She won 22 Grand Slam Singles' teetles, an in 1988 wis the only tennis player tae achieve the "Gowden Slam", winnin, in the Singles, aw fower Grand Slam teetles an the Olympic Gowd medal in the semme year. Steffi Graf vs Serena Williams vs Martina Navratilova - Who is the Greatest Female tennis player of all time? She did not drop a set en route to the final, defeating Czechoslovakias Hana Mandlkov in the quarter-final and compatriot Claudia Kohde-Kilsch in the semi-final. 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. 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 shock was who she did it against. [89][114], Graf also had a powerful backhand drive but over the course of her career tended to use it less frequently, opting more often for an effective backhand slice. [142] The Graf-Agassi family resides in Summerlin, a community in the Las Vegas Valley. Her career prize-money earnings totalled US$21,895,277 (a record until Lindsay Davenport surpassed this amount in January 2008). Fury's brother suggests alternative opponent if Usyk fight does not happen. [63][64], A strained right calf muscle forced Graf to withdraw from the Australian Open. The Tennis 128: No. 2, Steffi Graf - Heavy Topspin WATCH THIS STORY: When Roger Federer toyed his opponent so bad, he asked for advice from Andre Agassi in the crowd Wimbledon championships. [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. 1999 Prince of Asturias Award, one of the most important awards of Spain and named after the heir apparent of Spain. 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 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]. 1 ranking. Seles won the match on her fifth match point; Graf came within two points of winning the match a few games earlier. Graf then reached her ninth Wimbledon singles final, losing to third-seeded Davenport in straight sets. In the Miami final, she lost her first set of the yearto Natasha Zverevaafter winning 54 consecutive sets. Graf again missed the Australian Open after undergoing surgery in December 1995 to remove bone splinters from her left foot. 1 Ranking", "Graf wastes no time reaching another final", "Roland-Garros - the 2021 Roland-Garros Tournament official site", "The 1988 French Open: how Agassi arrived, Graf ruled and Wilander won", "TENNIS; Graf Shuts Out Zvereva to Gain French Open Title", "Wimbledon; An Era Ends as Graf Beats Navratilova", "Forget Calendar Slam, "Surface Slam" Almost as Rare", "THE SEOUL GAMES: Women's Tennis: Graf Turns Her Slam Into a Golden One", "SURPRISE! Going back in time, one can recall the right-handed player who fearlessly outplayed her opponents. After victories in Montreal and San Diego, Graf reached the US Open final, where she lost in straight sets to Sabatini. She always said: I never look back, I look forward, but she also said: You can't measure success if you have never failed. 22 in 1984, and No. [155], In 2004, the Berliner Tennis-Arena was renamed Steffi-Graf-Stadion in honor of Graf. During a quarterfinal match between Seles and Magdalena Maleeva in Hamburg, Seles was stabbed between the shoulder blades by a mentally ill German fan of Graf, Gnter Parche. As true as that forehand was, the mask was no less a lie. to overwhelm her opponents. She was unstoppable. 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. Online", "GOAT Vote: Steffi or Serena? Stefanie Graf was awarded with the Golden Sports Pyramid, the highest distinction of the German Sports Fund in Herzogenaurach by the Adidas chairman Herbert Hainer on 24 June 2008. Venus Williams won her first Games titles 19 years ago, and she hasnt finished yet! Pause, rewind, play: The great Steffi Graf forehand - Scroll.in Steffi Graf: Steffi Graf has 22 grand slams to her name, most coming during the late 80s and 90s. The USAs Andre Agassi sealed his Career Golden Slam with the gold medal at Atlanta 1996, Spains Rafael Nadal did so at Beijing 2008 and American Serena Williams completed hers at London 2012. Sabatini served for the match twice, and was two points away from her first Wimbledon title. "Peter Graf" redirects here. Serena was 17. She was named the 1988 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year. Graf won seven singles titles at Wimbledon, six singles titles at the French Open, five singles titles at the US Open, and four singles titles at the Australian Open. 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. Mystery of Steffi Graf's BACKHAND - Talk Tennis Steffi Graf - Children, Andre Agassi & Facts - Biography This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 20:01. But from 1990 onward, Graf hit fewer & fewer of those beautiful backhand drive/topspins for some reason. Steffi Graf Remains Best Women's Tennis Player Of All Time - Forbes But Vicario took the first set and Graf took the second. Seles established herself as the new dominant player on the women's tour, winning the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open and, in March, ending Graf's record 186 consecutive-weeks hold on the World No. The loss deprived her of the Golden Super Slam. 