Steffi Graf

**Stefanie Maria Graf** (/ɡrɑːf, ɡræf/ *GRA(H)F*, German: [ˈʃtɛfi ˈɡʁaːf]; born 14 June 1969), dem know professionally as **Steffi Graf** wey she dey prefer to be called **Stefanie** since 2001, be a German former professional tennis player. Na dem rank am as de world No. 1 insyd women's singles by de Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for a record 377 weeks, wey na she fini as de year-end No. 1 a record eight times. Na Graf win 107 singles titles on de WTA Tour, wey dey include 22 major women's singles titles, de second-most since de start of de Open Era insyd 1968 den de third-most of all time. She be de tennis player per, male anaa female, wey win each major singles tournament at least four times — a quadruple career Grand Slam.

A teenage phenomenon, Graf cam be de youngest player to appear insyd de main draw of a major at de 1983 French Open aged 13. Na she improve over de years wey dey follow wey na she emerge as de player wey end Chris Evert den Martina Navratilova dema dominance on women's tennis, wey she win ein first major at de 1987 French Open. Insyd 1988, Graf ascend to dominance, wey she cam be de first tennis player to achieve de Golden Slam by she win all four major titles den de Olympic gold medal insyd de same calendar year. Na de years wey dey follow see am remain de best player insyd de world, buh she struggle plus injuries den de rise of young rivals, especially Monica Seles. After de stabbing of Seles insyd 1993, Graf return to dominance on de women's tour for chaw years. After more injuries insyd 1997 den 1998, insyd 1999 Graf capture ein 22nd den final major title at de French Open, wey she reach de Wimbledon final, wey na she retire from de sport, aged 30 wey dem rank am as de world No. 3.

Na dem note Graf ein game for versatility across all playing surfaces, footwork, den powerful forehand drive. Na dem credit ein athletic ability den aggressive game na she play from de baseline plus developing de style of play wey dey dominate today ein game. Na Billie Jean King say, "Steffi [Graf] be definitely de greatest women's tennis player of all time." Na dem name Graf de greatest female tennis player of de 20th century by de Associated Press; na dem biz insyd 2016 to name de greatest players of all time, Serena Williams answer Graf den Roger Federer. Na dem induct Graf into de Tennis Hall of Fame insyd 2004. Along plus Boris Becker, Graf be considered instrumental in popularizing tennis insyd Germany. She be married to fellow tennis player Andre Agassi since 2001. Dem get two kiddies.

## Early life
Na dem born Stefanie Graf on 14 June 1969, insyd Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany, to Heidi Schalk den car-and-insurance salesman Peter Graf (18 June 1938 − 30 November 2013). Wen na she dey nine years old, ein family move go de neighboring town of Brühl. She get a kiddie bro, Michael.

Ein poppie, an aspiring tennis coach, first introduce am to de game, dey teach ein three-year-old daughter how to swing a wooden racket insyd de family ein living room. She begin dey practise on a court at de age of four wey na she play insyd ein first tournament at five. She soon begin dey take de top prize at junior tournaments plus regularity, dey go on to win de European Championships 12s den 18s insyd 1982.

## Career

### Early career
Na Graf play insyd ein first professional tournament insyd October 1982 at Filderstadt, Germany. She loose ein first round match 6–4, 6–0 to Tracy Austin, a two-time US Open champion den former world No. 1 player.

At de start of ein first full professional year insyd 1983, na Graf be 13 years old wey na she rank world No. 124. She win no titles during de next three years, buh na ein ranking climb steadily to world No. 98 insyd 1983, No. 22 insyd 1984, den No. 6 insyd 1985. Insyd 1984, she first gain international attention wen na she almost upset de tenth seed, Jo Durie of de United Kingdom, insyd a fourth round Centre Court match at Wimbledon. Insyd August as a 15-year-old (den youngest entrant) wey dey represent West Germany, she win de tennis demonstration event at de 1984 Olympic Games insyd Los Angeles. Dem no award medals as na dis no be an official Olympic event.

Na Graf ein schedule closely be controlled by ein poppie Peter Graf, wey limit ein play so dat she no go burn out. Insyd 1985, for instance, she play ten events per wey lead up to de US Open, whereas anoda up-and-coming star, Gabriela Sabatini, play 21. Peter Graf sanso keep a tight rein on ein daughter ein personal life. Na dem often decline social invitations on de tour as na dem keep Graf ein focus on practicing den match play. Working plus ein poppie den then-coach Pavel Složil, na Graf typically practice for up to four hours a day, often dey head straight from airports to practice courts. Na dis narrow focus mean say Graf, already shy den retiring by nature, make few friends on de tour insyd ein early years, buh na e lead to a steady improvement insyd ein play.

Insyd 1985 den early 1986, Graf emerge as de top challenger to de dominance of Martina Navratilova den Chris Evert. During dat period, she loose six times to Evert den three times to Navratilova, all insyd straight sets. Na she no win a tournament buh na she consistently reach tournament finals, semifinals den quarterfinals, wey de highlight be a semifinal defeat to Navratilova at de US Open.

On 13 April 1986, Graf win ein first WTA tournament wey she beat Evert for de first time insyd de final of de Family Circle Cup insyd Hilton Head, South Carolina (she never san loose to Evert, wey she beat am seven more times over de next three den a half years). Graf then win ein next three tournaments at Amelia Island, Indianapolis, den Berlin, wey dey culminate insyd a 6–2, 6–3 defeat of Navratilova insyd de final of de latter. Na illness cause am to miss Wimbledon, den an accident wer na she break a toe several weeks later sanso curtail ein play. She return to win a small tournament at Mahwah just before de US Open wer, insyd one of de most anticipated matches of de year, she encounter Navratilova insyd a semifinal. Na Navratilova prevail over Graf insyd de semifinal 6–1, 6–7(7–3), 7–6(10–8), wey na she sav three match points insyd an epic spread over two days. Graf then win three consecutive indoor titles at Tokyo, Zurich, den Brighton, before she san contend plus Navratilova at de season-ending Virginia Slims Championships insyd New York. Dis time, Navratilova beat Graf 7–6, 6–3, 6–2.

