In her professional tennis career, Steffi Graf spent 377 weeks as the No. I've always looked up to her and the way she approached the game" : Pete Sampras In 1988, there was no bronze medal match, and both beaten semifinalists received bronze medals. 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. Graf started 1988 by winning the Australian Open, defeating Chris Evert in the final 61, 76. Even though she lost the opening set, Graf went on to prevail in three sets. By August 1999, Graf had already announced twice that it was going to be her final year on the tour. Graf served for the match at 53 in the third set but lost the game and won only three more points in the match. Her rivalries with Yugoslavias Monica Seles and Spains Arantxa Snchez Vicario in the 1980s and 1990s have gone down in tennis folklore. to overwhelm her opponents. She has a younger brother, Michael. "[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. That was the last competitive match Graf and Snchez Vicario would ever play against one another. Like the exhibition match the previous year against Sabatini, proceeds went to "Children for Tomorrow". 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. Graf played in her first professional tournament in October 1982 at Filderstadt, Germany. In February 2000, Graf played against Kimiko Date at Nagoya Rainbow Hall in Tokyo, winning in three sets. 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. Graf reached 13 consecutive singles major finals from the 1987 French Open to the 1990 French Open, winning nine of them. Ranking. [11][12][13][14] She won six French Open singles titles (second to Evert), seven Wimbledon singles titles, four Australian Open titles, and five US Open singles titles. Graf has a 20863 (76.8%) record against players who were, at the time the match was played, ranked in the top 10.[1]. Five months later, the world 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. Although she now lives in Las Vegas, Stefanie Maria Graf was born in Mannheim, West Germany on June 14, 1969. [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. 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. As true as that forehand was, the mask was no less a lie. Steffi Graf - 22; The former German tennis star is third on the list with 22 grand slam titles victories. [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. [70][71] He was eventually released after serving 25 months. . . The US Open was Monica Seles's first Grand Slam event since the 1993 attack, with much anticipation again around a potential Seles-Graf final. On 13 August 1999, shortly after retiring with a strained hamstring from a second round match against Amy Frazier in San Diego, Graf announced her retirement from the women's tour at age 30. Once again, she reached the final without conceding a single set. 1 Martina Navratilova, and reached two finals, at Wimbledon and the US Open, losing out to Navratilova in both. 6 in 1985. At age 13 she became the second youngest player ever to earn an international ranking. . And each time the opponent threw a problem her way, she . Just over 30 years old, Graf retired . But Vicario took the first set and Graf took the second. The pair was moderately successful, winning the 1988 Wimbledon Championships together and reaching the finals of the French Open in 1986, 1987 and 1989. [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. In July, a left knee injury forced Graf to withdraw from the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. In 1988, Graf became the third women's star to win the Golden Slam. [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. 29 Jan Tennis Norge . 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 . They have two children. 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. [105] It was the first time in 14 years Graf had played Navratilova. When she was nine years old, her family moved to the neighboring town of Brhl. Most sliced shots float these days; Graf's seemed to reach her opponent's side in a straight line, skimming low over the net. [80][81] Highly emotional and sensitive, with a . It was the days when the Williams . Nominated and voted the title Mother of the nation in her country, Germany, 2010. Having suffered from leg cramps since the middle of the third set, Graf ran off the court seconds after match point to seek medical treatment. 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 . It was important for me to win here, she said afterwards. 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. [100] In September 2004, Graf dispatched her former doubles partner Gabriela Sabatini, in straight sets, in an exhibition match played in Berlin, Germany. n civa ani ajunge . 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. 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. 1999 Prince of Asturias Award, one of the most important awards of Spain and named after the heir apparent of Spain. 