1988: Steffi Graf Wins the Golden Slam | TENNIS.com 1988: Steffi Graf Wins the Golden Slam Tags: 50th Anniversary Moments , Martina Navratilova , Steffi Graf After winning all four Grand Slam tournaments, Olympic gold was the final tennis treasure left for Graf to claim—which she did convincingly. (AP) This year marks the 50th anniversary of TENNIS Magazine's founding in 1965. To commemorate the occasion, we'll look back each Thursday at one of the 50 moments that have defined the last half-century in our sport. Sports fans love to talk about records that will “never be broken.” Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, Norm Van Brocklin’s 550 passing yards in one game, Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points in a game: These marks, all set 50 or more years ago, have indeed stood the test of time. Theoretically, though, they all remain breakable.

Once the tiebreaker was instituted at Wimbledon , most tennis fans thought that the 1969 marathon between Pancho Gonzalez and Charlie Pasarell would stand as the longest in the tournament’s history at 112 games. Then along came John Isner and Nicolas Mahut, who played more games, 138, in their breaker-less fifth set alone in 2010. But if we’re talking about the record for the most dominant single season in tennis history, it’s hard to see how anyone will ever surpass the one that Steffi Graf put together in 1988. Not only did she become the first player in 18 years to capture the Holy Grail of tennis, the calendar-year Grand Slam, she became the first and so far only player to go the Grail one better and add an Olympic gold medal in the same year. The Golden Slam, as it’s now known, stands alone.

Graf was just 18 when she started on her quest, but her run didn’t come out of nowhere; the German had been building toward it since 1984, when she reached the fourth round at Wimbledon at 15 and announced herself as a force to be reckoned with in the future. From the start, Graf played unprecedentedly fast and forceful tennis; no player before her had ever moved with such predatory haste. Her forehand, which she clubbed from every part of the court, was quickly recognized as an evolutionary leap for the shot. Crosscourt, inside-out, inside-in, down the line: Fraulein Forehand hit them all. Once a junior practice partner of Boris Becker, Graf brought a mid-80s power revolution to the women’s game at the same time that her countryman was doing something similar on the men's side. In the process, Graf dissolved the age-old division between net-rusher and baseliner that had defined the biggest rivalry of the previous era, Martina Navratilova vs. Chris Evert. Still, going into 1988, Graf had one major title under her belt; she had broken through and beaten world No.

1 Navratilova 8-6 in the third set of the previous year’s French Open final. By August of '87, she had taken Navratilova’s top ranking as well, a position she wouldn’t surrender for four years. But speedy Steffi hadn’t left Martina in the dust just yet. The Czech bounced back to beat her in the finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in ’87. The generational tug of war between the two legends was prolonged and ferocious. But ’88 felt like the dawning of a new era in tennis. The season began with the debut of Flinders Park in Melbourne , and its slow, bouncy new surface, Rebound Ace. The courts helped Graf in two ways: They gave her time to set up and pound her forehand, and they may have aided Evert in her upset of the fast-court-loving Navratilova in the semifinals. Either way, Graf romped to the title without losing a set, and beat Evert in the final. Steffi even frightened a few of her opponents along the way.

Janine Thompson, Graf’s second victim Down Under, spoke for many of her fellow players when she said, “We had played only one game when I asked myself, ‘What the hell am I going to do?’” There was nothing anyone could do four months later at the French Open. Graf again stormed through the draw without losing a set; the only player to even remotely challenge her was Gabriela Sabatini, who managed to take one set of their semifinal to a tiebreaker. In the final, Graf faced a player who had upset Navratilova earlier in the event. This time, though, it wasn’t Evert who helped smooth her path to victory, it was 17-year-old Natasha Zvereva. Smooth was the operative word: Graf’s 6-0, 6-0 win in just 32 minutes would serve as the exclamation point on her season. Graf lost 13 points in recording the first double bagel in French Open final history, and the first in any Grand Slam final since 1911. All Steffi could do when it was over was apologize to the Parisian crowd. “I’m very sorry it was so fast,” she said as she held the trophy.

At Wimbledon, Graf finally got her shot at Navratilova in a major final. Martina was the six-time defending champion, and she was 8-0 in finals on Centre Court. Surely, at 31, she would have to surrender her crown to the 19-year-old No. 1. But using her trustiest weapon against the German, her lefty slice serve into Graf’s weaker one-handed backhand, Navratilova snuck out the first set and went up a break early in the second set. “My backhand was terrible,” Graf admitted later. Was history not going to turn on this day, after all? Was the older generation not going to give way to the new? The shift came at last with Navratilova serving at 2-0. Two of her deliveries drifted away from Graf's backhand, and the German made her pay with two forehand return winners. Navratilova was broken, and so was the dam: She wouldn’t hold again as Graf won nine games in a row and the first of her seven Wimbledon titles, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.