### Breakthru year: 1987
Na Graf ein Grand Slam tournament breakthru cam insyd 1987. She start de year strongly, plus six tournament victories wey she dey head into de French Open, wey de highlight be at de tournament insyd Miami, wer na she defeat Martina Navratilova insyd a semifinal den Chris Evert insyd de final wey na she loose 20 games per insyd de seven rounds of de tournament. Insyd de French Open final, Graf defeat Navratilova, wey na she be de world No. 1, 6–4, 4–6, 8–6 after she beat Sabatini insyd a three-set semifinal.

Graf then loose to Navratilova 7–5, 6–3 insyd de Wimbledon final, ein first loss of de year. However, insyd de Federation Cup final insyd Vancouver, Canada, three weeks later, she defeat Evert easily 6–2, 6–1. Na de US Open end anti-climactically as na Navratilova defeat Graf insyd de final 7–6, 6–1.

Graf get a win–loss record of 75–2 for a 97.4 winning percentage insyd 1987, na both losses cam to Navratilova as dem split de four matches dem play during de year. On 17 August, after she defeat Evert insyd a straight set final insyd de Virginia Slims of Los Angeles, Graf overtake Navratilova for de world No. 1 ranking for de first time insyd ein career, a ranking she go hold for de next 186 consecutive weeks, a record (wey be tied by Serena Williams insyd 2016). Na Graf be de first player oda dan Navratilova anaa Evert to hold de top spot since Tracy Austin insyd 1980.

### Grand Slam: 1988

Graf start 1988 by she win de Australian Open, wey she defeat Chris Evert insyd de final 6–1, 7–6. Na Graf no loose a set during de tournament wey na she loose a total of 29 games per.

Na Graf loose twice to Sabatini during de spring, once on hardcourts insyd Boca Raton, Florida, den once on clay at Amelia Island, Florida. Graf, however, win de tournament insyd San Antonio, Texas, wey na she retain ein title insyd Miami, wer she san defeat Evert insyd de final. Graf then win de tournament insyd Berlin, wey she loose twelve games per insyd five matches.

At de French Open, Graf successfully defend ein title by she defeat Natasha Zvereva 6–0, 6–0 insyd a 34-minute final. Na de official time of de match dem give on de scoresheet be 34 minutes; however, na dem just spend 32 minutes of dat on de court, as na a rain break split de match into two periods of play, of nine den 23 minutes. Na dat be de shortest-ever den most one-sided Grand Slam tournament final ever den de first double bagel insyd a major final insyd de Open Era. Zvereva, wey na she eliminate Martina Navratilova insyd de fourth round, win thirteen points per insyd de match.

Na Wimbledon cam next, wer na Martina Navratilova win six straight titles. Na Graf dey trail Martina Navratilova insyd de final 7–5, 2–0 before she win de match 5–7, 6–2, 6–1. She then win tournaments insyd Hamburg den Mahwah (wer na she loose eight games per all tournament).

At de US Open, Graf beat Sabatini insyd a three-set final, 6–3, 3–6, 6–1, to win de Grand Slam, a feat wey previously be performed by two oda women per, Maureen Connolly Brinker insyd 1953 den Margaret Court insyd 1970. Na Graf ein 1988 Grand Slam remain de one per insyd history dem plete on three surfaces (grass, clay, hard court), as all oda Grand Slams insyd tennis history dem achieve prior to de introduction of hard court at de US Open insyd 1978.

In reaching dend winning all four Grand Slam finals, Graf cam be de first player insyd history to contest den win 28 Grand Slam singles matches insyd a single year; albeit dey include de unplayed walkover against Evert insyd de US Open. Even discounting dat result, na no oda player play den win 27 Grand Slam matches insyd a single year before. Since then, na five players manage a 27–1 win–loss record, wey dey mean all of dem fail to win de Grand Slam: Graf insyd 1989 den 1993, Monica Seles insyd 1992, Martina Hingis insyd 1997, Roger Federer insyd 2006, den Novak Djokovic insyd 2015, 2021 den 2023.

Graf then defeat Sabatini 6–3, 6–3 insyd de gold medal match at de Olympic Games insyd Seoul wey na she achieve wat na de media dub de "Golden Slam", de first tennis player to do dis. Graf sanso win ein Grand Slam doubles title per dat year—at Wimbledon wey she partner Sabatini—wey na she pick up a women's doubles Olympic bronze medal. Na Graf be de first tennis player to achieve dis.

At de year-ending Virginia Slims Championships, na Pam upset Shriver Graf, ein third loss per of de year. Na de loss deprive am of de Golden Super Slam. Na dem name am de 1988 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of de Year.

At de end of de year, na de municipality of Brühl, ein hometown, give am de title of honorary citizen.

### New challengers den personal challenges

#### 1989
Na speculation be rife at de beginning of 1989 about de possibility of Graf go win anoda Grand Slam. Na sam noted observers, such as Margaret Court, suggest say Graf go fi achieve de feat a couple more times. Wey na de year begin as expected, plus Graf dey extend ein Grand Slam tournament winning streak to five events at de Australian Open, wey she defeat Helena Suková insyd de final. Na dem describe ein 6–3, 6–0 defeat of Gabriela Sabatini insyd a semifinal by veteran observer Ted Tinling as "probably de best tennis wey na I see". Na he go on to add, "Na I see wat Steffi do to Sabatini at de Australian Open dis year, wey na dat be am. She be better dan dem all."

