At the US Open, Graf was upset in the quarterfinals by Snchez Vicario 76, 63. 'It is Frightening' - Steffi Graf Opens up About the Negative Impact of Winner of as many as 22 Grand Slam titles, Steffi's presence was enough to send shivers down the spine of her opponents. [68] 49 . [101] She was also in Berlin to host a charity gala, as well as inaugurating a tennis stadium renamed the "Steffi Graf Stadion". . 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. 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. [44] Graf briefly regained the top ranking after winning at Wimbledon but lost it again after her loss to Navratilova at the US Open. 2 Hingis and world No. Graf lost twice to Sabatini during the spring, once on hardcourts in Boca Raton, Florida, and once on clay at Amelia Island, Florida. [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 is the only female athlete in the list of Forbes Top-30 Most recognizable and marketable athletes in 1995. It was the longest French Open women's singles final in history, both in terms of time (3 hours and 3 minutes) and number of games played (40). "Peter Graf" redirects here. Steffi Graf | Player Stats & More - WTA Official 1 men's tennis player Andre Agassi in October 2001. [113] She often positioned herself in her backhand corner and although this left her forehand wide open and vulnerable to attack, her court speed meant that only the most accurate shots wide to her forehand caused any trouble. Her winning streak (unbeaten since the 1989 French Open loss to Arantxa Snchez) continued with victories in Tokyo, Amelia Island, and Hamburg. 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. Why is it so hard to replicate Steffi Graf's forehand? - Quora Head To Head | Steffi Graf vs Serena Williams H2H [109], Note: Graf started 1988 by winning the Australian Open, defeating Chris Evert in the final 61, 76. 49 . 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. [98][99] It was Graf and Snchez Vicario's first head-to-head meeting since 1996. Graf then reached her ninth Wimbledon singles final, losing to third-seeded Davenport in straight sets. 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 Washington, D.C. tournament was notable because Graf won the first twenty points of the final against Zina Garrison. Martina Navratilova included Graf at the top of her list of the greatest players ever. 3, Jana Novotn, before losing in the semifinal to first-seeded Davenport. The greatest: Steffi Graf - power and perfect timing personified 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. [103] Graf completely ruled out a return to professional tennis. The 19-year-old Graf lost the first set 7-5 before getting the measure of her rival and fighting back to take the next two sets 6-2, 6-1. 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). [100] In September 2004, Graf dispatched her former doubles partner Gabriela Sabatini, in straight sets, in an exhibition match played in Berlin, Germany. [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. 3, She was not included in the official year end ranking. She hit the sliced backhand harder and with more underspin than any woman I have ever seen. A worthy opponent, she is an exceptional and versatile player to have dominated the international women's tennis scene for a long time. The difficulty of answering questions about the matter came to a head at a Wimbledon press conference, where Graf broke down in tears. [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. Voted Germany's Sportswoman of the Century in 1999 by the German press. I have complied some stats . 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. She repeated the feat in 1993, 1995, and 1996. 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. [83], At the French Open, Graf reached her first Grand Slam final in three years and fought back from a set and twice from a break down in the second set to defeat the top ranked Hingis in three sets for a memorable victory. 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. This is a list of the main career statistics of professional tennis player Steffi Graf. Fernandez had two break points to take a 30 and double break lead in the third set. She married fellow Olympic champion Agassi in 2001, and the pair have two children together. Grand Slams) main-draw, Olympic Games and Fed Cup are included in winloss records. This including playing basketball and working with specialists in nutrition, physical and mental strength. In the middle of the second set, Graf suffered back spasms while reaching for a ball in the ad court. Shortly after the US Open, she underwent surgery to remove a bone spur in her right wrist. [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. 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. [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. In July, a left knee injury forced Graf to withdraw from the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. International Olympic Committee. Graf retired at the age of 30 in 1999 while ranked as the world No. It was Graf's final Grand Slam singles title as she retired later that year. [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. 98 in 1983, No. She was also inducted to the German Sport Hall of Fame. The match was notable for its dramatic ending. [138][139][140] They have two children, a son born in 2001 and a daughter born in 2003. Talk Tennis Guru. Graf secured the World 124th position in her first year. Her toughest battle came against rising star Martina Hingis in the semifinal, with Hingis unable to convert on five set points. American star Chris Evert, meanwhile, failed to take a set off Graf in three matches. Next came Wimbledon, where Martina Navratilova had won six straight titles. That was the last competitive match Graf and Snchez Vicario would ever play against one another. Steffi Graf collided against Spain's Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the finals of the 1995 Wimbledon. Graf said after the final that it would be her last French Open, fueling speculation about her retirement.