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. After losing a fifth straight time to Sabatini in Amelia Island, Florida, Graf again defeated Seles in the Hamburg 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. [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. Graf won 6-0, 6-0. 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. Starting in the early 1990s, she used the slice almost exclusively in baseline rallies and mostly limited the topspin backhand to passing shots. [145], In 2001, Graf indicated that she preferred to be called Stefanie instead of Steffi. Steffi Graf vs. Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario ** **Head to Head: **28-8, Graf . 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, 64, 46, 86 after beating Sabatini in a three-set semifinal. TMF. 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. [25] During that period, she lost six times to Evert and three times to Navratilova, all in straight sets. 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]. However, in the Federation Cup final in Vancouver, Canada, three weeks later, she defeated Evert easily 62, 61. [68] Graf had complained of an issue with her left knee but showed little trouble outplaying her opponent. She repeated the feat in 1993, 1995, and 1996. 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. Whether this scandal affected Graf's form is open to debate. This including playing basketball and working with specialists in nutrition, physical and mental strength. The loss deprived her of the Golden Super Slam. She had some amazing rivalries with Hall of Fame opponents such as Navratilova, Evert, Sabatini and Seles. At the US Open, Graf beat Sabatini in a three-set final to win the Grand Slam by 63, 36, 61, a feat previously performed by only two other women, Maureen Connolly Brinker in 1953 and Margaret Court in 1970. Graf, however, won the tournament in San Antonio, Texas, and retained her title in Miami, where she once again defeated Evert in the final. Her 63, 60 defeat of Gabriela Sabatini in a semifinal was described by veteran observer Ted Tinling as "probably the best tennis I've seen". It was 1986, and Graf was 17. The earliest sign that Steffi Graf was going to be one of the sport's all-time winners came at the end of a defeat. Since Graf skipped the Italian Open, she did not take part in the vote. Graf retired at the age of 30 in 1999 while ranked as the world No. Graf lost to Conchita Martnez in her comeback tournament a month later in Philadelphia. Graf again lost to Monica Seles in the final of the French Open 67, 46. She always said: I never look back, I look forward, but she also said: You can't measure success if you have never failed. Focus only on getting better. Extremely sound advice! Graf was the first player other than Navratilova or Evert to hold the top spot since Tracy Austin in 1980.[27]. She was absolutely right the term Golden Slam was born at that exact moment. 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. Her birth name is Stefanie Maria Graf and she is currently 51 years old. 1 Martina Hingis of Switzerland. In an unusual arrangement, she paired with her coaches Pavel Sloil at Wimbledon in 1988 and Heinz Gnthardt in 1992 and 1996, also at Wimbledon. Graf's father had approached Gnthardt during the 1991 Virginia Slims Championships. She lost the world No. [92][93], Graf also occasionally played mixed doubles, although she never won a title. [79] Only one week later, she underwent reconstructive knee surgery in Vienna and subsequently missed the 1997 Wimbledon and US Open championships. That year Graf lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open in straight sets to Amanda Coetzer. At Wimbledon, Graf lost in the semifinals to Zina Garrison, who with this victory broke Graf's string of 13 consecutive major finals. Before Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi became the power tennis couple off court, the two were connected by a remarkable weekend 20 years ago at Roland Garros. Sabatini served for the match twice, and was two points away from her first Wimbledon title. She was one of the most fierce Tennis stars of her generation and tasted great success on every court. ", "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! Notable features of Graf's game were her versatility across all playing surfaces, footwork and powerful forehand drive. 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. Graf reached 13 consecutive major singles finals, from the 1987 French Open through to . In October, Graf defeated Sabatini in an exhibition match in Mannheim, Germany, winning both of their sets. Her father, an aspiring tennis coach, first introduced her to the game, teaching his . 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. . SANCHEZ BEATS GRAF 17-YEAR-OLD WINS TITLE", "TENNIS - Sanchez Surprises Graf to Win the French Open", "Graf and Navratilova March to a Showdown", "WTA | Players | Head to Head | Steffi Graf", "TENNIS - Seles Struggles With Injury and W.T.A. In a close French Open final, Graf again overcame Snchez Vicario, taking the third set 108. who often frustrated opponents with variety and consistency. 