Na Graf follow dis plus easy victories insyd ein next four tournaments at Washington, D.C., San Antonio, Texas, Boca Raton, Florida, den Hilton Head. Na de Washington, D.C. tournament be notable secof Graf win de first twenty points of de final against Zina Garrison. Insyd de Boca Raton final, Graf loose de set per she concede to Chris Evert insyd dema final seven matches.

Insyd de subsequent Amelia Island final on clay, Graf loose ein first match of de year to Sabatini buh she return to European clay plus easy victories at Hamburg den Berlin.

Na Graf ein Grand Slam tournament winning streak end at de French Open, wer na 17-year-old Spaniard Arantxa Sánchez Vicario beat Graf insyd three sets. Graf serve for de match at 5–3 insyd de third set buh she loose de game wey na she win three more points per insyd de match. Dey suffer from food poisoning, na she struggle to beat Monica Seles insyd dema semifinal 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 wey na she say na she get menstrual cramps insyd de final. Na Graf, however, recover to defeat Martina Navratilova 6–2, 6–7, 6–1 insyd de Wimbledon final after she defeat Monica Seles 6–0, 6–1 insyd a fourth round match, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario insyd a quarterfinal, den Chris Evert insyd a semifinal.

Graf warm up for de US Open plus easy tournament victories insyd San Diego den Mahwah. Insyd ein semifinal match at de US Open, Graf defeat Sabatini 3–6, 6–4, 6–2. Na de match be notable for ein dramatic ending. Na she suffer from leg cramps since de middle of de third set, Graf run off de court seconds after match point to seek medical treatment. Insyd de final, Navratilova lead 6–3, 4–2 before na Graf rally to win 3–6, 7–5, 6–1 for ein third Grand Slam singles title of de year.

Victories at Zurich den Brighton precede de Virginia Slims Championships, wer na Graf cement ein top-ranked status by she beat Navratilova insyd de four-set final. Graf end 1989 plus an 86–2 match record den de loss of 12 sets per. Ein 0.977 winning percentage be de second-highest insyd de open era behind Navratilova.

#### 1990
Graf defeat Mary Joe Fernández insyd de final of de Australian Open, wich na be ein eighth Grand Slam singles title insyd de last nine she contest. Na she survive an intense three-set battle plus Helena Sukova insyd de semis, wey she break insyd de tenth den final game to win de third set 6–4. Ein winning streak (unbeaten since de 1989 French Open loss to Arantxa Sánchez) continue plus victories insyd Tokyo, Amelia Island, den Hamburg. Shortly after she win insyd Tokyo, Graf injure ein right thumb while cross-country skiing insyd Switzerland wey na she subsequently withdraw from de Virginia Slims of Florida den de Lipton Championships. Insyd Berlin, she extend ein unbeaten streak to 66 matches (second insyd WTA history to Navratilova ein 74) before she loose de final to Monica Seles, 4–6, 3–6.

While na dem dey play Berlin tournament, de largest-circulation German tabloid, *Bild*, run a story about an alleged scandal wey dey involve Graf ein poppie. De difficulty of answering questions about de matter cam to a head at a Wimbledon press conference, wer na Graf break down insyd tears. Wimbledon authorities then threaten to immediately shut down any subsequent press conferences wer na dem biz questions about de issue. Na whether dis scandal affect Graf ein form be open to debate. Insyd an interview plus *Stern* magazine insyd July 1990, na Graf state, "I no fi fight as usual."

Graf san loose to Monica Seles insyd de final of de French Open 6–7, 4–6. Na Seles be behind 2–6 insyd de first-set tiebreaker, buh she then cam back to win six points insyd a row den take de set. At Wimbledon, na Graf loose insyd de semifinals to Zina Garrison, wey plus dis victory she break Graf ein string of 13 consecutive major finals. Na dis be a major upset as Garrison for save a match point to defeat Monica Seles insyd de quarterfinal, wey na dem expect make she easily fall to Graf, wey na she no beat am insyd four years. After victories insyd Montreal den San Diego, na Graf reach de US Open final, wer na she loose insyd straight sets to Sabatini. Graf win four indoor tournaments after de US Open, wey dey include a pair of straight-set wins over Sabatini insyd de finals of Zürich den Worcester. Although Sabatini get de best of Graf insyd de semifinals of de season-ending Virginia Slims Championships, Graf still fini de year as de top-ranked player.

#### 1991
Na a mixture of injury problems, personal difficulties, den loss of form make 1991 a tough year give Graf. Seles establish einself as de new dominant player on de women's tour, wey she win de Australian Open, French Open, den US Open den, insyd March, wey dey end Graf ein record 186 consecutive-weeks hold on de World No. 1 ranking. Na Graf briefly regain de top ranking after she win at Wimbledon buh na she san loose am after ein loss to Navratilova at de US Open.

Na Graf loose an Australian Open quarterfinal to Jana Novotná, de first time na she no reach de semifinals of a Grand Slam singles tournament since de 1986 French Open. She then loose to Sabatini insyd ein next three tournaments before she win de U.S. Hardcourt Championships insyd San Antonio, wey na she beat Monica Seles insyd de final. After she loose a fifth straight time to Sabatini insyd Amelia Island, Florida, na Graf san defeat Seles insyd de Hamburg final. Dey follow ein tournament victory insyd German Open insyd Berlin, na Graf suffer one of de worst defeats of ein career insyd a French Open semifinal wer na she win two games per against Sánchez Vicario wey na she loose ein first 6–0 set since 1984. At Wimbledon, however, Graf capture ein third women's crown, dis time at Sabatini ein expense. Sabatini serve for de match twice, wey na she be two points away from ein first Wimbledon title. After she break Sabatini ein serve to even de third set at 6–6, na Graf defeat Sabatini by she win de next two games to take de match 6–4, 3–6, 8–6. Martina Navratilova then defeat Graf 7–6, 6–7, 6–4 insyd a US Open semifinal, de first time na she beat Graf insyd four years. Graf then win insyd Leipzig, plus ein 500th career victory dey cam insyd a quarterfinal against Judith Wiesner. After she win two more indoor tournaments at Zurich den Brighton, she san fail insyd de Virginia Slims Championships, wey she loose ein quarterfinal to Novotná. Soon after, she split plus ein long-time coach, Pavel Složil.

