Talk Tennis Guru. This is a list of the main career statistics of professional tennis player Steffi Graf. Venus Williams won her first Games titles 19 years ago, and she hasnt finished yet! After Wimbledon, for the first time in my career, I didn't feel like going to a tournament. 33 years ago, Steffi Graf made this unique record which remains Torture and boredom, boredom and torture, that's how it is for Steffi Graf. 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. [54] She then won her next four tournaments in Tokyo, Indian Wells, Delray Beach and Miami respectively. [151], Graf was voted the ITF World Champion in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995 and 1996. Graf and Kohde-Kilsch lost in the semifinals to Jana Novotn and Helena Sukov 75, 63. In the Miami final, she lost her first set of the yearto Natasha Zverevaafter winning 54 consecutive sets. She had just lost a three-set semifinal to No. [16] When asked in an interview to name the greatest players of all time, Serena Williams stated Graf and Roger Federer. On 1 October 1988, in winning the final at the Olympic Games in Seoul, German tennis player Steffi Graf achieved what no one else had done before or has done since. This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 20:01. Some noted observers, such as Margaret Court, suggested that Graf could achieve the feat a couple more times. [22] She began practising on a court at the age of four and played in her first tournament at five. Graf ended 1989 with an 862 match record and the loss of only 12 sets. This was not a first-round sacrifice, an opponent drawn at random. 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 ended the 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, and 1996 tennis seasons as the worlds top-ranked player. [48] In Boca Raton, Florida, Graf reached her first final of the year, where she faced Conchita Martnez for the title. 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. [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. The day Steffi Graf announced her retirement - Tennis Majors She lost the world No. And Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, arguably the most accomplished sports couple there ever was, had good reason to be on campus that day. 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. Furthermore, Graf's backhand was, in a subtle way, an extremely aggressive shot. 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. Just over 30 years old, Graf retired . She repeated the feat in 1993, 1995, and 1996. 1 Martina Navratilova, and reached two finals, at Wimbledon and the US Open, losing out to Navratilova in both. . Began playing Tennis: 1973 Turned Professional: 18.10.1982. 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 . In February 2000, Graf played against Kimiko Date at Nagoya Rainbow Hall in Tokyo, winning in three sets. Associations of International Sport Federations, Organising Committees for the Olympic Games. 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%: . She always said: I never look back, I look forward, but she also said: You can't measure success if you have never failed. The 50 Greatest Players of the Open Era (W): No. 2, Steffi Graf It was important for me to win here, she said afterwards. 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. [80][81] [63][64], A strained right calf muscle forced Graf to withdraw from the Australian Open. She has a younger brother, Michael. Steffi Graf - The German Way & More Pause, rewind, play: Steffi Graf - only player to win all four Majors and the Olympic gold in a year. [92][93], Graf also occasionally played mixed doubles, although she never won a title. Queens of the Court: Steffi Graf - Bleacher Report Graf who dated Michael Bartels is the daughter-in-law of Emmanuel Agassi. I've always looked up to her and the way she approached the game" : Pete Sampras [144], In 1991, the Steffi Graf Youth Tennis Center in Leipzig was dedicated to her. "[89] The pair played their last major tournament together at the 1990 Wimbledon Championships, losing in the quarterfinals. 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. 1 was in peerless form on the clay courts of Roland . 667 (25-02-23) Best Rank. Selected for European Heroes in 2004 and 2005 by TIME Magazine. Do Not Disturb. The assailant, a fan of German . Steffi is the GOAT in women's tennis because she's the most dominant player to ever play this game. [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. 22 in 1984, and No. In the final, Evert was completely overwhelmed in the first set, losing 6-1. Official match time was 34 minutes, which charitably included two minutes of rain delay. 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. Graf again lost to Monica Seles in the final of the French Open 67, 46. 1999 Germany Television Award for her outstanding performance as tennis player and her importance to the German public. 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. 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. Monica Seles was an opponent in six major finals and the duo spilt at 3-3. Graf's technique on the forehand was unique and instantly recognizable: generating considerable racquet head speed with her swing, she reached the point of contact late and typically out of the air. 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. [154] Her unprecedented Golden Slam saw her receive the 1988 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year. The US Open ended anti-climactically as Navratilova defeated Graf in the final 76, 61. She subsequently withdrew from the Pan Pacific Open and had arthroscopic surgery performed on her left knee. 