In their five previous head-to-head matches, Graf had defeated Martnez each time. . 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. She had to overcome three difficult three set matches en route to this final, against Mariaan De Swardt in the second round, Venus Williams in the quarterfinals and Mirjana Lui in the semifinals. In their prime, they ruled their eras with their own dominating styles. Some noted observers, such as Margaret Court, suggested that Graf could achieve the feat a couple more times. [8] Furthermore, she is the only tennis player, male or female, to have won each major tournament at least four times. Despite their differences, their careers, on and off the court . [104] As part of the event, billed as "Dream Match 2008", she defeated Martina Navratilova in a one-set affair 87, with Graf winning a tiebreaker 105. 3 at that time and said, "I have done everything I wanted to do in tennis. Graf then went on to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open before losing to Monica Seles in two sets. In 2015, Graf was the recipient of the International Club's Jean Borotra Sportsmanship Award. Began playing Tennis: 1973 Turned Professional: 18.10.1982. American star Chris Evert, meanwhile, failed to take a set off Graf in three matches. Graf then won in Leipzig, with her 500th career victory coming in a quarterfinal against Judith Wiesner. [63][64], A strained right calf muscle forced Graf to withdraw from the Australian Open. Five months later, the world no. 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. [74] Graf had led 41 in the second set tiebreak, only to lose six points in a row and force a decider. Graf then lost to Navratilova 75, 63 in the Wimbledon final, her first loss of the year. At age 13 she became the second youngest player ever to earn an international ranking. The match was notable for its dramatic ending. 2 (21-06-10) Titles. [122] Graf's racquets were strung at 29 kilograms (64 pounds), significantly above the 50-60 pound range recommended by Wilson. Unbeatable. While the Berlin tournament was being played, the largest-circulation German tabloid, Bild, ran a story about an alleged scandal involving Graf's father. [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. In the third and deciding set, Novotn had a point to go up 51 on her serve. 1 Martina Navratilova, and reached two finals, at Wimbledon and the US Open, losing out to Navratilova in both. Jaz Elle Agassi is best known as being a daughter of former tennis couple Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi.. Parents Wedding. International Olympic Committee. 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. Graf again missed the Australian Open after undergoing surgery in December 1995 to remove bone splinters from her left foot. 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]. Starting in the early 1990s, she used the slice almost exclusively in baseline rallies and mostly limited the topspin backhand to passing shots. The Serbian tennis player this week surpassed Steffi Graf in the record of weeks at the top of the world ranking (both men's and women's) and there is curiosity to understand where Nole can arrive . Graf's father had approached Gnthardt during the 1991 Virginia Slims Championships. At Wimbledon, Graf lost in the semifinals to Zina Garrison, who with this victory broke Graf's string of 13 consecutive major finals. Voted Germany's Sportswoman of the Century in 1999 by the German press. Angelique Kerber recalls memories of Steffi Graf at Wimbledon after becoming first German to win trophy since 1996 . Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 20:01, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Steffi_Graf_career_statistics&oldid=1142150918, Virginia Slims Championships, New York City, WTA Tour Championships, New York, United States. She then successfully defended her title at the US Open, defeating Monica Seles in the final. Highly emotional and sensitive, with a temperament more suited to a poet than to a professional athlete, Steffi had a poignant sadness about . [33] Zvereva, who had eliminated Martina Navratilova in the fourth round, won only thirteen points in the match.[33]. [82] Upon her return Graf defeated world No. Graf is the only female athlete in the list of Forbes Top-30 Most recognizable and marketable athletes in 1995. At the French Open, Graf successfully defended her title by defeating Natasha Zvereva 60, 60 in a 34-minute final. [131][132] In 2015, she was appointed as the brand ambassador of Kerala tourism, for promoting Ayurveda in North America and Europe. 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. Graf and Kohde-Kilsch lost in the semifinals to Jana Novotn and Helena Sukov 75, 63. It is true that Graf had one of the best forehands of her era, but that doesn't mean that it is mechanically perfect. Graf started 1988 by winning the Australian Open, defeating Chris Evert in the final 61, 76. Graf lost to Conchita Martnez in her comeback tournament a month later in Philadelphia. 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. [107] Graf played in the celebrity doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles before straining her left calf muscle and being replaced by Anna Kournikova. Next came Wimbledon, where Martina Navratilova had won six straight titles. Whether this scandal affected Graf's form is open to debate. 667 (25-02-23) Best Rank. But from 1990 onward, Graf hit fewer & fewer of those beautiful backhand drive/topspins for some reason. In 1988, Graf became the first tennis player to achieve the Golden Slam by winning all four major singles titles and the Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year. '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. Peter Graf also kept a tight rein on Graf's personal life. She was named the 1988 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year. 