“It was like trying to stop a runaway train,” Peter Alfano wrote in The New York Times. “I was confident before the match,” Graf said, “but the first set made me very angry. I just wanted to hang in there, to show I could play much better than I was.” Even the loser had to admit that the guard in women’s tennis had changed. “This is how it should happen,” Navratilova said when it was over. “I lost to a better player on the final day. This is the end of a chapter, passing the torch if you want to call it that.” After grabbing that torch, it was fitting that Graf would complete the last two legs of her Golden Slam against a player of her own generation, Gabriela Sabatini. The Argentine turned 18 that year, and she and Graf often played doubles together. All of which made for a very tense afternoon when the two friends faced off in the U.S. Open final, with Graf one win from the Grand Slam. To that point, she had been as imperious as ever, losing just 13 games in her first five matches (the sixth was a walkover against Evert in the semifinals).

But with history staring her in the face, even Fraulein Forehand took a moment to blink. She lost just her second set at the Slams that year before righting the ship and finishing with an appropriately one-sided 6-1 third-set win. Don Budge, the only American to win the calendar-year Grand Slam, handed her the trophy. Graf would have a chance to go one better than Budge, and the rest of the sport’s single-year Slammers. In 1988, tennis became an Olympic sport again for the first time since 1924. It was, if nothing else, a chance for Steffi Graf to win another title. After a short post-U.S. Open break, she headed for Seoul, where she lost just one set in running through the draw. Sabatini was waiting for her in the gold-medal match, but she didn’t have to wait long. Graf, with no mid-match hiccups this time, beat her 6-3, 6-3. The Golden Slam, tennis’s Holy Grail plus one, was a reality.

No man or woman has approached it since, and short of the game adding a fifth major, no one will ever break it. Steffi Graf - The Only Tennis Player to Win a Golden Slam in 1988 | STEVE G TENNIS Tweet For those fortunate enough, winning a Grand Slam singles event is the pinnacle of a career, never to be repeated again. Winning more than one proves to the world that your first was not just a ‘flash in the pan’. A select group of players have managed to win a career Grand Slam. An even more select group has managed to win a calendar Grand Slam – Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver among the men (Laver on two occasions in 1962 and 1969) and among the women, Maureen Connolly (1953), Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1988) (Player Profile) . Only Graf, however, has succeeded in winning a calendar year Golden Slam – the four Majors and an Olympic gold medal all in one year, in Graf’s case in 1988.

While a Golden Slam has only been a possibility since 1988 (the first year in which tennis was made an official Olympic sport), winning it is still a monumental achievement. What is particularly remarkable about the Graf achievement is that it took place so early on in her career. She was still relatively young at the time (25) and she had a career that involved her winning Grand Slam singles events as late as 1996. Taking the Golden Slam when she had just reached the pinnacle of the game and had not yet fully consolidated her position over Evert and Navratilova, was outstanding. Let us look at the background context and Graf’s progress towards reaching that record in 1988. Towards the end of the1980s, the tennis world was speculating over who would replace the two great titans of the women’s game after they had retired – Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. Graf came into the 1988 season after winning one Grand Slam event in 1987, the French Open and also reaching that year’s US Open final where she lost to Navratilova.

Both Evert and Navratilova were acutely conscious of this new talent on tour and had registered their admiration of Graf’s game to the tennis media. As always, the Grand Slam year commenced that year with the Australian Open in January in Melbourne. It was the first year the Australian Open had not been played on grass, but was thenceforth to be a hard court event in an impressive new tennis facility. Graf’s first three matches saw her ease through against relative unknowns. Only in the fourth round, did she face a ‘name’ in the shape of the world ranked no. 13, Catarina Lindquist whom she also managed to dispatch in two easy sets. Steffi’s next opponent was the Czech, Hana Mandlikova whom she disposed of with relative ease, 6-2, 6-2 to set up a semi-final contest with her fellow German, eighth seed, Claudia Kohde-Kilsch. Her straight set victory over Kohde-Kilsch then paved the way for the ‘dream final’ against the great Evert. The match was notable in being the last Grand Slam final Evert was ever to compete in.