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. At the French Open, Graf successfully defended her title by defeating Natasha Zvereva 60, 60 in a 34-minute final. [a] Widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, she was ranked world No. Graf had already won 5 Wimbledon titles by then and was hunting for her 6th trophy. She is now a naturalized American citizen, and has even been nominated as one of 2022's Great US Immigrants by Carnegie Corporation of New York. The match was notable for its dramatic ending. It is true that Graf had one of the best forehands of her era, but that doesn't mean that it is mechanically perfect. 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). In 2015, Graf was the recipient of the International Club's Jean Borotra Sportsmanship Award. [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. [62] Although Graf ended the year ranked No. Monica Seles was an opponent in six major finals and the duo spilt at 3-3. A bout of rubella forced Graf to miss the first major event of 1992, the Australian Open. [133], In 1997, she left the Catholic Church, citing personal reasons. LEAVE A . Despite their differences, their careers, on and off the court . [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. Though she lost the game to opponent Tracy Austin by 6-4, 6-0, this did very little to dishearten the young blood. Stefanie Maria "Steffi" Graf (German pronunciation: [tf gaf]; born 14 Juin 1969) is a umwhile Warld No. [123] In 2006, she signed an endorsement deal with Head. [33] Zvereva, who had eliminated Martina Navratilova in the fourth round, won only thirteen points in the match.[33]. Once was in Syndey early in the year at a small tournament, and again at Indian Wells, 1999. [134] During her career, Graf divided her time between her hometown of Brhl; Boca Raton, Florida; and New York City where she owned a penthouse in the former Police Headquarters Building in SoHo. Serena was 17. Speculation was rife at the beginning of 1989 about the possibility of Graf winning another Grand Slam. Steffi Graf was born as Stefanie Maria Graf to Peter and Heidi Graf in Mannheim, Germany. 1 ranking for the first time in 22 months. And Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, arguably the most accomplished sports couple there ever was, had good reason to be on campus that day. She then lost to Sabatini in her next three tournaments before winning the U.S. Hardcourt Championships in San Antonio, beating Monica Seles in the final. 2 (21-06-10) Titles. Home; Q & A; Blog; Contact; Taramati Baradari Resort, Weather Biarritz October, Central Gwinnett High School, Facts About Victoria, Australia, Quick Funeral Home Obituaries . No. [48] In Boca Raton, Florida, Graf reached her first final of the year, where she faced Conchita Martnez for the title. Graf vs Williams H2H MATCHES PLAYED All Rounds Final 1/2 1/4 First Second Third Fourth Qualifying q-First q-Second Pre-q Rubber 1 Rubber 2 Rubber 3 Rubber 4 Rubber 5 Robin Bronze N/A (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. The US Open ended anti-climactically as Navratilova defeated Graf in the final 76, 61. She was named the 1988 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year. I feel I have nothing left to accomplish. 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. 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. 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. 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 . Feb 24, 2023. In August as a 15-year-old (and youngest entrant) representing West Germany, she won the tennis demonstration event at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Venus Williams won her first Games titles 19 years ago, and she hasnt finished yet! This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 20:01. Going back in time, one can recall the right-handed player who fearlessly outplayed her opponents. Her gold medal came after victories in the Grand Slam tournaments at Melbourne, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and New York, giving rise to a new term: the Golden Slam. 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. For the German painter, see. Williams VS Graf MATCHES VS ALL OPPONENTS Chicago was notable, however, for being the first tournament Graf played with her new coach, former Swiss player Heinz Gnthardt. As true as that forehand was, the mask was no less a lie. It was like a death by a thousand cuts for her poor opponents who would be . 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. Talk Tennis Guru. 1 German tennis player. Graf warmed up for the US Open with easy tournament victories in San Diego and Mahwah. Steffi Graf -vs- Opponent Name Score: Result: win/loss Part 1 : View Download Part 2 :View Download ., Steffi Graf - My Best: "Steffi is the goddess of Tennis" : John McEnroe "She let her racket do the talking. ), At the start of her first full professional year in 1983, Graf was 13 years old and ranked world No. [77][78] In the French Open Graf was again beaten by Amanda Coetzer in straight sets, 61, 64. Peter Graf also kept a tight rein on Graf's personal life. Tennis was a demonstration sport during the 1984 Olympic Games. 