The rivalry began late in the 1980s with both players being considered the prodigies of the next great generation of American tennis players and both being of foreign descent.
ðə ɹˈaɪvəlɹi bɪɡˈæn lˈeɪt ɪnðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi z wɪð bˈoʊθ plˈeɪɚz bˌiːɪŋ kənsˈɪdɚd ðə pɹˈɑːdɪdʒiz ʌvðə nˈɛkst ɡɹˈeɪt dʒˌɛnɚɹˈeɪʃən ʌv ɐmˈɛɹɪkən tˈɛnɪs plˈeɪɚz ænd bˈoʊθ bˌiːɪŋ ʌv fˈɔːɹən dᵻsˈɛnt.