After a rain delay, Graf took the first set easily and raced to a 5-1 lead in the second until Evert staged a heroic comeback to force a tie-break. Graf was ultimately to win the set and the match by 6-1, 7-6, marking the first stage on her path to the eventual Golden Slam. At Roland Garros in May, she entered the event as defending champion and with an impressive record on clay over the previous couple of years. Again, her first three round encounters presented little problem and her fourth round match against Nathalie Tauziat she also managed to win with relative ease, 6-1, 6-3. Beating Bettina Fulco in the quarters, she then faced Gabriela Sabatini in the semis. Two close rivals and contemporaries, Graf and Sabatini were seen as the ‘new post-Evert/Navratilova’ generation. Graf won that encounter in two sets, one of which was a tie-break. The final against Natasha Zvereeva proved a damp squib, with Graf totally overwhelming Zvereeva by 6-0, 6-0 – the proverbial ‘double-bagel’.

It had been a long time since a Grand Slam final had been a complete shut-out and a measure of Graf’s growing dominance. Next was Wimbledon in June. Graf was in tip-top form and glided her way to the final after a number of easy opening rounds and a particularly decisive semi-final win against Pam Schriver. In the final, she faced Navratilova whom she faced and lost to in the 1987 final. In a three set match, Graf was to come out the winner on this occasion, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, taking one step closer to that elusive Golden Slam. In late August all attention was focused on Flushing Meadows. Here was the site of Graf’s last loss in a Grand Slam event a year previously to Navratilova. The stakes were high – were she to win here, it would be the first singles calendar Grand Slam since Margaret Court in 1970. On this occasion, she was not to meet her nemesis, Navratilova who was to go out to Zena Garrison in the quarters. Again, her first four opponents were much lesser-ranked players until she met Katerina Maleeva in the fifth round.

This proved another relatively easy encounter and as luck would have it, her semis opponent, Chris Evert had to withdraw due to illness. This meant that Graf was to play Sabatini in the final. Here, Graf prevailed after a three set match 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, with that prestigious Grand Slam to her name at only 25 years of age. Reaching the final leg of her five-stage journey at Seoul, she must have been deeply aware of the historic implications of a gold medal there. Graf’s early opponents posed few problems until she came up against the 11th seed Savchenko who forced Graf to three sets, nearly causing an upset. Graf’s semis opponent, Garrison, proved less of a challenge to produce for Graf yet another final against her rival Sabatini. This she won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, catapulting her into the record books, although the impact of the Golden Slam win was to take some time to sink in both for her and also in the public mind.

Whatever debate one might have over the best woman player ever (and Graf always figures in that debate), her Golden Slam stands out as one of the truly great achievements in tennis and sport generally. What was remarkable was the relative ease with which she won each of the five events – very rarely was she severely tested along the way. That is rare for any Grand Slam winner. It was also remarkable that it was achieved in the early part of her career at the top. Although she was to go on and consolidate her position at the top of her game for many years after, no year quite compared with 1988. There are some who came close to Graf’s achievement. A career Golden Slam was secured by the Woodies and the Bryan Brothers in doubles and who knows what Grand Slammers Pam Schriver and Martina Navratilova might have achieved in women’s doubles had tennis been an official Olympic sport in 1984. Serena Williams, Rafa Nadal and Andre Agassi also have a career Golden Slam in singles. Steffi Graf’s achievement, however, stands far above all others and is unlikely to be overturned in the foreseeable future. Her 1988 Golden Slam is the true ‘gold standard’ of the game.

Paul McElhinney Join the Stevegtennis.com tennis club for free. Just enter your email below for... Tennis news updates once a week. Special offers on tennis gear. Unsubscribe at any time. We will never share your email. Email THE SEOUL OLYMPICS - TENNIS - Graf Adds Gold to Her Grand '88 Record - NYTimes.com THE SEOUL OLYMPICS: TENNIS; Graf Adds Gold to Her Grand '88 Record By PETER ALFANO, Special to the New York Times Published: October 1, 1988 SEOUL, South Korea, Saturday, Oct. 1— When she arrived in Seoul more than two weeks ago, an Olympic gold medal appeared out of reach for Steffi Graf. The pursuit of the Grand Slam had taken its toll, the mental and physical exhaustion having drained her of her customary resolve, eliminating the bounce in her step as she moves at that familiar, no-nonsense pace around a court. Perhaps she was trying to accomplish too much in one year, after all. ''I came here really tired,'' Graf said. ''I was not expecting too much of myself.'' As the Olympics progressed, however, Graf slowly became rejunvenated.

She is a track fan who could easily make the West German team, her father, Peter Graf, said. Steffi even went for some runs on the training track at the Athlete's Village, outpacing a former Olympian, Harold Schmidt. Her enthusiasm returned and it showed on the court in her last two matches. Year to Remember She played one of her best matches ever, defeating Zina Garrison in the semifinals. Then today, appearing more relaxed and uninhibited than she was during the United States Open final, Graf completed what probably will be regarded as the finest year ever in tennis, defeating Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina, 6-3, 6-3, to win the Olympic gold medal. Thus, the 19-year-old Graf became the first player - male or female -to achieve the Golden Slam, the Grand Slam championship and gold medal. This is the first time in 64 years that tennis has been a medal sport in the Olympics so many of the legendary players never had the opportunity to do what she did. Still, that does not tarnish the remarkable year she has had, winning Wimbledon, the United States Open, French Open, Australian Open and now the gold.