#### 1992
Na a bout of rubella force Graf to miss de first major event of 1992, de Australian Open. Ein year continue indifferently plus losses insyd three of ein first four tournaments, wey dey include a semifinal loss to Jana Novotná insyd Chicago. Na e be Graf ein second consecutive loss to Novotna, den dey date back to dema 1991 Australian Open quarterfinal match, na Jana win three of dema last five meetings. Na e sanso be de last loss Graf go ever have to Novotna insyd a match she plete (na she get a loss after she withdraw plus injury after de first set of a late 1996 match). Na Chicago be notable, however, for e be de first tournament na Graf play plus ein new coach, former Swiss player Heinz Günthardt. Na Graf ein poppie approach Günthardt during de 1991 Virginia Slims Championships. She go work plus am for de remainder of ein career. Insyd Boca Raton, Florida, na Graf reach ein first final of de year, wer na she face Conchita Martínez for de title. Insyd dema five previous head-to-head matches, na Graf defeat Martínez each time. Even though na she loose de opening set, Graf go on to prevail insyd three sets. She loose twice to Sabatini insyd de early spring at de Lipton International den de Bausch & Lomb Championships, wich now bring am to seven losses insyd ein last eight matches against Sabatini; however, na de Bausch & Lomb loss go be Graf ein final loss to Sabatini, wey she win ein next, den last eight matches against Sabatini.

Na victories at Hamburg den Berlin (she beat Sánchez Vicario insyd de finals of both) prepare am for de French Open, wer na she defeat Sánchez Vicario insyd de semifinals after she loose de first set 6–0. Graf then loose a closely contested final to Monica Seles, 2–6, 6–3, 8–10. Na Seles win de match on ein fifth match point; Graf cam within two points of winning de match a few games earlier. At Wimbledon, after na she struggle thru early-round three-setters against Mariaan de Swardt den Patty Fendick, she easily defeat Natasha Zvereva insyd de quarterfinal, Sabatini insyd de semifinal, den Seles insyd de final, 6–2, 6–1, wey na Seles play insyd almost complete silence secof widespread media den player criticism of ein grunting. Graf then win all five of ein Fed Cup matches, wey help Germany defeat Spain insyd de final by she defeat Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, 6–4, 6–2. At de Olympic Games insyd Barcelona, na Graf loose to Jennifer Capriati insyd de final wey na she claim de silver medal. At de US Open, na dem upset Graf insyd de quarterfinals by Sánchez Vicario 7–6, 6–3. Na four consecutive indoor tournament victories insyd de autumn help improve ein season, buh for de third consecutive year, she fail to win de Virginia Slims Championships, wer na she loose insyd de first round to Lori McNeil.

### Second period of dominance

#### 1993
Graf begin 1993 plus four losses insyd ein first six tournaments of de year: two to Sánchez Vicario den one each to Seles den de 36-year-old Martina Navratilova. Seles defeat Graf at de Australian Open 4–6, 6–3, 6–2. She struggle at de German Open insyd Berlin wer na she loose a 6–0 set to de unheralded Sabine Hack before she defeat Mary Joe Fernández den Sabatini insyd three-set matches to claim ein seventh title der insyd eight years.

During a quarterfinal match between Seles den Magdalena Maleeva insyd Hamburg, na dem stab Seles between de shoulder blades by a mentally ill German fan of Graf, Günter Parche. Na he claim say he commit de attack to help Graf reclaim de world No. 1 ranking. More dan two years elapse before Seles san compete. Shortly after de stabbing, during a players meeting at de Italian Open insyd Rome, 17 of de world ein top 25 WTA members vote against preserving Seles ein world No. 1 ranking while na dem sideline am. Since na Graf skip de Italian Open, na she no take part insyd de vote.

During Seles ein absence, na Graf win 65 of 67 matches, three of four Grand Slam events den de year-end Virginia Slims championships. She win ein first French Open title since 1988 plus a three-set victory over Mary Joe Fernández insyd de final. Na Fernandez get two break points to take a 3–0 den double break lead insyd de third set. Na de win elevate Graf to de world No. 1 ranking for de first time insyd 22 months. At Wimbledon, Graf defeat Jana Novotná to win ein third consecutive, den fifth overall, ladies dema title. Insyd de third den deciding set, Novotná get a point to go up 5–1 on ein serve. After na she break Novotná ein serve, Graf win de next four games to take de match 7–6, 1–6, 6–4. Graf get a bone splinter insyd ein right foot during dis tournament (den for de next few months), finally result in surgery on 4 October.

In de meantime, na she loose surprisingly to Nicole Bradtke of Australia insyd a Fed Cup match on clay before na she win de Acura Classic insyd San Diego den de Canadian Open insyd Toronto in preparation for de US Open. She win der, wey she comfortably beat Helena Suková insyd de final after she need three sets to eliminate Gabriela Sabatini den Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere insyd de quarterfinals den semifinals respectively. Insyd de fall, Graf win de Volkswagen Card Cup insyd Leipzig a day before ein foot operation, wey she loose two games per to Jana Novotná insyd de final. Graf loose to Conchita Martínez insyd ein comeback tournament a month later insyd Philadelphia. However, na she fini ein year plus a highlight, wey she win ein first Virginia Slims Championships since 1989 by she beat Arantxa Sánchez Vicario insyd de final despite she dey need painkillers for a back injury.