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. . My motivation wasn't what it was in the past. The Trials of Steffi Graf. ", "An Evolutionary History of Tennis Racquets", "Marketing to the female target audience", "OFFBEAT: Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf team up for new tennis racquet", "Viewing Gallery: Happy Birthday! [39] In the Boca Raton final, Graf lost the only set she conceded to Chris Evert in their final seven matches.[40]. Meanwhile, her naturally aggressive style of play, effective backhand slice and speed around the court made her even more dominant on fast surfaces such as hard courts, grass and carpet. Margaret Court, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams. 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 repeated the feat in 1993, 1995, and 1996. She then won her eighth German Open, but there were signs that her form was worsening as she almost lost to Julie Halard in a quarterfinal. Graf was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004. This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 20:01. [16] When asked in an interview to name the greatest players of all time, Serena Williams stated Graf and Roger Federer. She lost a lengthy one-set singles match to Clijsters and also the mixed doubles.[106]. In February 2000, Graf played against Kimiko Date at Nagoya Rainbow Hall in Tokyo, winning in three sets. Steffi Graf and Serena Williams played just twice. Graf said after the final that it would be her last French Open, fueling speculation about her retirement.[84]. Graf did not lose a set the whole tournament. "[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. 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. No. ", "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! [58] Graf still managed to win San Diego the following month but aggravated a long-time back injury in beating Snchez Vicario in the final. [148] In July 2020, The Guardian polled its readers to determine the greatest female tennis player of the past 50 years, and Steffi was the clear favorite, picking up nearly twice as many votes as any other player. She was one of the most fierce Tennis stars of her generation and tasted great success on every court. Graf's Grand Slam tournament winning streak ended at the French Open, where 17-year-old Spaniard Arantxa Snchez Vicario beat Graf in three sets. "[89] Her endurance and superior footwork allowed her to excel on clay courts, where, in addition to six French Open titles, she won 26 regular tour events, including a record eight titles at the German Open. 1 for 186 consecutive weeks (from August 1987 to March 1991; tied with Serena Williams, a record in the women's game) and a record total 377 weeks overall. Serena did that only for a few tournaments in her career while Steffi did . . It is undeniable that Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi had a successful professional relationship. As a result, she hit her forehand with exceptional pace and accuracy. Graf remains one of the greatest champions in the history of her sport. ), At the start of her first full professional year in 1983, Graf was 13 years old and ranked world No. 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. [36] Graf also won her only Grand Slam doubles title that yearat Wimbledon partnering Sabatiniand picked up a women's doubles Olympic bronze medal. Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi met for the first time during a tournament.Andre Agassi had been secretly pining for her since 1990, but she showed no interest in him.. At that time, Steffi Graf was dating Michael Bartels, a racing driver. She first used the Wilson Pro Staff 7.0 lite, then switched to the Pro Staff 7.5 in 1996 and to the Pro Staff 7.1 in 1998. Opel Corsa Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary", "Steffi Graf is Longines' Newest Abassador", "SRK and Steffi Graf to represent Kerala tourism", "Steffi: proof that the rich don't get to heaven", "The Trials of Steffi Graf: with her father in jail and her own innocence being questioned, the world's best woman tennis player has finally been forced to take control of her life", "Tennis: Agassi taking different tact [sic] with fatherhood,", "Tennis legend Steffi Graf talks Royal Ascot and her career to HELLO! She made it to the final and took the first set against Snchez Vicario but lost the next two sets Sanchez Vicario's last victory over Graf. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for a record 377 total weeks. The Washington, D.C. tournament was notable because Graf won the first twenty points of the final against Zina Garrison. Online", "GOAT Vote: Steffi or Serena? This including playing basketball and working with specialists in nutrition, physical and mental strength. . She was unstoppable. United States . Nominated and voted the title Mother of the nation in her country, Germany, 2010. Soon after, she split with her long-time coach, Pavel Sloil. 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. [103] Graf completely ruled out a return to professional tennis. After Wimbledon, for the first time in my career, I didn't feel like going to a tournament. She had just lost a three-set semifinal to No. Steffi Graf Youth Tennis Center was founded and dedicated October 1991 in Leipzig, Germany.Founder and Chairperson of Children for Tomorrow, a non-profit foundation with the goal of implementing and developing projects to support children who have been traumatized by war or other crises, and she is directly involved in the running of the . 