A bout of rubella forced Graf to miss the first major event of 1992, the Australian Open. 22 in 1984, and No. Graf later stated it was the best tennis she had ever played in a Grand Slam final. She repeated the feat in 1993, 1995, and 1996. [36] Graf also won her only Grand Slam doubles title that yearat Wimbledon partnering Sabatiniand picked up a women's doubles Olympic bronze medal. Opponent W L Win% TB W L TB% First Last MS DR A% DF% 1stIn 1st% 2nd% SPW RPW BPSvd% BPCnv% 40: Gabriela Sabatini [ARG] 29: 11: 72.5%: 14: 7: 7: 50.0%: . Voted Most admirable German woman by Amica magazine, 2005. [16], In March 2012, Tennis Channel picked Graf as the greatest female tennis player ever in their list of 100 greatest tennis players of all time. [67][68], In personal terms, 1995 was a difficult year for Graf, as she was accused by German authorities of tax evasion in the early years of her career. International Olympic Committee. Graf is the only person to have won the 'Golden Slam' (1988). At the first round of the season-ending Chase Championships, Graf defeated world No. Graf's semifinal match at the 1988 US Open was a walkover (so not counted as win), The main weapons in Graf's game were her powerful inside-out forehand drive (which earned her the moniker Frulein Forehand) and her intricate footwork. n 1973 Steffi avea 3 ani cnd a luat prima oar n Brhl (Baden) o rachet de tenis n mn. At the end of the year, the municipality of Brhl, her hometown, gave her the title of honorary citizen. The 1995 Wimbledon final is regarded as one of the most dramatic women's major finals in history as Graf and Snchez Vicario battled in a tight third set that included a 16-minute long, 13-deuce game on Sanchez Vicario's serve at 55. [108] She was ranked world No. [68] And stepping on the plane there was a big group of German athletes on it. Novak Djokovic has arrived in Japan for the Tokyo Olympics 2020, and he is looking as confident as ever. "Steffi Graf is the best all-around player," said Evert, whose name is also mentioned as one of the all-time greats. That was the last competitive match Graf and Snchez Vicario would ever play against one another. However, seeing the current situation, Graff also feels frightened. It just felt something special that I was going to, recalls Graf. Since then, four players managed a 271 winloss record, meaning all of them failed to win the Grand Slam: Graf in 1989 and 1993, Martina Hingis in 1997, Roger Federer in 2006 and Novak Djokovic in both 2015 and 2021. [47] She would work with him for the remainder of her career. The match was poised for a final set to decide the . 3 at that time and said, "I have done everything I wanted to do in tennis. After losing the Wimbledon final against the USAs Lindsay Davenport that same year, Graf retired from sport in August while she was still world no. "[87], From the beginning of her career until 1990, Graf regularly played doubles matches in Grand Slams and other tournaments, winning a total of 11 doubles titles. Some noted observers, such as Margaret Court, suggested that Graf could achieve the feat a couple more times. [105] It was the first time in 14 years Graf had played Navratilova. TMF. At the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Graf lost to Jennifer Capriati in the final and claimed the silver medal. 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. In an interview with Stern magazine in July 1990, Graf stated, "I could not fight as usual."[46]. The weeks following Wimbledon [in 1999] weren't easy for me. And on 5 June 1988, the match for the championship against the Soviet Unions Natasha Zvereva lasted a mere 34 minutes, with Zverera mustering only a few points in a 6-0, 6-0 whitewash. Steffi Graf was born as Stefanie Maria Graf to Peter and Heidi Graf in Mannheim, Germany. Just Don't Ask Her", "The Shadow of Steffi Graf: Before Serena, Women's Tennis Had Another Unconquerable Force ", "Remembering What Made Steffi Graf a Tennis Legend", "73 Questions with Serena Williams | Vogue", "Tennis in Reunified Germany: Then and Now The Tennis Island", "Serving Her Country A Grand Slam May Have Brought West Germany's Steffi Graf Fame And Fortune, But To The Delight Of Her Countrymen Who've Watched Her Climb To The Top, She Remains 'one Of Them', "Steffi's father Peter Graf dies after cancer battle", "Both on and Off Court, Graf Has Come a Long Way in Past Year", "Tennis Roundup: Mysterious Illness Forces Graf to Withdraw From Wimbledon", "Graf Defeats Evert, Gains No. Graf then went on to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open before losing to Monica Seles in two sets. [77] Steffi Graf on how social media impacts the mental health of children. 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. Winner of as many as 22 Grand Slam titles, Steffi's presence was enough to send shivers down the spine of her opponents. Speculation was rife at the beginning of 1989 about the possibility of Graf winning another Grand Slam. Only results in WTA Tour (incl. She struggled at the German Open in Berlin where she lost a 60 set to the unheralded Sabine Hack before defeating Mary Joe Fernndez and Sabatini in three-set matches to claim her seventh title there in eight years. We would just say the basic things, but nothing else. [61] She took the following nine weeks off, returning only for the Virginia Slims Championships where she lost in straight sets to Pierce in the quarterfinal. Social invitations on the tour were often declined as Graf's focus was kept on practicing and match play. 1 ranking. Graf's schedule was closely controlled by her father, who limited her play so that she would not burn out. In the 1980s and '90s Graf was ranked the top woman player by the Women's Tennis Association . She soon began taking the top prize at junior tournaments with regularity, going on to win the European Championships 12s and 18s in 1982. Margaret Court, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams. Sabatini served for the match twice, and was two points away from her first Wimbledon title. 