Steffi Graf on how social media impacts the mental health of children. 1 for 186 consecutive weeks from 17 August 1987: incredible footwork, a devastating forehand, an effective backhand and a powerful, reliable serve an all-round game that proved successful on every surface. Began playing Tennis: 1973 Turned Professional: 18.10.1982. [63][64], A strained right calf muscle forced Graf to withdraw from the Australian Open. Speculation was rife at the beginning of 1989 about the possibility of Graf winning another Grand Slam. 22 in 1984, and No. The partnership was the subject of much discussion, as the two women, both known to be shy, usually kept communication to a minimum during changeovers and between points, a highly unusual situation in doubles. The loss deprived her of the Golden Super Slam. [14][13], An exceptionally versatile competitor, Graf remains the only player, male or female, to have won the calendar-year Grand Slam on three surfaces or to have won each Grand Slam at least four times. Graf then won all five of her Fed Cup matches, helping Germany defeat Spain in the final by defeating Arantxa Snchez Vicario, 64, 62. At Wimbledon, however, Graf captured her third women's crown, this time at Sabatini's expense. Chicago was notable, however, for being the first tournament Graf played with her new coach, former Swiss player Heinz Gnthardt. . In February 2000, Graf played against Kimiko Date at Nagoya Rainbow Hall in Tokyo, winning in three sets. Stefanie ("Steffi") Graf | Former German Tennis Pro and Champion. The following day, Andre Agassi won the mens singles tournament, coming back from two sets down to beat Russias Andrei Medvedev, and he and Graf later started dating. This was a major upset as Garrison had to save a match point to defeat Monica Seles in the quarterfinal, and was expected to easily fall to Graf, whom she had not beaten in four years. The last few years of Graf's career were beset by injuries, particularly to her knees and back. 98 in 1983, No. And so many times she was able to absorb her opponent's biggest blows and . Martina [Navratilova] won more on fast courts and I won more on slow courts, but Steffi came along and won more titles on both surfaces. . "[89] The pair played their last major tournament together at the 1990 Wimbledon Championships, losing in the quarterfinals. [122] Graf's racquets were strung at 29 kilograms (64 pounds), significantly above the 50-60 pound range recommended by Wilson. Steffi Graf: Steffi Graf has 22 grand slams to her name, most coming during the late 80s and 90s. The assailant, a fan of German . Despite their differences, their careers, on and off the court . Though she did not win any title for the . played a game called "Can you last an hour on court with Graf" because throughout her career she used to beat her opponents 6-0 6-1. It would also be the last loss Graf would ever have to Novotna in a match she completed (she did have a loss after withdrawing with injury after the first set of a late 1996 match). She partnered with doubles specialist Mark Woodforde at the Australian Open in 1994, with Henri Leconte at Wimbledon in 1991 and at the French Open in 1994, and with Charlie Pasarell at the US Open in 1984. Graf is the only female athlete in the list of Forbes Top-30 Most recognizable and marketable athletes in 1995. Serena uses her hard and powerful groundstrokes to bully her opponents and uses her serve, like Federer, to set up the point before finishing it off . [82] Upon her return Graf defeated world No. [150] Flink said in 2020 that the jury was still out on (Serena) Williams as the greatest ever, but Williams' consistency over the long span did not match that of Graf or Navratilova. 'The Ten' went one way; you went another", "The greatest female tennis player of the last 50 years: the fans' verdict", "Exclusive Interview with Steve Flink about the career of Chris Evert", "A celebration of Martina Navratilova's multifaceted legacy", "Special events and records at the 1988 Australian Open Tennis Tournament", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Steffi_Graf&oldid=1140574067, Golden Slam (4 majors + Olympic gold in same calendar year), Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam in addition to already winning a Grand Slam, 100% match winning percentage in 1 season, 100% match winning percentage in 3 separate seasons, 89.67% (278-32) match winning percentage overall, 5 calendar years winning 3+ Grand Slam titles, Defeated the top 3 seeded players in the same tournament, Reached the final of all four Grand Slams tournaments in a calendar year, Reached the final of all four Grand Slams tournaments in a calendar year three times, 5 years as wire-to-wire (all 52 weeks) No. [131][132] In 2015, she was appointed as the brand ambassador of Kerala tourism, for promoting Ayurveda in North America and Europe. . Notable features of Graf's game were her versatility across all playing surfaces, footwork and powerful forehand drive. Graf's Grand Slam tournament breakthrough came in 1987. Shortly after winning in Tokyo, Graf injured her right thumb while cross-country skiing in Switzerland and subsequently withdrew from the Virginia Slims of Florida and the Lipton Championships. Next up were the grass courts of Wimbledon, where Graf was never in any danger until the final, when she came up against six-time defending champion Navratilova, unbeaten since 1981. 