''I'm very excited,'' she said. ''It's something not many people after me will achieve. It's amazing.'' For the time being, at least, Graf has run out of challenges. Sabatini, who is 18, is considered the player with the best chance of challenging Graf for superiority during the next several years. She defeated Graf twice last March in Florida, but that seems like ancient history now. Graf said those losses were a warning that she was beginning to take things for granted, making her work with a renewed purpose. That is why she does not envision any problem defending her wealth of championships and No. 1 ranking next year. ''I won't have any motivation problems,'' Graf said. ''I enjoy playing tennis. It's what I want to do. Next year, there will be more tournaments.'' Joyous Victory Graf was criticized by some observers for lacking emotion when she defeated Sabatini in the Open final to win the first Grand Slam since Margaret Court of Australia did it in 1970. She was reserved again today, but smiled broadly and to the guests' seats, where she hugged her father and her coach, Pavel Slozil.

During the medal ceremony, she held her gold medal for photographers and waved to the West Germans in the stands, some of whom were waving flags. The match was closer than the scores might have indicated. Sabatini had several chances to be wearing the gold herself. She wasted three break points in the first game of the match, but broke Graf in the fifth game and was playing well enough to win. Graf broke back in the sixth game, forcing two errors by hitting the corners with her forehand. She broke Sabatini in the eighth game, again pressuring her opponent into making mistakes. In the Open, Graf appeared tentative at times, but today, she hit her groundstrokes with authority. She closed out the first set with an ace, only six games left to achieve the Golden Slam. Sabatini recovered to split the first four games of the second set, but then was broken in the fifth, when Graf ran around her forehand on Sabatini's second serve, whipping a winner down the line. Sabatini's last stand came when she held two break points in the eighth game, but Graf saved both. She broke Sabatini to win the gold, fittingly, with a forehand winner on match point.

''I felt I would win after the fifth game of the second set,'' Graf said. ''But I actually had a very good feeling after the first game of the match. I was liking the way I am playing.'' Has Her Number Graf has beaten Sabatini in 14 of 16 matches, but still respects her as the most dangerous opponent on the tour. Sabatini's high bouncing, topspin forehand can be difficult to handle, and she may even be marginally better at the net. Of course, Graf does not have to come to the net, having the ability to overpower opponents from midcourt and the baseline. She said she passed up several opportunities to approach today, preferring to make Sabatini run around the court. A lack of stamina has been Sabatini's undoing in several of their matches. ''I wanted her to run,'' Graf said. ''Maybe in the future, I will try to come to the net more.'' Graf now has won 40 consecutive matches and is 66-2 for the year. She returns to West Germany to play two exhibitions against Sabatini next week, then will take time off.

Her father said he will most likely withdraw her from a tournament in Zurich, Switzerland, later this month. She will go to New York for the Virginia Slims championships in November, the last major tournament of the year. She will not be faulted if it seems anticlimatic. ''I will take time off, see how I feel,'' she said. ''It depends on me. I'll do whatever I feel like.'' Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics - results & video highlights Official Reports arrow Democracy embraced Awarding the Summer Games to South Korea provided the impetus for the country to embrace democracy. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) boycotted, and was joined by Cuba, Ethiopia and Nicaragua. Still, records were set with 159 nations participating, 52 winning medals and 31 taking home gold medals. Sprint scandal Canadian Ben Johnson set a world record in the 100m sprint, but tested positive for steroids. Johnson was the first world-famous athlete to be disqualified for using drugs. After his disqualification, Carl Lewis was awarded the 100m gold, meaning he had successfully defended his 1984 Olympic title.

Debuts and firsts For the first time, all three medallists in equestrian dressage were women. Swedish fencer Kerstin Palm became the first woman to take part in seven Olympic Games, and table tennis made its Olympic debut. Tennis also returned to the programme after a hiatus of 64 years. The event was open to professionals, and Steffi Graf concluded her Grand Slam tennis season by winning Olympic gold. Memorable champions German cyclist Christa Luding-Rothenburger, who was also a speed skater, earned a silver medal in cycling. Having already won two medals at the Winter Games, she became the only person in history to win winter and summer medals in the same year. Greg Louganis successfully defended his titles in both diving events and American swimmer Matt Biondi won seven medals, including five golds. NOCs: 159 Media: 11,331 media (4,978 written press, 6,353 broadcasters) Democracy In a coup for the Olympic Movement, Korea (South Korea) turned democratic in order to welcome the world to the Summer Games.

Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) boycotted, and was joined by Cuba, Ethiopia and Nicaragua. Still, records were set with 159 nations participating, 52 winning medals and 31 taking home gold medals. Emotion The Games got off to a dramatic start at the Opening Ceremony when the torch was run into the stadium by 76-year-old Sohn Kee-chung, the winner of the 1936 marathon. In 1936 Sohn had been forced to enter using a Japanese name because Korea was occupied by Japan. Doping Ben Johnson (CAN) set a world record in the 100m dash, but tested positive for steroids. Johnson was the first well known athlete to be disqualified for using drugs. Ladies First For the first time, all three medalists in equestrian dressage were women. Seven Olympics Fencer Kerstin Palm (SWE) became the first woman to take part in seven Olympics. New on the programme Table tennis makes its first appearance in the Olympic programme. The Comeback of Tennis Tennis returns as a medal sport after a hiatus of 64 years.

Ceremonies 2 October 1988 : General view of Korean dancers during the Closing Ceremony . Official opening of the Games by: President Roh Tae-woo Lighting the Olympic Flame by: Chung Sun-Man, Kim Won-Tak, Sohn Mi-Chung (athletics) Olympic Oath by: Hur Jae (basketball), Son Mi-na (handball) Official Oath by: Lee Hak-rae (judo) The Seoul emblem features a samtaeguk pattern. A samtaeguk is a traditional Korean pattern and visual image which represents Korea. This pattern is widely used as decoration on fans, gates of Korean-style homes, artefacts, and folk crafts. The Olympic emblem features patterns in two forms, centripetal and centrifugal; the centripetal motion represented the people of the world coming together in Korea, thus symbolising worldwide harmony, while the centrifugal motion represented a march onward in search of man’s lasting happiness and prosperity. On the obverse, the ancient coliseum and the goddess of victory holding the laurel crowns and the caption: "XXIV Olympiad Seoul 1988".

On the reverse , a dove, the symbol of peace, soaring up, holding a laurel branch in its mouth, and the Seoul Olympic sash composed of three Taeguk patterns from the Korean national flag and the five Olympic rings. More info Hodori The “Ho” of Hodori comes from the Korean word meaning tiger, while “Dori” is a common masculine diminutive. The name was chosen from 2,295 competition entries submitted by the general public. Number of torchbearers : 380 in Greece and 1 467 in the Republic of Korea Total distance : 358 km in Greece and 4 168 in the Republic of Korea Countries crossed : Greece, Korea More info The official poster represented the Games ideal of "Harmony and Progress" in the combination of two images. In the poster, the five rings symbolising the pure Olympic spirit were rendered in bright figurative form to represent the Olympic ideal illuminating the world in peace forever. The image of the runner carrying the Olympic torch symbolised mankind's progress towards happiness and prosperity. The official posters were done with computer graphic techniques, and light blue and bright orange colours were blended to symbolise Korea as the Land of Morning Calm.

In addition to the official poster the Organising Committee for the Seoul Games decided to produce 27 types of sports posters to introduce sports of the Seoul Olympic Games and to establish a familiar image of the Games. The “Official report: Games of the XXIVth Olympiad Seoul 1988” was as imposing to look at as the previous one for Los Angeles 1984. There were three separate editions, in French, English and Korean. The work was in two volumes (Organization and planning; Competition summary and results). Steffi GRAF - Olympic Tennis | Germany Steffi GRAF This German tennis legend was ranked world number one for a record 378 weeks – just one of her many achievements. Early progress In 1984, Steffi Graf, just 15 years old, won the Olympic tennis demonstration tournament despite being its youngest entrant. By 1987 she was ranked number one in the world. In 1988, Graf won the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and, less than a week before the Seoul Olympic Games, the US Open. This made her only the fifth player in history to win tennis' Grand Slam.

Pioneering victory She arrived at the Seoul Games on a 35-match winning streak. In the Olympic final, she defeated Argentina’s Gabriela Sabatini 6-3, 6-3 to achieve the first “Golden Slam” – all five Grand Slam titles plus the Olympic gold medal. No one in women’s tennis has achieved it since. Retiring at the top Graf retired in 1999 while still number three in the world, having dominated the sport for over a decade. In the same year she was awarded the Olympic Order. A winning partnership Widely regarded as one of the best players in the game’s history, Steffi Graf now lives in Las Vegas, USA, with her husband, American tennis great Andre Agassi. Steffi Graf - Biography - IMDb Steffi Graf Jump to: Overview (4) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (1) | Trivia (31) | Personal Quotes (1) Overview (4) 5' 9¼" (1.76 m) Mini Bio (1) Steffi Graf started playing tennis at age 3, coached by her father.

