# Graf–Sabatini rivalry

The Graf–Sabatini rivalry was a tennis rivalry between Steffi Graf and Gabriela Sabatini, who played each other on 40 occasions between 1985 and 1995. Graf was the world No. 1, and Sabatini reached a career high of No. 3. Both are Major champions, Graf winning 22 titles, and Sabatini won her only major title at the 1990 US Open over Graf. They also teamed in doubles, reaching three French Open finals and winning the 1988 Wimbledon crown.
In Grand Slams, they met 12 times, three of them in finals. Graf leads 11–1. In 1988, Graf beat Sabatini in the semifinals of the French Open, the US Open final, and the Olympic final to complete the calendar-year Golden Slam. In the 1991 Wimbledon final. Sabatini was two points away from capturing the singles title, but Graf took the match 8–6 in the deciding set.
Graf and Sabatini first met in 1985, and by the end of 1987, had met a total of 11 times, Graf winning all of them. Sabatini defeated Graf 11 times in the next 21 matches they played from 1988 to 1992, with the Argentine going on a five-match winning streak and Graf on a four-match winning streak. Sabatini then lost the final eight matches they played from 1992 to 1995. According to Sabatini, they had a good relationship off the court, but were never close friends.
On September 25, 2004, Graf defeated Sabatini 6-1, 7-5 in an exhibition match in Berlin, Germany. They met the following year at an exhibition match in Mannheim, Germany on October 15, 2005, where Graf again beat Sabatini in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.
Graf introduced Sabatini during the 2006 International Tennis Hall of Fame Induction on July 15, 2006.