[84]. - She is better than them all. This narrow focus meant that Graf, already shy and retiring by nature,[24] made few friends on the tour in her early years, but it led to a steady improvement in her play. Graf then won her next three tournaments at Amelia Island, Charleston, and Berlin, culminating in a 62, 63 defeat of Navratilova in the final of the latter. It was like a death by a thousand cuts for her poor opponents who would be . . 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. Early life. "Why I'm Not There Anymore" - Brooke Shields Admits That Her Ex-Husband But Vicario took the first set and Graf took the second. Going back in time, one can recall the right-handed player who fearlessly outplayed her opponents. In 2010, Graf participated in the WTT Smash Hits exhibition in Washington, D.C. to support the Elton John AIDS Foundation. She lost the world No. 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 also . Novak Djokovic: 'I'm not in touch with Steffi Graf but' . Focus only on getting better. Extremely sound advice! (not considered in winloss records). 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. 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 ended the 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, and 1996 tennis seasons as the worlds top-ranked player. Graf remains one of the greatest champions in the history of her sport. 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. 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. Vicario was the no 2 seed while Graf was ranked no 1. 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). At the French Open, Graf successfully defended her title by defeating Natasha Zvereva 60, 60 in a 34-minute final. [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. 1 . The world of tennis is still waiting for another player capable of such a feat in the same calendar year! At Wimbledon, after struggling through early-round three-setters against Mariaan de Swardt and Patty Fendick, she easily defeated Natasha Zvereva in the quarterfinal, Sabatini in the semifinal, and Seles in the final, 62, 61, with Seles playing in almost complete silence because of widespread media and player criticism of her grunting. Graf was ranked world No. 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. Natasha Zvereva, the 13th seed had shocked Martina Navratilova with a straight sets fourth round . Steffi Graf and Serena Williams played just twice. She then beat Snchez Vicario in the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon. (Twelve years later, Graf defeated Austin 60, 60 during a second round match at the Evert Cup in Indian Wells, California, which was their second and last match against each other. Voted Most admirable German woman by Amica magazine, 2005. Graf then capped the year by beating countrywoman Anke Huber in a five-set final at the season-ending WTA Championships in 2 hours and 46 minutes. . Head To Head | Venus Williams vs Steffi Graf H2H - Steve G Tennis More than two years elapsed before Seles competed again. 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. They have two children. She would either destroy opponents, clinically and . [36] Graf also won her only Grand Slam doubles title that yearat Wimbledon partnering Sabatiniand picked up a women's doubles Olympic bronze medal. She then successfully defended her title at the US Open, defeating Monica Seles in the final. [92][93], Graf also occasionally played mixed doubles, although she never won a title. I was not having fun anymore. Is it possible to have another Steffi Graf? | Talk Tennis At Wimbledon, Graf lost in the semifinals to Zina Garrison, who with this victory broke Graf's string of 13 consecutive major finals. 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 is the best all-around player," said Evert, whose name is also mentioned as one of the all-time greats. 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. Steffi Graf - Wikipedia After several months injury lay off, Graf returned to play in the German Open in Berlin in front of a home crowd and had the worst defeat of her career in the quarterfinal, when Amanda Coetzer beat her in just 56 minutes 60, 61. It was important for me to win here, she said afterwards. Graf's 1988 Grand Slam remains the only one in history completed on three surfaces (grass, clay, hard court), as all other Grand Slams in tennis history were achieved prior to the introduction of hard court at the US Open in 1978.[35]. David Douillet writes judo history in Sydney in 2000. Angelique Kerber recalls memories of Steffi Graf at Wimbledon after becoming first German to win trophy since 1996 . Highly emotional and sensitive, with a temperament more suited to a poet than to a professional athlete, Steffi had a poignant sadness about . First Grand Slam victory of the year for Graf: 6-1, 7-6. [63][64], A strained right calf muscle forced Graf to withdraw from the Australian Open. Nominated and voted the title Mother of the nation in her country, Germany, 2010. [146], In December 1999, Graf was named the greatest female tennis player of the 20th century by a panel of experts assembled by the Associated Press. [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. Seles was behind 26 in the first-set tiebreaker, but then came back to win six points in a row and take the set. 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. 1 ranking for the first time in her career, a ranking she would hold for the next 186 consecutive weeks, a record (it was tied by Serena Williams in 2016). In the final, Evert was completely overwhelmed in the first set, losing 6-1. 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. Novak Djokovic has arrived in Japan for the Tokyo Olympics 2020, and he is looking as confident as ever. This time, Navratilova beat Graf 76, 63, 62. Steffi is the GOAT in women's tennis because she's the most dominant player to ever play this game. Steffi Graf on how social media impacts the mental health of children. 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. 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?