When Andre Agassi retired at this year’s U.S. Open, the finest era in the history of American tennis officially came to a close. Agassi, Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, and Michael Chang won 27 Grand Slam titles among them. Three of them reached no. 1 in the world, and Sampras stayed there for a record 286 weeks. No country has ever produced such a surplus of tennis talent at one time.

Sad as it was to see that generation’s final hours, if Courier has his way, all four of these stars will entertain fans for years to come. Last November, Courier and longtime friend Jon Venison resurrected the senior’s tour that died in the United States in 2002. It’s now called the Champions Series and features Courier, Chang (who is injured), John McEnroe, Mats Wilander, Pat Cash, Goran Ivanisevic, and Todd Martin, among others. Agassi might need a few years to unwind and mend his ailing back before he returns to competition, but Sampras played a few exhibitions this year and seems ready to join the Champions Series in 2007.

“I think the chances of getting Sampras for next year are very good,” Courier said in an interview last week. “Pete’s enjoying the game, and he knows he’s welcome. We’ve been in extensive discussions to that effect, but no announcements yet.”

Courier, 36, has known Venison since he was a 15-year-old pounding forehands at Nick Bollettieri’s tennis academy in Florida.Courier was that rare player who kept improving and winning as the competition became increasingly fierce; Venison spent three years on the fringes of the tour before beginning a career in business and finance at Bear Stearns & Co. and later SFX Entertainment, which was acquired by entertainment behemoth Clear Channel Communications. Together, the two founded InsideOut Sports & Entertainment (the name is a nod to Courier’s deadly forehand) in 2004.

It’s no surprise that Courier has adapted well to the business world. His tennis was organized and tenacious rather than flashy, and required unsurpassed fitness and concentration. He trained harder than his peers, and that ethic seems to have carried over to his new line of work — negotiating television contracts, meeting with sponsors (the chief sponsor of the series, Outback Steakhouse, is signed through 2008), poring over attendance figures (about 15,000 a week at four events this year, he said), and finding a sixth city for next year’s series (this year the series has traveled to Naples, Fla.; Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; and Memphis, Tenn.; and it concludes next month in Houston). Courier never seems to stray far from his e-mail, whether he’s in New York, now his home city, or on the road playing, ironing out a deal, or working as a commentator.

Once Courier gets on the court, though, he leaves the business to Venison and the rest of his team. Despite his loss to McEnroe in Memphis this weekend, 6–4, 6–3, he remains in first place for the season. While that obviously does not compare to the satisfaction of being no. 1 in the world, he said his relationship with tennis is a lot healthier than it once was.

“I own my tennis now, it doesn’t own me,” he said. “When you are a young player and you are scrapping and fighting every week on the tour, tennis owns you. It overwhelms you, and you can really only do it so many years mentally as well as physically. I was the fittest guy on tour. I know what the commitment is. And I also know that my body can’t sustain that anymore. Perspective allows this to be more fun.The wins feel about 90% as good as they did, and the losses feel about 10% as bad.”

Though the last senior’s tour died in the United States in 2002, it continues on in Europe. Courier believes there is no reason it cannot succeed again in the States. So far, he has targeted cities that don’t host professional tennis events, or once did, like Boston. Champions Series competitors must have won or appeared in a Grand Slam final, or been ranked inside the top five, or played singles on a winning Davis Cup team. Each event donates to a charity; so far this year, the series has raised more than $500,000, Courier said. Stadiums for Champions Series tournaments typically hold 2,500 to 3,000 people, and tickets sell for as little as $15 for early week action.

“Every seat in our stadium would be inside the lower-level fishbowl of Arthur Ashe,” Courier said.

As much as Courier would like to add Sampras and Agassi to the mix, he already has a phenomenal draw in McEnroe. The master volleyer’s temper tantrums are delivered for comic effect these days, but his game is no joke. McEnroe is in second place this year, and has defeated Martin, Wilander, Cash, and Ivanisevic (and now Courier). He and Courier often practice at Tennisport in Long Island City, and McEnroe has been known to drub local pros who are half his age.

“He’s so sneaky with his movement, and he’s added an inside-out forehand in the last few years,” Courier said.”I don’t think anyone has ever played tennis as well as John is playing it at 47 years old.”

At the moment, the Champions Series has limited availability to New Yorkers. It appears on regional Fox Sports cable channels, and the Tennis Channel rebroadcasts a week later. New Yorkers already have the U.S. Open, but Courier would not mind giving them another week of tennis.

“We’d love to have something in New York City, but things have to fall in the right way,”he said.”These things are not cheap — marketing costs, venue costs, and the player costs.”

A businesslike answer from a tennis player who now puts business first.