## List of all matches

| Legend | Graf | Sabatini |
| Grand Slam | 11 | 1 |
| WTA Tour Championships | 3 | 1 |
| WTA Tour Events | 13 | 9 |
| Federation Cup | 1 | 0 |
| Olympic Games | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 29 | 11 |
Graf–Sabatini (29–11)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Round | Winner | Score | Graf | Sabatini |
| 1. | 1985 | WTA New Jersey | Hard | Semifinals | Graf | 4–6, 6–0, 6–3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2. | 1986 | Virginia Slims Championships | Carpet | Round of 16 | Graf | 6–0, 6–7$^{(5–7)}$, 6–2 | 2 | 0 |
| 3. | 1986 | US Clay Court Championships | Clay | Final | Graf | 2–6, 7–6$^{(7–5)}$, 6–4 | 3 | 0 |
| 4. | 1987 | Charleston Open | Clay | Semifinals | Graf | 6–3, 2–6, 7–6$^{(7–5)}$ | 4 | 0 |
| 5. | 1987 | Amelia Island Championships | Clay | Semifinals | Graf | 6–2, 6–2 | 5 | 0 |
| 6. | 1987 | Italian Open | Clay | Final | Graf | 7–5, 4–6, 6–0 | 6 | 0 |
| 7. | 1987 | Roland Garros | Clay | Semifinals | Graf | 6–4, 4–6, 7–5 | 7 | 0 |
| 8. | 1987 | Wimbledon | Grass | Quarterfinals | Graf | 4–6, 6–1, 6–1 | 8 | 0 |
| 9. | 1987 | Federation Cup | Hard | Quarterfinals | Graf | 6–4, 6–4 | 9 | 0 |
| 10. | 1987 | LA Women's Tennis Championships | Hard | Semifinals | Graf | 7–5, 7–5 | 10 | 0 |
| 11. | 1987 | Virginia Slims Championships | Carpet | Final | Graf | 4–6, 6–4, 6–0, 6–4 | 11 | 0 |
| 12. | 1988 | Virginia Slims of Florida | Hard | Final | Sabatini | 2–6, 6–3, 6–1 | 11 | 1 |
| 13. | 1988 | Amelia Island Championships | Clay | Semifinals | Sabatini | 6–3, 4–6, 7–5 | 11 | 2 |
| 14. | 1988 | Roland Garros | Clay | Semifinals | Graf | 6–3, 7–6$^{(7–3)}$ | 12 | 2 |
| 15. | 1988 | US Open | Hard | Final | Graf | 6–3, 3–6, 6–1 | 13 | 2 |
| 16. | 1988 | Summer Olympics | Hard | Final | Graf | 6–3, 6–3 | 14 | 2 |
| 17. | 1989 | Australian Open | Hard | Semifinals | Graf | 6–3, 6–0 | 15 | 2 |
| 18. | 1989 | Amelia Island Championships | Clay | Final | Sabatini | 3–6, 6–3, 7–5 | 15 | 3 |
| 19. | 1989 | German Open | Clay | Final | Graf | 6–3, 6–1 | 16 | 3 |
| 20. | 1989 | US Open | Hard | Semifinals | Graf | 3–6, 6–4, 6–2 | 17 | 3 |
| 21. | 1989 | Virginia Slims Championships | Carpet | Semifinals | Graf | 6–3, 5–7, 6–1 | 18 | 3 |
| 22. | 1990 | US Open | Hard | Final | Sabatini | 6–2, 7–6$^{(7–4)}$ | 18 | 4 |
| 23. | 1990 | Zurich Open | Carpet | Final | Graf | 6–3, 6–2 | 19 | 4 |
| 24. | 1990 | Virginia Slims of New England | Carpet | Final | Graf | 7–6$^{(7–5)}$, 6–3 | 20 | 4 |
| 25. | 1990 | Virginia Slims Championships | Carpet | Semifinals | Sabatini | 6–4, 6–4 | 20 | 5 |
| 26. | 1991 | Pan Pacific Open | Carpet | Quarterfinals | Sabatini | 4–6, 6–4, 7–6$^{(8–6)}$ | 20 | 6 |
| 27. | 1991 | Virginia Slims of Florida | Hard | Final | Sabatini | 6–4, 7–6$^{(8–6)}$ | 20 | 7 |
| 28. | 1991 | Miami Open | Hard | Semifinals | Sabatini | 0–6, 7–6$^{(8–6)}$, 6–1 | 20 | 8 |
| 29. | 1991 | Amelia Island Championships | Clay | Final | Sabatini | 7-5, 7-6$^{(7–3)}$ | 20 | 9 |
| 30. | 1991 | Wimbledon | Grass | Final | Graf | 6–4, 3–6, 8–6 | 21 | 9 |
| 31. | 1992 | Miami Open | Hard | Semifinals | Sabatini | 3–6, 7–6$^{(7–5)}$, 6–1 | 21 | 10 |
| 32. | 1992 | Amelia Island Championships | Clay | Final | Sabatini | 6–2, 1–6, 6–3 | 21 | 11 |
| 33. | 1992 | Wimbledon | Grass | Semifinals | Graf | 6–3, 6–3 | 22 | 11 |
| 34. | 1993 | Miami Open | Hard | Semifinals | Graf | 6–0, 6–2 | 23 | 11 |
| 35. | 1993 | Charleston Open | Clay | Semifinals | Graf | 6–0, 7–6$^{(7–3)}$ | 24 | 11 |
| 36. | 1993 | German Open | Clay | Final | Graf | 7–6$^{(7–3)}$, 2–6, 6–4 | 25 | 11 |
| 37. | 1993 | US Open | Hard | Quarterfinals | Graf | 6–2, 5–7, 6–1 | 26 | 11 |
| 38. | 1994 | Canadian Open | Hard | Quarterfinals | Graf | 7–5, 6–0 | 27 | 11 |
| 39. | 1995 | Roland Garros | Clay | Quarterfinals | Graf | 6–1, 6–0 | 28 | 11 |
| 40. | 1995 | US Open | Hard | Semifinals | Graf | 6–4, 7–6$^{(7–5)}$ | 29 | 11 |

## Breakdown of the rivalry

* Hard courts: Graf, 11–5
* Clay courts: Graf, 10–4
* Grass courts: Graf, 3–0
* Carpet courts: Graf, 5–2
* Grand Slam matches: Graf, 11–1
* Grand Slam finals: Graf, 2–1
* Year-End Championships matches: Graf, 3–1
* Year-End Championships finals: Graf, 1–0
* Fed Cup matches: Graf, 1–0
* All finals: Graf, 10–6
* All matches: Graf, 29–11
* Florida matches: Sabatini, 8-2