Under the local tennis program, as the best girl player, she was matched up against the worst boy player -- who was usually Boris Becker . After winning the German Juniors and the European Juniors, she turned pro on October 18, 1982. The next day, she lost to Tracy Austin , who was less-than impressed with the 13 year old, telling reporters there were "hundreds of girls" like Graf back in the States. Peter kept a tight rein on Steffi's schedule to ensure that she wouldn't "burn out" as she climbed up the rankings. She finally won her first title on April 13, 1986, defeating Chris Evert at the Family Circle Cup. In total, Graf won 107 singles titles (third all-time behind Martina Navratilova and Evert), including 22 majors (second all-time). She found herself at the center of a near-tragedy on April 30, 1993. As arch rival Monica Seles was resting during a changeover at the Hamburg Open, a man made his way through the stands, and plunged a knife into her back.

At first, it was thought the attack was prompted by the conflict in Seles's native Yugoslavia. But it turned out Guenter Parche was a Graf fan, and reasoned that if he took Seles out, Graf would regain the #1 ranking. The attack reverberated across sports. It also changed the course of tennis history. Seles was off the court for 27 months. Although she won the 1996 Australian Open and was a finalist at the 1996 US Open and the 1998 French Open, Seles never regained her dominating form. Graf visited Seles in the hospital, but didn't comment publicly about the incident until 2004. Graf retired on August 13, 1999 after beating Martina Hingis in the French Open, then losing to Lindsay Davenport at Wimbledon. By this time, she was dating Andre Agassi , whom also won the French Open, but was a finalist at Wimbledon that year. With only their mothers as witnesses, they were married on October 22, 2001 at his Las Vegas home four days before the birth of their son, Jaden.

Daughter Jaz was born on October 3, 2003. Famous for her killer instinct and business-like approach, at times she displayed a sense of humor. During a tight 1995 Wimbledon match against Kimiko Date , she was serving when a man yelled out "Steffi!" Everyone, including Steffi, laughed. Composing herself, she readied to serve when the man shouted "Steffi! Will you marry me?" The fans burst into peals of laughter, and play was delayed for a couple of minutes. Steffi readied to serve, tossed the ball, caught it, turned, and yelled to the man "How much money do you have?" Graf lost the set, but won the match to face (and defeat) Arantxa Sánchez Vicario for the title. - IMDb Mini Biography By: ldavis-2 Spouse (1) ( 22 October 2001 - present) (2 children) Trivia (31) First tennis player to win a calendar-year Grand Slam and an Olympic gold medal (1988).

Posed for the 1997 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in an effort to "feminize" her image. Only player to win all four majors singles twice in two different decades. Only player to win all four majors singles at least four times. Only player to win all four majors on four different surfaces (carpet, clay, grass, hard court). First player to beat the top three seeds in a major. Was the #1 singles player for 186 straight weeks, broken by Roger Federer in August 2007. Her stay at #1 for a record 377 weeks total still stands. At the age 13, became the second-youngest player ever to earn an international ranking. German Sportswoman of the Year for four consecutive times from 1986 to 1989 and in 1999. Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year 1989 Heads the non-profit foundation Children for Tomorrow, supporting and initiating projects that provide assistance to children and families who have become the victims of war, persecution and violence.

Born at 4:40 AM CET (Central Europe Time) Career Prize Money: $20,130,835.00 Daughter of Peter Graf and Heidi Graf . Sister of Michael Graf . Peter spent nearly two years in jail after being convicted in 1997 of evading $7 million in taxes on her earnings. Won a legal battle against Microsoft Germany about fake nude photos of her that were posted on a Web site run by the company. The photos were replaced in June at Graf's request, but the company declined to sign a formal agreement that they wouldn't use them again, so Graf sued. The state appeals court in Cologne upheld a ruling last October by a lower court, which had ruled that Microsoft Germany was responsible for the content of the site and must ensure that such pictures don't appear there (27 May 2002). Gave birth to Jaden Gil Agassi, 3 weeks prematurely, on 26 October 2001 at 3:30 AM at Valley Hospital in Las Vegas, weighing 5 pounds, 14 ounces.

While it was thought the baby's name originated from the Hebrew, meaning "God has listened," in a February 2002 interview, Graf disclosed that Jaden is a masculine form of jade, a word she had always liked, and Gil was in honor of Agassi's trainer, Gil Reyes . Gave birth to her daughter Jaz Elle on 3 October 2003. Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on 11 July 2004. Ranked #3 in a survey by German network ZDF searching the 100 best German sportsmen of all time (19 November 2004). Upon the birth of Christian Sampras, son of Pete Sampras and Bridgette Wilson-Sampras , London bookmakers gave the baby a 2,000-1 shot to beat Jaden Gil Agassi in a Wimbledon final. She and Andre Agassi are the first two players to win all four majors singles titles and an Olympic gold medal.