124. Her name was Martina Hingis. Jaz Elle Agassi is best known as being a daughter of former tennis couple Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi.. Parents Wedding. She was in hard-court action in the capital of the Republic of Korea on 20 September and breezed through the rounds conceding just one set, against the Soviet Unions Larissa Savchenko in the quarter-final before coming up against Sabatini once again in the gold-medal match on 1 October 1988. However, seeing the current situation, Graff also feels frightened. It actually had several major flaws, especially based on today's understanding of stroke. Having won the first three Majors of the year, Djokovic is three-fifths of the way to a . In the final, Evert was completely overwhelmed in the first set, losing 6-1. 1 was in peerless form on the clay courts of Roland Garros. Serena did that only for a few tournaments in her career while Steffi did . She lost twice to Sabatini in the early spring at the Lipton International and the Bausch & Lomb Championships, which now brought her to seven losses in her last eight matches against Sabatini; however, the Bausch & Lomb loss would be Graf's final loss to Sabatini, winning her next, and last eight matches against Sabatini.[49]. Like the exhibition match the previous year against Sabatini, proceeds went to "Children for Tomorrow". I was not having fun anymore. Graf became the first player in the open era to defeat the first, second, and third ranked players in the same Grand Slam tournament by beating second-ranked Davenport in the quarterfinals and third-ranked Seles in the semifinals. Steffi Graf - 22; The former German tennis star is third on the list with 22 grand slam titles victories. Williams VS Graf MATCHES VS ALL OPPONENTS I had one day to turn around, get home, change and get on the flight to Seoul. Graf then won three consecutive indoor titles at Tokyo, Zurich, and Brighton, before once again contending with Navratilova at the season-ending Virginia Slims Championships in New York. Voted Most admirable German woman by Amica magazine, 2005. Graf began 1993 with four losses in her first six tournaments of the year: two to Snchez Vicario and one each to Seles and the 36-year-old Martina Navratilova. Grand Slam tournament performance timeline. This narrow focus meant that Graf, already shy and retiring by nature,[24] made few friends on the tour in her early years, but it led to a steady improvement in her play. [25] During that period, she lost six times to Evert and three times to Navratilova, all in straight sets. Stefanie Maria Steffi" Graf 1969614 GOAT Four consecutive indoor tournament victories in the autumn helped improve her season, but for the third consecutive year, she failed to win the Virginia Slims Championships, where she lost in the first round to Lori McNeil. [137] She started dating Andre Agassi after the 1999 French Open and they married on 22 October 2001, with only their mothers as witnesses. [56][57] This was followed by a first-round straight-sets loss at Wimbledon to Lori McNeil, her only loss at Wimbledon between 1991 and 1997 and her first loss in a first round Grand Slam tournament in ten years. Yet again, she dropped a minimal number of games on the DecoTurf surface at Flushing Meadows and took full advantage of Everts forfeit in the semi-final. [77] Seles was behind 26 in the first-set tiebreaker, but then came back to win six points in a row and take the set. [144], In 1991, the Steffi Graf Youth Tennis Center in Leipzig was dedicated to her. [115], She built her powerful and accurate serve up to 183km/h (114mph), making it one of the fastest serves in women's tennis and was a capable volleyer. Graf defeated Mary Joe Fernndez in the final of the Australian Open, which was her eighth Grand Slam singles title in the last nine she contested. [83], At the French Open, Graf reached her first Grand Slam final in three years and fought back from a set and twice from a break down in the second set to defeat the top ranked Hingis in three sets for a memorable victory. Ideea de a ncerca jocul de tenis aparine tatlui ei, Peter Graf, care era agent la o asociaie de asigurri i vnztor de automobile pn la vrsta de 27 de ani cnd descoper posibilitile sale n domeniul sportului de tenis. 1999 Germany Television Award for her outstanding performance as tennis player and her importance to the German public. Graf and Kohde-Kilsch lost in the semifinals to Jana Novotn and Helena Sukov 75, 63. . Illness caused her to miss Wimbledon,[26] and an accident where she broke a toe several weeks later also curtailed her play. If Steffi Graf could shut out the world the way she shuts down opponents on the court then, for her, life would be perfect. She would later become the world's number one female tennis player. Her 0.977 winning percentage is the second-highest in the open era behind Navratilova.