[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. [122][129] Other companies she has endorsed include Barilla, Apollinaris, Citibank, Danone and Teekanne. . Graf then won all five of her Fed Cup matches, helping Germany defeat Spain in the final by defeating Arantxa Snchez Vicario, 64, 62. Her 0.977 winning percentage is the second-highest in the open era behind Navratilova.[44]. She is the only singles player (male or female) to have achieved a Grand Slam across three surfaces (grass, clay, and hard courts). Natasha Zvereva, the 13th seed had shocked Martina Navratilova with a straight sets fourth round . Navratilova, therefore, . Some noted observers, such as Margaret Court, suggested that Graf could achieve the feat a couple more times. 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. 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. 1999 Germany Television Award for her outstanding performance as tennis player and her importance to the German public. 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. Her father, an aspiring tennis coach, first introduced her to the game, teaching his . [39] In the Boca Raton final, Graf lost the only set she conceded to Chris Evert in their final seven matches.[40]. (not considered in winloss records). Stefanie ("Steffi") Graf | Former German Tennis Pro and Champion. She lost her first round match 64, 60 to Tracy Austin, a two-time US Open champion and former world No. At the French Open, Graf successfully defended her title by defeating Natasha Zvereva 60, 60 in a 34-minute final. '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. In Indian Wells Graf lost to Serena Williams in three sets. Once was in Syndey early in the year at a small tournament, and again at Indian Wells, 1999. Though she did not win any title for the . 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! 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. . 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. [145], In 2001, Graf indicated that she preferred to be called Stefanie instead of Steffi. Graf later stated it was the best tennis she had ever played in a Grand Slam final. Social invitations on the tour were often declined as Graf's focus was kept on practicing and match play. [8] Furthermore, she is the only tennis player, male or female, to have won each major tournament at least four times. Is it possible to have any other year Steffi Graf: yep, it would be like Monica's or Serena's type of dominance. [109], Note: 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. 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. And so many times she was able to absorb her opponent's biggest blows and . The pair was moderately successful, winning the 1988 Wimbledon Championships together and reaching the finals of the French Open in 1986, 1987 and 1989. Graf then won in Leipzig, with her 500th career victory coming in a quarterfinal against Judith Wiesner. The experience of 88 in Seoul probably stands out, just coming from the US Open where I won the Grand Slam. It was important for me to win here, she said afterwards. [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. steffi graf opponents. Both dominated opponents with power and movement. [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. Performance timelines. When she was nine years old, her family moved to the neighboring town of Brhl. Graf then won the tournament in Berlin, losing only twelve games in five matches. Steffi Graf with the Wimbledon trophy in 1989 after defeating Martina Navratilova 6-2, 6-7 (1), 6-1 in the final. Her year continued indifferently with losses in three of her first four tournaments, including a semifinal loss to Jana Novotn in Chicago. If Steffi Graf could shut out the world the way she shuts down opponents on the court then, for her, life would be perfect. Graf also won the 1984 demonstration event at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, but this was for players aged 21 or under, and it was not an official Olympic event. She retired from tennis in 1999. June 4, 2020 marks the 32nd anniversary of Steffi Graf's ruthless lesson in the 1998 French Open final with Natasha Zvereva on the receiving end. On this day in 1999, Steffi Graf bid adieu to the sport just weeks after winning the French Open and reaching the Wimbledon final. 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. Once again, she reached the final without conceding a single set. Chosen by World Economic Forum As Young Global Leader for 2008, Godmother of the Navigator of The Seas (Royal Caribbean Cruiselines), 2002. Graf said after the final that it would be her last French Open, fueling speculation about her retirement.[84]. Graf then lost to Navratilova 75, 63 in the Wimbledon final, her first loss of the year. Graf lost her singles match to Elena Likhovtseva 54. She would later become the world's number one female tennis player. 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%: . Grand Slams) main-draw, Olympic Games and Fed Cup are included in winloss records. She ended the 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, and 1996 tennis seasons as the worlds top-ranked player. Peter Graf also kept a tight rein on Graf's personal life. [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. At Wimbledon, however, Graf captured her third women's crown, this time at Sabatini's expense. . [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. Graf started 1988 by winning the Australian Open, defeating Chris Evert in the final 61, 76. The match was played over two days with Navratilova finally winning after saving three match points 61, 67, 76. 1, 64, 46, 86 after beating Sabatini in a three-set semifinal. 6 in 1985. In the womens tournament, Williams could repeat the achievement if she competes in what will be her fifth Olympic Games. Five months later, the world no. 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. Though she lost the game to opponent Tracy Austin by 6-4, 6-0, this did very little to dishearten the young blood. She also . She and Agassi, her husband, were on Team Elton John, which competed against Team Billie Jean King. [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. Only results in WTA Tour (incl. A worthy opponent, she is an exceptional and versatile player to have dominated the international women's tennis scene for a long time. 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. Graf, Kerber's idol . The win elevated Graf to the world No. 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. . Less than three weeks after beating her in New York, Graf inflicted yet another defeat on the Argentinean, giving her no chance with an imposing 6-3, 6-3 victory. She lost a lengthy one-set singles match to Clijsters and also the mixed doubles.[106]. In the fall, Graf won the Volkswagen Card Cup in Leipzig a day before her foot operation, losing only two games to Jana Novotn in the final. In 1988, Graf became the third women's star to win the Golden Slam. 1 was in peerless form on the clay courts of Roland Garros. [34] She then won tournaments in Hamburg and Mahwah (where she lost only eight games all tournament). 1 ranking while she was sidelined. [144], In 1991, the Steffi Graf Youth Tennis Center in Leipzig was dedicated to her. Steffi Graf, a Tennis champ is married to husband Andre Agassi with two children. 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. 1 ranking for the first time in 22 months. . 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. Finally Graf was given a match but prevailed 6-3, 7-6 where she would meet a surprise opponent in the final. And each time the opponent threw a problem her way, she . This including playing basketball and working with specialists in nutrition, physical and mental strength. 22 in 1984, and No. The American then took her opponent to a tie-break in the second set, eventually going down 7-3. Illness caused her to miss Wimbledon,[26] and an accident where she broke a toe several weeks later also curtailed her play. In 2008 Graf lost an exhibition match against Kimiko Date at Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo. My father taught me that if you really do want to reach your goals, you can't spend any time worrying about whether you're going to win or lose. [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. Next came Wimbledon, where Martina Navratilova had won six straight titles. In 2010, Graf participated in the WTT Smash Hits exhibition in Washington, D.C. to support the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Graf then went on to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open before losing to Monica Seles in two sets. In 1986, she formed a partnership with rival Gabriela Sabatini. Wimbledon authorities then threatened to immediately shut down any subsequent press conferences where questions about the issue were asked. 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. 1 German tennis player. Stefanie Maria "Steffi" Graf; 14. 1969, , ) . [25] During that period, she lost six times to Evert and three times to Navratilova, all in straight sets. I have complied some stats . 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. 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.