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. 3 at that time and said, "I have done everything I wanted to do in tennis. [59][60] She began to wear a back brace and was unsure about playing the US Open but elected to play while receiving treatment and stretching for two hours before each match. In their five previous head-to-head matches, Graf had defeated Martnez each time. Just over 30 years old, Graf retired . Graf warmed up for the US Open with easy tournament victories in San Diego and Mahwah. Graf did not lose a set the whole tournament. Her winning streak (unbeaten since the 1989 French Open loss to Arantxa Snchez) continued with victories in Tokyo, Amelia Island, and Hamburg. 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. Voted The best female role model in sports in a survey by Barclays, sponsors of the Premier League, 2010. Steffi Graf's 22 Grand Slam singles titles put her second on the list of major wins in the female competition since the introduction of the Open Era in 1968 . 2 Hingis and world No. . Though she lost the game to opponent Tracy Austin by 6-4, 6-0, this did very little to dishearten the young blood. Kohde-Kilsch Finds She Can Do Nothing Against Dominant Graf 'How much money do you have?' - Steffi Graf had perfect response to The win elevated Graf to the world No. Tennis Abstract: Steffi Graf Match Results, Splits, and Analysis Vicario was the no 2 seed while Graf was ranked no 1. City of Love: Graf and Agassi first linked by 1999 French Open On 24 January 1988, on a Rebound Ace surface on Centre Court in Melbourne, Graf took on Evert in the final of the Australian Open. She has a brother named Michael. Steffi Graf Videos Thread | Tennis Forum Nominated and voted the title Mother of the nation in her country, Germany, 2010. 3, Jana Novotn, before losing in the semifinal to first-seeded Davenport. Graf and Navratilova faced each other six times and Graf had the advantage, 4-2. However, in the Federation Cup final in Vancouver, Canada, three weeks later, she defeated Evert easily 62, 61. (W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (WL) winloss record. 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. Steffi Graf was a dominant force in tennis during the late 1980s and for much of the 1990s. Her father, an aspiring tennis coach, first introduced her to the game, teaching his . She has appeared in many advertisements and television commercials with Andre Agassi including Canon Inc.[130] and Longines in 2008 (Agassi became Longines ambassador in 2007). The Graf Backhand: Strength or Weakness? You judge with The match was notable for its dramatic ending. The 50 Greatest Players of the Open Era (W): No. 2, Steffi Graf 1, 64, 46, 86 after beating Sabatini in a three-set semifinal. He claimed that he committed the attack to help Graf reclaim the world No. Starting in the early 1990s, she used the slice almost exclusively in baseline rallies and mostly limited the topspin backhand to passing shots. "Steffi Graf is the best all-around player," said Evert, whose name is also mentioned as one of the all-time greats. [32] That was the shortest-ever and most one-sided Grand Slam final ever and the only double bagel in a Major final since 1911. Twice in the third set Snchez Vicario served for the championship but was broken each time by Graf. 1 ranking while she was sidelined. On 17 August, after defeating Evert in a straight set final in the Virginia Slims of Los Angeles, Graf overtook Navratilova for the world No. [145] She is the founder and chairperson of "Children for Tomorrow", a non-profit foundation established in 1998 for implementing and developing projects to support children who have been traumatized by war or other crises. " ( . Tennis H2H Venus Williams vs Steffi Graf. All right, yes, there is the winning and, with it, the money, but they come too easily and bring only temporary relief. [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). [124][125][126] In 2010, Graf and Agassi collaborated with Head and developed the new line of Star Series tennis racquets. [21] Her father, an aspiring tennis coach, first introduced her to the game, teaching his three-year-old daughter how to swing a wooden racket in the family's living room. [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. [152] She was voted the WTA Player of the Year in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996. [79] Only one week later, she underwent reconstructive knee surgery in Vienna and subsequently missed the 1997 Wimbledon and US Open championships. Graf beat opponents with spectacular precision, and Williams had a power game, unlike any woman in professional tennis. [34] She then won tournaments in Hamburg and Mahwah (where she lost only eight games all tournament). [147] In November 2018, Tennis.com polled its readers to choose the greatest women's tennis player of all time and Graf came in first. In a close French Open final, Graf again overcame Snchez Vicario, taking the third set 108. No. At age 13 she became the second youngest player ever to earn an international ranking. . Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis played out a thrilling final at the 1999 French Open, with the former winning 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. Her father was arrested in August and was sentenced to 45 months in jail. [154] Her unprecedented Golden Slam saw her receive the 1988 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year. [39] In the Boca Raton final, Graf lost the only set she conceded to Chris Evert in their final seven matches.[40]. A mixture of injury problems, personal difficulties, and loss of form made 1991 a tough year for Graf. In the subsequent Amelia Island final on clay, Graf lost her first match of the year to Sabatini but returned to European clay with easy victories at Hamburg and Berlin. Her glittering career saw her occupy the world no.1 spot for a total of 377 weeks (a record), including a run of 186 consecutive weeks between August 1987 and March 1991. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for a record 377 total weeks. Along with Boris Becker, Graf was considered instrumental in popularizing tennis in Germany, where it remains one of the foremost national sports.[18][19][20]. Victories at Hamburg and Berlin (beating Snchez Vicario in the finals of both) prepared her for the French Open, where she defeated Snchez Vicario in the semifinals after losing the first set 60. Venus Williams. Decision", "TENNIS - For Seles, the Wound Still Hurts", "Troubled WTA Tour limps through '94 season", "Tennis: Graf footloose and pain-free: Germany's world No 1 in intimidating form at the Australian Open", "Pierce Applies The Pressure To Upset Graf", "This Date in French Open History: June 2", "McNeil Ousts Graf in an Upset for the Ages", "Graf Set for Her Comeback, Pained Mainly by Questions", "U.S.OPEN '94 - Sanchez Smiles As Graf Winces", "Pierce tops Graf; Navratilova loses last", "Calf injury forces Graf out of Australian Open", "In a Classic, Graf Captures Wimbledon On Sheer Will", "Graf's Year Is Difficult One Till the End, but Successful", "Steffi Graf Investigated for Tax Evasion", "Tennis;Graf finds real world full of ups and downs", "Peter Graf Is Sentenced To Prison in Tax Case", "OLYMPICS;Injuries Force Sampras and Graf to Skip Games", "Amanda Coetzer - Tennis Player from South Africa - Tennis-Heroes.net", "Surgery on Graf's Knee Requires a Long Layoff", "Wimbledon '99: The Steffi Graf Interview: Time for a golden goodbye? She also won her fifth and final WTA Tour Championships title with a five set win over Martina Hingis, with Hingis cramping up in the fifth set. 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. [62] Although Graf ended the year ranked No. Steffi Graf | Player Stats & More - WTA Official Her overall record in 56 Grand Slam events was 27832 (90 percent) (8410 at the French Open, 747 at Wimbledon, 739 at the US Open, and 476 at the Australian Open). . Williams vs. Graf, and Graf's Disciple - The New York Times 1 ranking to Martina Hingis and failed to win a Grand Slam title for the first time in ten years in 1997. 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. International Olympic Committee. However, Graf admitted in 1995 that she would have preferred having a two-handed backhand in retrospect. She claimed a prestigious and symbolic victory in the final against Yugoslavias Sabrina Gole on the courts at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), winning 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. She was anchored in the top spot in the Women's Tennis Association rankings for a record 377 weeks, including 186 consecutive from August 1987 to March 1991. And the year began as expected, with Graf extending her Grand Slam tournament winning streak to five events at the Australian Open, defeating Helena Sukov in the final. 1 was in peerless form on the clay courts of Roland . 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. Stefanie Graf - International Tennis Hall of Fame And so many times she was able to absorb her opponent's biggest blows and . [95][96][97], In late 1999 and early 2000, as part of her Farewell Tour, Graf played a series of exhibition matches against former rivals in New Zealand, Japan, Spain, Germany and South Africa. 1 ranking for the first time in 22 months. [123] In 2006, she signed an endorsement deal with Head. [101] She was beaten in two out of three matches, with each match being one set. After breaking Novotn's serve, Graf won the next four games to take the match 76, 16, 64. She had just lost a three-set semifinal to No. [80][81] 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 .