1988 French Open. She then successfully defended her title at the US Open, defeating Monica Seles in the final. Graf is the first German to win the Spain's 'Prince of Asturias' award. "[89] The pair played their last major tournament together at the 1990 Wimbledon Championships, losing in the quarterfinals. However, in the Federation Cup final in Vancouver, Canada, three weeks later, she defeated Evert easily 62, 61. Even discounting that result, no other player had played and won 27 Grand Slam matches in a single year before. The world of tennis is still waiting for another player capable of such a feat in the same calendar year! 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. Steffi Graf, a Tennis champ is married to husband Andre Agassi with two children. In her professional tennis career, Steffi Graf spent 377 weeks as the No. [117] Early in her career, Graf used the Dunlop Maxpower Pro and Maxpower Kevlar racquets and then played with the Max 200G racquet from 1984 to 1993[118][119][120][121] before switching to Wilson from 1994 to 1999. She basically became a backhand slice guru ,,, This became only single taint in Graf's tennis career. SAN DIEGO The shock was not that top-ranked Steffi Graf won another match, 6-0, 6-0. Stefanie Maria Graf (/rf, rf/ GRA(H)F, German: [tfi af] (listen);[4][5] born 14 June 1969) is a German former professional tennis player. [94] At the 1999 Wimbledon Championships, Graf formed a much-publicized partnership with John McEnroe, with whom she reached the semifinals before withdrawing due to concerns that her uncertain hamstring, coupled with a bout of bronchitis, would affect her in the singles final. thesportslegends. Steffi is the GOAT in women's tennis because she's the most dominant player to ever play this game. Graf then lost a closely contested final to Monica Seles, 26, 63, 810. She won 7 Wimbledon, 6 French Open, 5 US Open and 4 Australian Open . Williams VS Graf MATCHES VS ALL OPPONENTS Focus only on getting better. Extremely sound advice! ", "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! I had one day to turn around, get home, change and get on the flight to Seoul. Graf again missed the Australian Open after undergoing surgery in December 1995 to remove bone splinters from her left foot. Graf retired in August 1999 while ranked world No. steffi graf opponents. [9] She won 107 singles titles, ranking her third on the WTA's all-time list after Martina Navratilova (167 titles) and Chris Evert (157 titles). Graf reached 13 consecutive singles major finals from the 1987 French Open to the 1990 French Open, winning nine of them. As a result, she hit her forehand with exceptional pace and accuracy. This was not a first-round sacrifice, an opponent drawn at random. The win elevated Graf to the world No. In 1988, Graf became only the second tennis player in history to win a Slam on hardcourt, clay, and grass all in the same season. Steffi Graf, byname of Stephanie Maria Graf, (born June 14, 1969, Brhl, West Germany [now in Germany]), German tennis player who dominated women's tennis in the late 1980s and '90s, winning 22 Grand Slam singles titles. [85][86] She was ranked No. 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. Began playing Tennis: 1973 Turned Professional: 18.10.1982. Associations of International Sport Federations, Organising Committees for the Olympic Games. Graf then capped the year by beating countrywoman Anke Huber in a five-set final at the season-ending WTA Championships in 2 hours and 46 minutes. In 2008 Graf lost an exhibition match against Kimiko Date at Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo. She always said: I never look back, I look forward, but she also said: You can't measure success if you have never failed. After breaking Sabatini's serve to even the third set at 66, Graf defeated Sabatini by winning the next two games to take the match 64, 36, 86. Highly emotional and sensitive, with a temperament more suited to a poet than to a professional athlete, Steffi had a poignant sadness about . It was decided to grant her a joint number-one ranking with Graf who took her first loss of the year in the first round to Amanda Coetzer. Graf won 6-0, 6-0. Graf started 1988 by winning the Australian Open, defeating Chris Evert in the final 61, 76. In the middle of the second set, Graf suffered back spasms while reaching for a ball in the ad court. 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. She hit the sliced backhand harder and with more underspin than any woman I have ever seen. The pair was moderately successful, winning the 1988 Wimbledon Championships together and reaching the finals of the French Open in 1986, 1987 and 1989.
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