Won the Australian Open (1988-1990, 1994), French Open (1987, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999), Wimbledon (1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996), US Open (1988, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996). Was chosen "most admirable German woman" by the readers of "Amica" magazine (September 2005). When they both won the singles' event at Wimbledon in 1992, she showed no interest in her later husband Andre Agassi at all. The officials didn't allow him to dance with her at the tournament's banquet, although he had been secretly pining for her as far back as 1990. Resides with her family in Las Vegas.

Subject of "I'm in Love with Steffi Graf" by Hugh Laurie on A Bit of Fry and Laurie (1987). Niece of Christel Ginepri , who acts as her spokesperson. Two months after he resigned as Agassi's business manager in October 2008, Perry Rogers sued Graf for $50,000 in management fees. Golden moments: Agassi and Graf relive Olympic glory - CNN.com Golden moments: Agassi and Graf relive Olympic glory By Paul Gittings, CNN Updated 1706 GMT (0106 HKT) August 2, 2012 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Photos: Agassi and Graf: The gold medal couple of tennis Love match – Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi married in 2001 and still pair up in mixed doubles exhibition matches.

Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos: Agassi and Graf: The gold medal couple of tennis Graf's Golden Slam – Graf's gold medal in Seoul in 1988 followed her victories in all four grand slams that year, the so-called "Golden Slam." Hide Caption 2 of 7 Photos: Agassi and Graf: The gold medal couple of tennis Totally dominant – Graf holds aloft the 1988 Australian Open title, the first leg of her "Golden Slam" that year. Hide Caption 3 of 7 Photos: Agassi and Graf: The gold medal couple of tennis Tennis legends – Graf beat seven-time winner Martina Navratilova in the final as she won her first Wimbledon title in 1988 at the tender age of just 18. Hide Caption 4 of 7 Photos: Agassi and Graf: The gold medal couple of tennis Tears of a champion – Agassi won Olympic gold in 1996 at Atlanta, and showed just how much it meant to him at the victory ceremony.

Hide Caption 5 of 7 Photos: Agassi and Graf: The gold medal couple of tennis Agassi's Golden Grand Slam – When Agassi won the French Open in 1999 he completed the set of winning all four grand slams and an Olympic gold medal. Only Rafael Nadal has also achieved this feat in the men's game. Hide Caption 6 of 7 Photos: Agassi and Graf: The gold medal couple of tennis Tennis royalty – Graf shares a moment in the Royal Box at Wimbledon 2012 with the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. Hide Caption Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi both won Olympic gold medals in singles Graf completed the "Golden Slam" in Seoul in 1988 after winning all four grand slams Agassi said his 1996 Atlanta win was a "boyhood dream" Graf has full set of Olympic medals to add to 22 grand slam singles titles Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi may have won the small matter of 30 grand slam singles titles between them but for the most famous couple in tennis their Olympic gold medals are the most cherished moments of legendary playing careers.

Graf won singles gold for Germany when tennis was an exhibition event in Los Angeles in 1984 then followed it up with "official" gold at Seoul four years years later. Agassi topped the podium for the United States at the Atlanta Games in 1996 and in an exclusive interview for CNN's Open Court leaves no doubt where it stands in his list of achievements. "Being on that podium was a boyhood dream," he said. "The medal around the neck, the national anthem, tears in my eyes. It's an out of body experience." JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH Andy Murray carries the Olympic torch 00:39 Graf's 1988 triumph was even more significant because it came in the same year she won all four grand slam tournaments. Sports Illustrated first coined the phrase "Golden Slam" and it stuck. Unique experience Graf can also wax lyrical about the uniqueness of the Olympic experience. "To me this was bigger than a grand slam, it was more special," the 43-year-old said. "It's a different feeling, it's very unique and definitely more special." Given she was only 19 at the time, Graf's achievements are all the more remarkable.

When she arrived in South Korea she was feeling the effects of an arduous season, not to mention a grueling three-set victory over Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina in the U.S. Open final. Tsonga makes Olympic tennis history after marathon match "I was a bit tired emotionally, probably physically as well," Graf said. "I just remember arriving at the airport and all the attention that I was getting, I just think I wasn't quite prepared for it at that point." But Graf was able to concentrate on the task in hand and it was Sabatini who was again her victim in the singles final, this time in straight sets. The German also won a bronze in the women's doubles and completed a full set of Olympic medals after losing the gold medal match against Jennifer Capriati of the United States on the clay of Barcelona in the 1992 Olympics. Home soil Agassi was only 18 at the time of the Seoul Games and he also missed Barcelona. But inspired by his father Mike, who had boxed for Iran at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics -- losing in the early rounds both times -- Agassi was determined to take his chance on home soil.