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. Graf had already won 5 Wimbledon titles by then and was hunting for her 6th trophy. 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. Steffi Graf was born in Mannheim, West Germany on June 14, 1969. 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 similarities and differences between Steffi Graf in 1988 and Serena Williams in 2015. [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. I had one day to turn around, get home, change and get on the flight to Seoul. Although she now lives in Las Vegas, Stefanie Maria Graf was born in Mannheim, West Germany on June 14, 1969. [10] Graf's athletic ability and aggressive game played from the baseline have been credited with developing the modern style of play that has come to dominate today's game. As true as that forehand was, the mask was no less a lie. In 2008 Graf lost an exhibition match against Kimiko Date at Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo. [17] Graf married former world No. She lost her first round match 64, 60 to Tracy Austin, a two-time US Open champion and former world No. Associations of International Sport Federations, Organising Committees for the Olympic Games. Graf defaulted before the 1997 final of this tournament, which is classified as a walkover and, therefore, does not count as a loss on her official record. [105] It was the first time in 14 years Graf had played Navratilova. 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). [48] In Boca Raton, Florida, Graf reached her first final of the year, where she faced Conchita Martnez for the title. 124. 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. Winner of as many as 22 Grand Slam titles, Steffi's presence was enough to send shivers down the spine of her opponents. 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%: . The American then took her opponent to a tie-break in the second set, eventually going down 7-3. Opponent Score Loss: 1986: Year-end championships: Carpet (i) Martina Navratilova: 6-7 (8-10), 3-6, 2-6 Win: 1987: Year-end championships: Speculation was rife at the beginning of 1989 about the possibility of Graf winning another Grand Slam. [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. [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. [109], Note: Finally Graf was given a match but prevailed 6-3, 7-6 where she would meet a surprise opponent in the final. [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. Graf did not lose a set during the tournament and lost a total of only 29 games. One was 19 and one is pushing 34. [88] Sabatini said of the partnership: "doubles is all about communicating with each other, and we didn't communicate that much. Her birth name is Stefanie Maria Graf and she is currently 51 years old. 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. 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. She soon began taking the top prize at junior tournaments with regularity, going on to win the European Championships 12s and 18s in 1982. She would either destroy opponents, clinically and . In the womens tournament, Williams could repeat the achievement if she competes in what will be her fifth Olympic Games. Graf was ranked world No. However, seeing the current situation, Graff also feels frightened. Having also won bronze in the womens doubles with Claudia Kohde-Kilsch in Seoul, her Olympic record stands at four podium finishes, including two titles counting the one she won in Los Angeles aged 14 when tennis was a demonstration sport! Only results in WTA Tour (incl. She and Agassi, her husband, were on Team Elton John, which competed against Team Billie Jean King. And Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, arguably the most accomplished sports couple there ever was, had good reason to be on campus that day. [44] Graf briefly regained the top ranking after winning at Wimbledon but lost it again after her loss to Navratilova at the US Open. Illness caused her to miss Wimbledon,[26] and an accident where she broke a toe several weeks later also curtailed her play. In total, she won 22 Grand Slam titles: the Australian Open four times, Roland Garros six times, Wimbledon seven times and the US Open five times. The American then took her opponent to a tie-break in the second set, eventually going down 7-3. [156], Graf was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004 and the German Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.[157][158]. 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. Eighteen-time Grand Slam champion and former rival Chris Evert opined, "Steffi Graf is the best all-around player. This time, Navratilova beat Graf 76, 63, 62. 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. She would later become the world's number one female tennis player. Zvereva endured a magical run at Roland Garros that year, but things unraveled in the final when she came up against a Steffi Graf that was in destructive mode. 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. [85][86] She was ranked No. The facts: American Amy Frazier was Graf's final opponent. At the 1999 French Open, Graf and Agassi . In 1986, she formed a partnership with rival Gabriela Sabatini. [101] She was beaten in two out of three matches, with each match being one set. [a] Widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, she was ranked world No. "Peter Graf" redirects here. [155], In 2004, the Berliner Tennis-Arena was renamed Steffi-Graf-Stadion in honor of Graf. Williams VS Graf MATCHES VS ALL OPPONENTS Graf then won all five of her Fed Cup matches, helping Germany defeat Spain in the final by defeating Arantxa Snchez Vicario, 64, 62. As usual, the defining shot of the day was the one that earned Steffi her nickname, Frulein Forehand.