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. [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. 1 German tennis player. Graf retired in August 1999 while ranked world No. 1 ranking to Martina Hingis and failed to win a Grand Slam title for the first time in ten years in 1997. 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 - Wikipedia We would just say the basic things, but nothing else. 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. Graf was the first player other than Navratilova or Evert to hold the top spot since Tracy Austin in 1980.[27]. [37] He went on to add, "I saw what Steffi did to Sabatini at the Australian Open this year, and that was it. Steffi Graf was born as Stefanie Maria Graf on 14th June 1969 in West Germany. ", "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! 1 was in peerless form on the clay courts of Roland Garros. 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. Novak Djokovic has arrived in Japan for the Tokyo Olympics 2020, and he is looking as confident as ever. 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. She reached a total of 31 singles major finals. 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. The match was poised for a final set to decide the . After surviving a scare in a three-setter against Amanda Coetzer in the first round, Graf reached the final with relative ease, while Seles went through her side of the draw in even more convincing fashion. . Next came Wimbledon, where Martina Navratilova had won six straight titles. Steffi Graf was a dominant force in tennis during the late 1980s and for much of the 1990s. At Wimbledon, Graf lost in the semifinals to Zina Garrison, who with this victory broke Graf's string of 13 consecutive major finals. Steffi Graf - Wikipedia Fury's brother suggests alternative opponent if Usyk fight does not happen. As the defending champion Graf lost in straight sets to Mary Pierce in the French Open semifinal. Steffi Graf vs. Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario ** **Head to Head: **28-8, Graf . In 1987, Grafs career truly took off: she won her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, beating world no. 'How much money do you have?' - Steffi Graf had perfect response to 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]. Steffi Graf - Husband Andre, Son, Daughter, Children, Net Worth . In July 2005, Graf competed in one tie of World Team Tennis (WTT) on the Houston Wranglers team. Steffi Graf, a Tennis champ is married to husband Andre Agassi with two children. As a result, she hit her forehand with exceptional pace and accuracy. . 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. [101] She was beaten in two out of three matches, with each match being one set. [109], Note: Is it possible to have another Steffi Graf? | Page 2 | Talk Tennis Her rivalries with Yugoslavias Monica Seles and Spains Arantxa Snchez Vicario in the 1980s and 1990s have gone down in tennis folklore. 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. How Steffi Graf became tennis' Golden Slam winner in 1988 - Olympics.com 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. [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. Argentinas Gabriela Sabatini reached her first ever final, but Graf secured a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory. 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 soon began taking the top prize at junior tournaments with regularity, going on to win the European Championships 12s and 18s in 1982. The similarities and differences between Steffi Graf in 1988 and Serena Williams in 2015. to overwhelm her opponents. Suffering from food poisoning, she had struggled to beat Monica Seles in their semifinal 63, 36, 63 and said that she had menstrual cramps in the final. Angelique Kerber recalls memories of Steffi Graf at Wimbledon after becoming first German to win trophy since 1996 . Graf reached 13 consecutive singles major finals from the 1987 French Open to the 1990 French Open, winning nine of them. [a] Widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, she was ranked world No. Navratilova, therefore, . . [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. Starting in the early 1990s, she used the slice almost exclusively in baseline rallies and mostly limited the topspin backhand to passing shots. Graf's father had approached Gnthardt during the 1991 Virginia Slims Championships. [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. [77] Her year continued indifferently with losses in three of her first four tournaments, including a semifinal loss to Jana Novotn in Chicago. 3, having racked up a total of 107 tournament victories. This time, Navratilova beat Graf 76, 63, 62. A bout of rubella forced Graf to miss the first major event of 1992, the Australian Open. [75] Graf then had a straight-sets win against Snchez Vicario in the Wimbledon final. Proceeds from her match against Sabatini went to Graf's foundation, "Children for Tomorrow".[102]. Winner of as many as 22 Grand Slam titles, Steffi's presence was enough to send shivers down the spine of her opponents. Despite their differences, their careers, on and off the court . She won no titles during the next three years, but her ranking climbed steadily to world No.
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