#### 1994
Seemingly free of injury for de first time insyd years, Graf begin de year by she win de Australian Open, wer na she defeat Arantxa Sánchez Vicario insyd de final plus de loss of two games per. Na Graf later state na e be de best tennis she ever play insyd a Grand Slam final. She then win ein next four tournaments insyd Tokyo, Indian Wells, Delray Beach den Miami respectively. Insyd de Miami final, she loose ein first set of de year—to Natasha Zvereva—after she win 54 consecutive sets. Insyd de Hamburg final, she loose for de first time insyd 1994 after 36 consecutive match victories, wey she loose to Sánchez Vicario insyd three sets. She then win ein eighth German Open, buh na der be signs dat na ein form dey worsen as she almost loose to Julie Halard insyd a quarterfinal. As de defending champion Graf loose insyd straight sets to Mary Pierce insyd de French Open semifinal. Na dis be followed by a first-round straight-sets loss at Wimbledon to Lori McNeil, ein loss per at Wimbledon between 1991 den 1997 den ein first loss insyd a first round Grand Slam tournament insyd ten years. Graf still manage to win San Diego de month wey dey follow buh na she aggravate a long-time back injury insyd beating Sánchez Vicario insyd de final. Na Graf develop a bone spur at de base of ein spine secof a congenital condition of de sacroiliac joint. She begin to wear a back brace wey na she be unsure about playing de US Open buh na dem elect am to play while she dey receive treatment den stretching for two hours before each match. She make am to de final wey she take de first set against Sánchez Vicario buh she loose de next two sets — Sanchez Vicario ein last victory over Graf. Insyd de middle of de second set, Graf suffer back spasms while she dey reach for a ball insyd de ad court. She take de nine weeks wey dey follow off, wey she return only for de Virginia Slims Championships wer na she loose insyd straight sets to Pierce insyd de quarterfinal. Although na Graf end de year ranked No. 1 on de computer na de ITF name Sanchez Vicario ein World Champion for de year, while na de WTA back dema official rankings wey dem name Graf.

#### 1995
Na a strained right calf muscle force Graf to withdraw from de Australian Open. She cam back insyd February, wey she win four consecutive tournaments insyd Paris, Delray Beach, Miami den Houston. She then beat Sánchez Vicario insyd de finals of both de French Open den Wimbledon. Dem dey regard de 1995 Wimbledon final as one of de most dramatic women's major finals insyd history as na Graf den Sánchez Vicario battle insyd a tight third set wey include a 16-minute long, 13-deuce game on Sanchez Vicario ein serve at 5–5. Insyd August na Monica Seles make ein much anticipated return to tennis at de Canadian Open. Na dem decide to grant am a joint number-one ranking plus Graf wey take ein first loss of de year insyd de first round to Amanda Coetzer. Na de US Open be Monica Seles ein first Grand Slam event since de 1993 attack, plus much anticipation again around a potential Seles-Graf final. After she survive a scare insyd a three-setter against Amanda Coetzer insyd de first round, Graf reach de final plus relative ease, while na Seles go thru ein side of de draw insyd even more convincing fashion. Na Seles den Graf meet insyd de final, wey Graf win insyd three sets, wey she save a set point insyd de first set. Graf then cap de year by she beat countrywoman Anke Huber insyd a five-set final at de season-ending WTA Championships insyd 2 hours den 46 minutes.

##### Tax issues
In personal terms, na 1995 be a difficult year give Graf, as na German authorities accuse am of tax evasion insyd de early years of ein career. In ein defense, na she state say na ein poppie be ein financial manager, wey all financial matters wey dey relate to ein earnings at de time dey under ein control. Na dem arrest ein poppie insyd August wey na dem sentence am to 45 months in jail. Na dem eventually release am after he serve 25 months. Na prosecutors drop dema case against Graf insyd 1997, wen na she agree to pay a fine of 1.3&nbsp;million Deutsche Marks to de government den an unspecified charity.

#### 1996
Graf san miss de Australian Open after she undergo surgery insyd December 1995 to remove bone splinters from ein left foot. Graf cam back to de tour insyd March, wey she win back to back titles insyd Indian Wells den Miami, wey be followed by a record ninth title at de German Open insyd May den a quarterfinal defeat insyd Rome against Martina Hingis. She then successfully defend de three Grand Slam titles she win de year before. Insyd a close French Open final, Graf san overcam Sánchez Vicario, wey na she take de third set 10–8. Na Graf lead 4–1 insyd de second set tiebreak, only to lose six points insyd a row den force a decider. Twice insyd de third set na Sánchez Vicario serve for de championship buh na Graf break am each time. Na e be de longest French Open women's singles final insyd history, both in terms of time (3 hours den 3 minutes) den number of games dem play (40). Na Graf then get a straight-sets win against Sánchez Vicario insyd de Wimbledon final. Na dat be de last competitive match Graf den Sánchez Vicario go ever play against one anoda. Insyd July, na a left knee injury force Graf to withdraw from de Summer Olympics insyd Atlanta. Na Graf play one warm-up event per ahead of de US Open, de Acura Classic insyd Manhattan Beach, California, wer na she loose to Lindsay Davenport insyd de semifinals. She then successfully defend ein title at de US Open, wey she defeat Monica Seles insyd de final. Na ein toughest battle cam against rising star Martina Hingis insyd de semifinal, wey Hingis unable to convert on five set points. Na Graf no loose a set de whole tournament. She sanso win ein fifth den final WTA Tour Championships title plus a five set win over Martina Hingis, wey na Hingis cramp up insyd de fifth set. Insyd 1988, Graf cam be de second tennis player per insyd history to win a Slam on hardcourt, clay, den grass all insyd de same season. She repeat de feat insyd 1993, 1995, den 1996.