[44]. Graf again missed the Australian Open after undergoing surgery in December 1995 to remove bone splinters from her left foot. Stefanie Graf was born on 14 June 1969, in Mannheim, Baden-Wrttemberg, West Germany, to Heidi Schalk and car-and-insurance salesman Peter Graf (18 June 1938 30 November 2013).When she was nine years old, her family moved to the neighboring town of Brhl.She has a younger brother, Michael. The teenager had taken part at the Los Angeles Games in 1984 when tennis made its Olympic return as a demonstration sport, 60 years after it was dropped from the programme. She had an Adidas sneakers line known as the St. Graf Pro line. At the beginning of 1999 Graf played the warm up event to the Australian Open in Sydney; she defeated Serena Williams in the second round and Venus in the quarterfinals before losing to Lindsay Davenport in the semifinal. Four Grand Slam wins and an Olympic title in the same year a feat that no male or female player had achieved before or has done since. A mixture of injury problems, personal difficulties, and loss of form made 1991 a tough year for Graf. Last edited on 20 February 2023, at 18:23, BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year, Learn how and when to remove this template message, 3 different Grand Slam titles won without losing a set, 2 titles won without losing a set in the same calendar year, Tennis records of the Open Era - women's singles, "Duden | Steffi | Rechtschreibung, Bedeutung, Definition", "The 10 most influential players in the history of tennis", "ON TENNIS; Graf Is Best, Right? Shortly after the stabbing, during a players meeting at the Italian Open in Rome, 17 of the world's top 25 WTA members voted against preserving Seles' world No. First Grand Slam victory of the year for Graf: 6-1, 7-6. Vicario was the no 2 seed while Graf was ranked no 1. In 1985 and early 1986, Graf emerged as the top challenger to the dominance of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. Steffi Graf vs Serena Williams vs Martina Navratilova - Who is the Greatest Female tennis player of all time? Working with her father and then-coach Pavel Sloil, Graf typically practiced for up to four hours a day, often heading straight from airports to practice courts. Graf was the first tennis player to achieve the feat: wheelchair tennis players Diede de Groot and Dylan Alcott achieved the Golden Slam in 2021. This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 20:01. Do Not Disturb. The Trials of Steffi Graf. " ( . [74] Graf had led 41 in the second set tiebreak, only to lose six points in a row and force a decider. Victories at Zurich and Brighton preceded the Virginia Slims Championships, where Graf cemented her top-ranked status by beating Navratilova in the four-set final. She ended the 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, and 1996 tennis seasons as the worlds top-ranked player. She won her first French Open title since 1988 with a three-set victory over Mary Joe Fernndez in the final. thesportslegends. [37] He went on to add, "I saw what Steffi did to Sabatini at the Australian Open this year, and that was it. 1 on the computer the ITF named Sanchez Vicario its World Champion for the year, while the WTA backed their official rankings and named Graf. At Wimbledon, after struggling through early-round three-setters against Mariaan de Swardt and Patty Fendick, she easily defeated Natasha Zvereva in the quarterfinal, Sabatini in the semifinal, and Seles in the final, 62, 61, with Seles playing in almost complete silence because of widespread media and player criticism of her grunting. Serena was 17. We would just say the basic things, but nothing else. Graf played a singles exhibition match against Kim Clijsters and a mixed doubles exhibition alongside husband Andre Agassi against Tim Henman and Clijsters as part of a test event and celebration for the newly installed roof over Wimbledon's Centre Court in 2009. Graf won four indoor tournaments after the US Open, including a pair of straight-set wins over Sabatini in the finals of Zrich and Worcester. In the meantime, she lost surprisingly to Nicole Bradtke of Australia in a Fed Cup match on clay before winning the Acura Classic in San Diego and the Canadian Open in Toronto in preparation for the US Open. Sabatini served for the match twice, and was two points away from her first Wimbledon title. 3, having racked up a total of 107 tournament victories. Graf had already won 5 Wimbledon titles by then and was hunting for her 6th trophy. Graf remains one of the greatest champions in the history of her sport. She was successful, however, in the mixed doubles match. In an interview with Stern magazine in July 1990, Graf stated, "I could not fight as usual."[46]. 1 ranking. Although Sabatini got the best of Graf in the semifinals of the season-ending Virginia Slims Championships, Graf still finished the year as the top-ranked player. 1 Martina Hingis of Switzerland. This is a list of the main career statistics of professional tennis player Steffi Graf. [149], Tennis writer Steve Flink, in his book The Greatest Tennis Matches of the Twentieth Century, named Graf as the best female player of the 20th century. After losing a fifth straight time to Sabatini in Amelia Island, Florida, Graf again defeated Seles in the Hamburg final. [44] Graf briefly regained the top ranking after winning at Wimbledon but lost it again after her loss to Navratilova at the US Open. [24] In 1985, for instance, she played only ten events leading up to the US Open, whereas another up-and-coming star, Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina, who was a year younger than Graf, played 21. [108] She was ranked world No. 29 Jan Tennis Norge . In the 1980s and '90s Graf was ranked the top woman player by the Women's Tennis Association . In Indian Wells Graf lost to Serena Williams in three sets. Grand Slams) main-draw, Olympic Games and Fed Cup are included in winloss