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. 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. This is a list of the main career statistics of professional tennis player Steffi Graf. The treatment was for a fracture of the cartilage as well as a shortening and partial rupture of the patellar tendon of her left knee. Grand Slam tournament performance timeline. 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. Steffi Graf was already world number one, and just shy of 19 years old, when she began the 1988 season. She has emerged as one of the strongest tennis players of all time. She subsequently withdrew from the Pan Pacific Open and had arthroscopic surgery performed on her left knee. Their bond was unbreakable, and as Steffi became a force in tennis, Peter was right beside hercontrolling her life and business off the court while she controlled the rhythms on it. 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). It was Graf's second consecutive loss to Novotna, and dating back to their 1991 Australian Open quarterfinal match, Jana had won three of their last five meetings. Steffi Graf was a dominant force in tennis during the late 1980s and for much of the 1990s. United States . . Voted Most admirable German woman by Amica magazine, 2005. Selected for European Heroes in 2004 and 2005 by TIME Magazine. Steffi Graf: Steffi Graf has 22 grand slams to her name, most coming during the late 80s and 90s. In the French Open final, Graf defeated Navratilova, who was the world No. [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. [41][42] Graf, however, recovered to defeat Martina Navratilova 62, 67, 61 in the Wimbledon final after defeating Monica Seles 60, 61 in a fourth round match, Arantxa Snchez Vicario in a quarterfinal, and Chris Evert in a semifinal. Graf, Kerber's idol . Graf then defeated Sabatini 63, 63 in the gold medal match at the Olympic Games in Seoul and achieved what the media had dubbed the "Golden Slam". She retired from tennis in 1999. At the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Graf lost to Jennifer Capriati in the final and claimed the silver medal. Graf then lost to Navratilova 75, 63 in the Wimbledon final, her first loss of the year. 1999 Athlete of the Century for the category Female Athlete in Ballsports by a panel of the, 1999 The Greatest Female Tennis Player of the 20th century, by a panel of tennis experts assembled by the Associated Press, 1999 Female Athlete of the Year, by the German television broadcaster ARD, 1999 Female Sports Award of the Last Decade, by, 1999 Olympic Order granted by Dr. Antonio Samaranch, president of the IOC, 2002 Medal of Honor, bestowed by the prime minister of Graf's home state, 2008 Cross of the Order of Merit awarded to her by German Federal President Horst Khler. Fernandez had two break points to take a 30 and double break lead in the third set. Graf then went on to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open before losing to Monica Seles in two sets. . Graf's schedule was closely controlled by her father, who limited her play so that she would not burn out. She won her first French Open title since 1988 with a three-set victory over Mary Joe Fernndez in the final. [34] She then won tournaments in Hamburg and Mahwah (where she lost only eight games all tournament). 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. Graf won a majority of her slams using her sharp slice backhand and her incredible forehand. Her winning streak (unbeaten since the 1989 French Open loss to Arantxa Snchez) continued with victories in Tokyo, Amelia Island, and Hamburg. 1 was in peerless form on the clay courts of Roland . She would either destroy opponents, clinically and . The world of tennis is still waiting for another player capable of such a feat in the same calendar year! First Grand Slam victory of the year for Graf: 6-1, 7-6. On 13 April 1986, Graf won her first WTA tournament and beat Evert for the first time in the final of the Family Circle Cup in Hilton Head, South Carolina (she never lost to Evert again, beating her six more times over the next three and a half years). 1 Novak Djokovic could do the same if he wins gold, as could Roger Federer if he is involved in the Games. Sela said: Is it possible to have another 1988 Golden Grand Slam Steffi Graf: yeah sure, anything's possible, like having all eight planets aligned in the solar system. 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 did not lose a set the whole tournament. The American then took her opponent to a tie-break in the second set, eventually going down 7-3. This time, Navratilova beat Graf 76, 63, 62. 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. Seles won the match on her fifth match point; Graf came within two points of winning the match a few games earlier. Graf lost an Australian Open quarterfinal to Jana Novotn, the first time she did not reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam singles tournament since the 1986 French Open.