### Final years on de tour: 1997–99

Na de last few years of Graf ein career be beset by injuries, particularly to ein knees den back. She loose de world No. 1 ranking to Martina Hingis wey na she fail to win a Grand Slam title for de first time insyd ten years insyd 1997. Dat year na Graf loose insyd de fourth round of de Australian Open insyd straight sets to Amanda Coetzer. She subsequently withdraw from de Pan Pacific Open wey na she get arthroscopic surgery dem perform on ein left knee. After several months injury lay off, Graf return to play insyd de German Open insyd Berlin in front of a home crowd wey na she get de worst defeat of ein career insyd de quarterfinal, wen na Amanda Coetzer beat am insyd just 56 minutes 6–0, 6–1. Insyd de French Open na Amanda Coetzer san beat Graf insyd straight sets, 6–1, 6–4. One week later per, she undergo reconstructive knee surgery insyd Vienna wey na she subsequently miss de 1997 Wimbledon den US Open championships. Na de treatment be for a fracture of de cartilage as well as a shortening den partial rupture of de patellar tendon of ein left knee. After she miss almost half of de tour insyd 1998, na Graf loose insyd de third round at Wimbledon den insyd de fourth round at de US Open. Shortly after de US Open, na she undergo surgery to remove a bone spur insyd ein right wrist. Upon ein return na Graf defeat world No. 2 Hingis den world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport en route to de Philadelphia title. At de first round of de season-ending Chase Championships, na Graf defeat world No. 3, Jana Novotná, before she loose insyd de semifinal to first-seeded Davenport.

At de beginning of 1999 na Graf play de warm up event to de Australian Open insyd Sydney; she defeat Serena Williams insyd de second round den Venus insyd de quarterfinals before she loose to Lindsay Davenport insyd de semifinal. Na Graf then go on to reach de quarterfinals of de Australian Open before she loose to Monica Seles insyd two sets. Insyd Indian Wells na Graf loose to Serena Williams insyd three sets.

At de French Open, Graf reach ein first Grand Slam final insyd three years wey na she fight back from a set den twice from a break down insyd de second set to defeat de top ranked Hingis insyd three sets for a memorable victory. Graf cam be de first player insyd de open era to defeat de first, second, den third ranked players insyd de same Grand Slam tournament by she beat second-ranked Davenport insyd de quarterfinals den third-ranked Seles insyd de semifinals. Na Graf say after de final e go be ein last French Open, wey dey fuel speculation about ein retirement.

Graf then reach ein ninth Wimbledon singles final, wey she loose to third-seeded Davenport insyd straight sets. Na she for overcome three difficult three set matches en route to dis final, against Mariaan De Swardt insyd de second round, Venus Williams insyd de quarterfinals den Mirjana Lučić insyd de semifinals.

On 13 August 1999, shortly after she retire plus a strained hamstring from a second round match against Amy Frazier insyd San Diego, Graf announce ein retirement from de women's tour at age 30. Na dem rank am No. 3 at dat time wey she say, *"I have done everything I wanted to do in tennis. I feel I have nothing left to accomplish. The weeks following Wimbledon [in 1999] weren't easy for me. I was not having fun anymore. After Wimbledon, for the first time in my career, I didn't feel like going to a tournament. My motivation wasn't what it was in the past."*

### Doubles career
From de beginning of ein career til 1990, Graf regularly play doubles matches insyd Grand Slams den oda tournaments, wey she win a total of 11 doubles titles. Insyd 1986, she form a partnership plus rival Gabriela Sabatini. Na de pair be moderately successful, wey dem win de 1988 Wimbledon Championships togeda wey na dem reach de finals of de French Open insyd 1986, 1987 den 1989. Na de partnership be de subject of much discussion, as de two women, both dem know to be shy, usually keep communication to a minimum during changeovers den between points, a highly unusual situation insyd doubles. Sabatini say of de partnership: "doubles be all about communicating plus each oda, wey na we no communicate dat much. We go just say de basic things, buh nothing else." Na de pair play dema last major tournament togeda at de 1990 Wimbledon Championships, wey she loose insyd de quarterfinals. From 1991 til de end of ein career, na Graf go play doubles sporadically per, wey she form short-term partnerships plus a variety of players, wey dey include Lori McNeil, Anke Huber den ein best paddies on de tour, Rennae Stubbs, Patricia Tarabini den Ines Gorrochategui. She play ein last Grand Slam doubles tournament at de 1999 Australian Open plus Gorrochategui, wey she loose insyd de second round.

Graf sanso occasionally play mixed doubles, although na she never win a title. She partner plus doubles specialist Mark Woodforde at de Australian Open insyd 1994, plus Henri Leconte at Wimbledon insyd 1991 den at de French Open insyd 1994, den plus Charlie Pasarell at de US Open insyd 1984. Insyd an unusual arrangement, na she pair plus ein coaches Pavel Složil at Wimbledon insyd 1988 den Heinz Günthardt insyd 1992 den 1996, sanso at Wimbledon. At de 1999 Wimbledon Championships, na Graf form a much-publicized partnership plus John McEnroe, plus whom she reach de semifinals before she withdraw secof concerns dat ein uncertain hamstring, couple plus a bout of bronchitis, go affect am insyd de singles final.

### Post-career exhibition matches

Insyd late 1999 den early 2000, as part of ein Farewell Tour, Graf play a series of exhibition matches against former rivals insyd New Zealand, Japan, Spain, Germany den South Africa. She play Jelena Dokic insyd Christchurch, New Zealand, Amanda Coetzer insyd Durban, South Africa, den ein former rival Arantxa Sánchez Vicario insyd Zaragoza, Spain. Na e be Graf den Sánchez Vicario ein first head-to-head meeting since 1996. Insyd February 2000, Graf play against Kimiko Date at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium insyd Tokyo, Nagoya Rainbow Hall insyd Nagoya, wey she win insyd three sets. Insyd September 2004, Graf dispatch ein former doubles partner Gabriela Sabatini, insyd straight sets, insyd an exhibition match she play insyd Berlin, Germany. Na she sanso dey insyd Berlin to host a charity gala, as well as inaugurating a tennis stadium dem rename de "Steffi Graf Stadion". Na proceeds from ein match against Sabatini go to Graf ein foundation, "Children for Tomorrow".