records. [133], In 1997, she left the Catholic Church, citing personal reasons. In the Miami final, she lost her first set of the yearto Natasha Zverevaafter winning 54 consecutive sets. In 1996, Steffi Graf was famously proposed to by a fan as she was getting ready to serve. A commemorative plaque outside the venue in Seoul bears testament to the event: Historic Place for Golden Slam. All right, yes, there is the winning and, with it, the money, but they come too easily and bring only temporary relief. She survived an intense three-set battle with Helena Sukova in the semis, breaking in the tenth and final game to win the third set 64. It was the days when the Williams . The 19-year-old Graf lost the first set 7-5 before getting the measure of her rival and fighting back to take the next two sets 6-2, 6-1. [50][51], During Seles's absence, Graf won 65 of 67 matches,[52] three of four Grand Slam events and the year-end Virginia Slims championships. [127], Graf has signed many endorsement deals throughout the years including a ten-year endorsement deal with car manufacturer Opel in 1985,[128] and Rexona from 1994 to 1998. In 2008 Graf lost an exhibition match against Kimiko Date at Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo. Fernandez had two break points to take a 30 and double break lead in the third set. Djokovic is now into his 378th week as the world number one, surpassing Steffi Graf's record for the most weeks at the top of the sport, a feat that prompted some of his young rivals to express . In 1987, Grafs career truly took off: she won her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, beating world no. [146], In December 1999, Graf was named the greatest female tennis player of the 20th century by a panel of experts assembled by the Associated Press. In a close French Open final, Graf again overcame Snchez Vicario, taking the third set 108. [73] Graf came back to the tour in March, winning back to back titles in Indian Wells and Miami, followed by a record ninth title at the German Open in May and a quarterfinal defeat in Rome against Martina Hingis. She was one of the most fierce Tennis stars of her generation and tasted great success on every court. She returned to win a small tournament at Mahwah just before the US Open where, in one of the most anticipated matches of the year, she encountered Navratilova in a semifinal. Steffi Graf is seen as one of tennis' best ever players, winning 22 Grand Slams but 1988 was the year that will never be beaten. The match was played over two days with Navratilova finally winning after saving three match points 61, 67, 76. Seemingly free of injury for the first time in years, Graf began the year by winning the Australian Open, where she defeated Arantxa Snchez Vicario in the final with the loss of only two games. [116][13] Graf stated that grass was her favorite surface to play on, while clay was her least favorite. Defending champion Steffi Graf was seeded first again at the French Open and swiftly went about beating her opponents, dropping only 11 games until the semi-finals.. Up against fourth-seeded Argentine Gabriela Sabatini in the last four, Steffi Graf faced her first real test, but overcame it with ease, winning 6-3, 7-6 to go through to the final. She soon began taking the top prize at junior tournaments with regularity, going on to win the European Championships 12s and 18s in 1982. The American then took her opponent to a tie-break in the second set, eventually going down 7-3. In the womens tournament, Williams could repeat the achievement if she competes in what will be her fifth Olympic Games. Then on 11 September in New York, Graf became the first woman to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same year since Australias Margaret Smith-Court in 1970. Key; W F SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A . Steffi is the GOAT in women's tennis because she's the most dominant player to ever play this game. Steffi Graf was born in Mannheim, West Germany on June 14, 1969. They have two children. ", "Graf edges Hingis, captures sixth and 'last' French title", "Do Not Disturb: If Steffi Graf could shut out the world the way she shuts down opponents on the court then, for her, life would be perfect", "Tennis | Martinez wins controversial clash", "Results Archive - Steffi Graf - Australian Open Tennis Championships", "Tennis: Wimbledon 99 - Magic mixture of McEnroe and Graf", "TENNIS; Without Dad Around To Disturb Her, Lucic Upsets Fourth-Seeded Seles at Wimbledon", "Graf overcomes layoff to beat Coetzer in farewell exhibition", "* NZine * Tennis - The Biggest Participant Sport In New Zealand - Tennis, Steffi Graf, Indoor Tennis Centre, Davis Cup, Anthony Wilding, Wilding Park, Maurice Agar, Scenic Circles Indoor Tennis Centre, New Zealand Tennis", "Steffi Graf delights crowd at Westside Tennis Club - Houston Chronicle", "Steffi Graf: The Queen Returns to Centre Court", "Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Elton John headline an evening of tennis for charity in Washington", "ASAP Sports Transcripts - Tennis - 1995 - WTA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS - November 18 - Steffi Graf", "Today in Performance Sneaker History: Steffi Graf Becomes First Female with 500 Wins in Signature adidas Model", "Take a look at this Dunlop Steffi Graf ad from 1989! When she was nine years old, her family moved to the neighboring town of Brhl.