1 after winning Key Biscayne (defeated Andre Agassi in final).
Cacic winning in Auckland was her only WTA title. Her best ranking was 39 in the world in 1994.
Sandra Cacic’s upset win vs. Marcelo Rios, based on an argument about court control, proved that the “King of the Court” on this fateful day was actually “Queen of the Court.”
IMG · Marcelo Rios · Nick Bollettieri · Sandra Cacic · WTA