Insyd July 2005, Graf compete insyd one tie of World Team Tennis (WTT) on de Houston Wranglers team. Na dem beat am insyd two out of three matches, wey each match be one set. Graf loose ein singles match to Elena Likhovtseva 5–4. She team plus Ansley Cargill insyd women's doubles against Anna Kournikova den Likhovtseva buh she loose 5–2. Na she be successful, however, insyd de mixed doubles match. Na Graf completely rule out a return to professional tennis. Insyd October, Graf defeat Sabatini insyd an exhibition match insyd Mannheim, Germany, wey she win both of dema sets. Like de exhibition match de previous year against Sabatini, na proceeds go to "Children for Tomorrow".

Insyd 2008 Graf loose an exhibition match against Kimiko Date at Ariake Colosseum insyd Tokyo. As part of de event, dem bill as "Dream Match 2008", she defeat Martina Navratilova insyd a one-set affair 8–7, wey Graf win a tiebreaker 10–5. Na e be de first time insyd 14 years wey na Graf play Navratilova. Graf play a singles exhibition match against Kim Clijsters den a mixed doubles exhibition alongside husby Andre Agassi against Tim Henman den Clijsters as part of a test event den celebration give de newly installed roof over Wimbledon ein Centre Court insyd 2009. Na she loose a lengthy one-set singles match to Clijsters den sanso de mixed doubles.

Insyd 2010, Graf participate insyd de WTT Smash Hits exhibition insyd Washington, D.C. to support de Elton John AIDS Foundation. Na she den Agassi, ein husby, dey on Team Elton John, wich compete against Team Billie Jean King. Graf play insyd de celebrity doubles, women's doubles, den mixed doubles before she strain ein left calf muscle wey na she be replaced by Anna Kournikova.

### Summary of career
Graf win seven singles titles at Wimbledon, six singles titles at de French Open, five singles titles at de US Open, den four singles titles at de Australian Open. Na ein overall record insyd 54 Grand Slam events be 278–32 (90 percent) (84–10 at de French Open, 74–7 at Wimbledon, 73–9 at de US Open, den 47–6 at de Australian Open). Na ein career prize-money earnings total US$21,895,277 (a record til na Lindsay Davenport surpass dis amount insyd January 2008). Na ein singles win–loss record be 900–115 (88.7 percent). Na dem rank am world No. 1 for 186 consecutive weeks (from August 1987 to March 1991; she tie plus Serena Williams, a record insyd de women's game) den a record total 377 weeks overall.

## Career statistics

### Grand Slam tournament performance timeline

(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) she no qualify; (A) absent; (NH) dem no hold; (SR) strike rate (events she win / she compete); (W–L) win–loss record.

**Note:** Na *Graf ein semifinal match at de 1988 US Open den 3rd round match at de 1993 US open be walkovers (so dem no count as win)*

### Grand Slam tournament finals

#### Singles: 31 (22 titles, 9 runner-ups)

#### Doubles: 4 (1 title, 3 runner-ups)

### Records

* Na dem attain dese records insyd Open Era of tennis.
* Records insyd **bold** dey indicate Open Era peer-less achievements.

## Playing style
Na de main weapons insyd Graf ein game be ein powerful inside-out forehand drive (wich earn am de moniker *Fräulein Forehand*) den ein intricate footwork. She often position einself insyd ein backhand corner den although na dis lef ein forehand wide open den vulnerable to attack, ein court speed mean say na de most accurate shots per wide to ein forehand cause any trouble. Na Graf ein game be versatile across chaw playing surfaces, wey na she excel at ein footwork den powerful forehand drive.

Na Graf ein technique on de forehand be unique den instantly recognizable: wey dey generate considerable racquet head speed plus ein swing, she reach de point of contact late den typically out of de air. As a result, she hit ein forehand plus exceptional pace den accuracy. According to ein coaches Pavel Složil den Heinz Günthardt, na Graf ein superior sense of timing be de key behind de success of ein forehand.

Graf sanso get a powerful backhand drive buh over de course of ein career she tend to use am less frequently, wey she dey opt more often for an effective backhand slice. Dey start insyd de early 1990s, she use de slice almost exclusively insyd baseline rallies den mostly she limit de topspin backhand to passing shots. Ein accuracy plus de slice, both cross-court den down de line den ein ability to skid de ball den keep am low, enable am to use am as an offensive weapon to set de ball up for ein forehand put-aways. However, na Graf admit insyd 1995 say na she go prefer she get a two-handed backhand in retrospect.

She build ein powerful den accurate serve up to , wey make am one of de fastest serves insyd women's tennis wey na she be a capable volleyer.

An exceptionally versatile competitor, Graf remain de player per, male anaa female, wey win de calendar-year Grand Slam on three surfaces anaa wey win each Grand Slam at least four times. Na eighteen-time Grand Slam champion den former rival Chris Evert opine, "Steffi Graf be de best all-around player. Na Martina [Navratilova] win more on fast courts wey na I win more on slow courts, buh Steffi cam along wey she win more titles on both surfaces." Na ein endurance den superior footwork allow am to excel on clay courts, wer, in addition to six French Open titles, she win 26 regular tour events, wey dey include a record eight titles at de German Open. Meanwhile, ein naturally aggressive style of play, effective backhand slice den speed around de court make am even more dominant on fast surfaces such as hard courts, grass den carpet. Graf state say na grass be ein favorite surface to play on, while na clay be ein least favorite.

## Equipment den endorsements
Early insyd ein career, na Graf wear Dunlop apparel, before she sign an endorsement contract plus Adidas insyd 1985. Na she get an Adidas sneakers line dem know as de St. Graf Pro line. Early insyd ein career, na Graf use de Dunlop Maxpower Pro den Maxpower Kevlar racquets wey na she then play plus de Max 200G racquet from 1984 to 1993 before she switch to Wilson from 1994 to 1999. She first use de Wilson Pro Staff 7.0 lite, then she switch to de Pro Staff 7.5 insyd 1996 den to de Pro Staff 7.1 insyd 1998. Na Graf ein racquets be strung at 29 kilograms (64 pounds), significantly above de 50–60 pound range wey Wilson recommend. Insyd 2006, na she sign an endorsement deal plus Head. Insyd 2010, na Graf den Agassi collaborate plus Head wey na dem develop de new line of Star Series tennis racquets.

Na Graf sign chaw endorsement deals thru out de years wey dey include a ten-year endorsement deal plus car manufacturer Opel insyd 1985, den Rexona from 1994 to 1998. Oda companies na she endorse dey include Barilla, Apollinaris, Citibank, Danone den Teekanne. She appear insyd chaw advertisements den television commercials plus Andre Agassi wey dey include Canon Inc. den Longines insyd 2008 (Agassi cam be Longines ambassador insyd 2007). Insyd 2015, na dem appoint am as de brand ambassador of Kerala tourism, for promoting Ayurveda insyd North America den Europe.

## Ein life matter
Insyd 1997, na she lef de Catholic Church, dey cite personal reasons. During ein career, Graf divide ein time between ein hometown of Brühl; Boca Raton, Florida; den New York City, wer na she own a penthouse insyd de former Police Headquarters Building insyd SoHo.

From 1992 to 1999, na Graf date racing driver Michael Bartels. She start dey date Andre Agassi after de 1999 French Open, wey na dem marry on 22 October 2001, plus dema mommies per as witnesses. Dem get two kiddies: a son, born insyd 2001; den a daughter, born insyd 2003. Na Agassi say dat he den Graf no dey push dema kiddies toward becoming tennis players. De Graf-Agassi family dey reside insyd Summerlin, a community insyd de Las Vegas Valley. Graf ein mommie den ein bro sanso dey live der.

Insyd 1991, na dem dedicate de Steffi Graf Youth Tennis Center insyd Leipzig to am. She be de founder, den chairperson, of "Children for Tomorrow", a non-profit foundation dem establish insyd 1998 for implementing den developing projects to support kiddies wey be traumatized by war anaa oda crises.

Insyd 2001, na Graf indicate say she prefer to be called "Stefanie" instead of "Steffi".

## Legacy
Insyd December 1999, na dem name Graf de greatest female tennis player of de 20th century by a panel of experts wey de Associated Press assemble. Na dem rank Graf as de world No. 1 insyd women's singles by de WTA for a record 377 weeks, wey na she fini as de year-end No. 1 a record eight times, wey na she win 22 major women's singles titles. Na dem credit Graf ein athletic ability den aggressive power game she play from de baseline plus developing de modern style of play wey na e cam to dominate today ein game.

Insyd de year of Graf ein retirement, Billie Jean King say, "Steffi [Graf] be definitely de greatest women's tennis player of all time." Insyd March 2012, Tennis Channel pick Graf as de greatest female tennis player ever insyd dema list of 100 greatest tennis players of all time. Insyd November 2018, na Tennis.com poll ein readers to choose de greatest women's tennis player of all time wey na Graf cam in first. Insyd December 1999, na dem name Graf de greatest female tennis player of de 20th century by a panel of experts wey de Associated Press assemble. Wen dem biz insyd a 2016 interview to name de greatest players of all time, Serena Williams answer Graf den Roger Federer.

Insyd July 2020, *The Guardian* poll ein readers to determine de greatest female tennis player of de past 50 years, wey na Graf be de clear favorite, wey she pick up nearly twice as chaw votes as any oda player. Along plus Boris Becker, na dem consider Graf instrumental insyd popularizing tennis insyd Germany, wer e remain one of de foremost national sports. Tennis writer Steve Flink, insyd ein book *The Greatest Tennis Matches of the Twentieth Century*, name Graf as de best female player of de 20th century. Na Flink say insyd 2020 dat na de jury still be out on (Serena) Williams as de greatest ever, buh na Williams ein consistency over de long span no dey match dat of Graf anaa Navratilova.

## Awards den honours
Na dem vote Graf de ITF World Champion insyd 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995 den 1996. Na dem vote am de WTA Player of de Year insyd 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, a record 8 times. Na dem elect am as de German Sportsperson of de Year insyd 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 den 1999. Na ein unprecedented Golden Slam see am receive de 1988 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of de Year.

Insyd 2004, na dem rename de *Berliner Tennis-Arena* *Steffi-Graf-Stadion* in honor of Graf.

Na dem induct Graf into de International Tennis Hall of Fame insyd 2004 den de German Sports Hall of Fame insyd 2008.

Insyd 2015, na Graf be de recipient of de International Club ein Jean Borotra Sportsmanship Award.

Insyd 2022, na Graf be an honoree by de Carnegie Corporation of New York ein Great Immigrant Award.

## Pickleball
Graf den ein husby both take up de sport of Pickleball, wey dem dey play as doubles partners den singles matches.

## References


## External links

* Official website 
* Steffi Graf at the Women's Tennis Association 
* Steffi Graf at the International Tennis Hall of Fame 
* Steffi Graf at the International Tennis Federation 
* Steffi Graf at the Billie Jean King Cup (archived) 
* Steffi Graf at Olympics.com