"For me to be playing for my country and on top of it to be playing to achieve what my father had hoped for but had not accomplished in his Olympic experience, I just felt like I was playing for something larger than just me," said the American, now 42. Agassi had endured a generally below-par year by his high standards and it was to prove a tough battle for gold, but as the memories flooded back he reeled off in quick succession how he did it. "Jonas Bjorkman, 7-6 7-6. Karol Kucera, 6-3 6-4. Gaudenzi (Andrea), I was down a set and a break and beat him 6-3 in the third. Quarterfinals, Wayne Ferreira. He served for the match at 5-4 in the third and I ended up beating him 7-5 in the third. Leander Paes, who I beat in two rough sets, 7-6 6-4.

And then Sergi Bruguera." Playing in 102 degrees Fahrenheit with high humidity at Stone Mountain, Agassi made light of the conditions to dispatch the Spaniard -- a two-time French Open champion -- in straight sets. He openly shed tears of joy during the medal ceremony that followed. "I remember being on that podium and I remember that feeling of seeing it so many times over the years, what someone might be feeling when that gold medal is put round their neck," Agassi said. "Tears came to my eyes and my father was in the crowd so I was enjoying it on so many levels." Olympic disappointment While her future husband was winning gold, Graf had the disappointment of sitting out the 1996 Olympics with a knee injury she aggravated while winning her seventh Wimbledon title earlier in the summer. While other top players had often been lukewarm about having tennis in the Olympics, Graf was almost evangelical in her support, feeding off her incredible experiences in Los Angeles, where as a 15-year-old she first made her golden mark in that exhibition event. Four years later Graf enthusiastically embraced the true spirit of the Games.

JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH Flyover: Wimbledon Tennis Club 00:43 "I stayed in the village for quite a few days until it got too loud and noisy and then I had to move back to the hotel," she said. "I was out at the boxing, I went to see some of the track and field, some of the swimming competitions, so I was really trying to take it all in, but also trying to play. "To get through the first few rounds and then playing for the gold medal was extraordinary." By the time the 2000 Olympics in Sydney came around, Graf had retired from tennis and a year later she married Agassi. They now have two children, Jaden Gil and Jaz Elle. Agassi continued playing until 2006, winning his final two grand slam titles at the Australian Open in 2001 and 2003. It was his French Open triumph in 1999 that enabled Agassi to complete his own "Golden Grand Slam" -- one of only two men, Rafael Nadal is the other -- to win all the four majors and Olympic gold.

Proud parents As proud parents -- on a nominated "professions day" once a year -- Agassi and Graf visit the Las Vegas school where they send their children to talk about their careers. "We bring some trophies and all the children just want to take that gold medal, they want to hold it, they want to touch it. 'Is it real gold?' they ask," Agassi said. So who will win that "real gold" when Olympic tennis comes to Wimbledon, just 20 days after the finish of the All England Championships, won by Federer? "I look at the favorites being Djokovic and Federer," Agassi predicted. As he speaks it is clear that he is envious of the current generation of greats getting the chance to have a double dose of glory at Wimbledon. "It's our Masters, it's our Augusta, it's our pillar, the one if you could win one, most athletes, most tennis players would tell you, separate from the Olympics, that Wimbledon is the one they want to win," he said. "So you combine that with the Olympics, that's got to be sensory overload.

I don't know even how to put that into perspective of what that's going to feel like." Federer, should he repeat his Wimbledon heroics, would also complete the "Golden Grand Slam" but Graf's record of winning them all in one year may never be equaled. Big highlight With three different winners of women's grand slams this season it will certainly stand for another four years. "I think this is a big highlight of anybody's career and I'm pretty sure for anybody that you ask it's a main goal," Graf said. Serena Williams has already spoken of her desire to win a third Olympic gold medal in the women's doubles with her elder sister Venus. After her fifth Wimbledon victory last month, the American is a hot favorite to double up -- as Venus did in 2000. Meanwhile tennis' golden couple will surely be keeping a keen eye on the action, finding time in between their busy schedule -- with their respective foundations and charities -- not to mention a busy family life with two very active children. "A lot of different interests, very active. They keep us on our toes," said Graf. "We're professional babysitters," joked Agassi. "The best job in the world," his wife chimed in.

Steffi Graf - Bio, Facts, Family | Famous Birthdays Steffi Graf Gemini Tennis Player#5 About German tennis star who won 22 grand slam singles titles and became the first tennis player to earn the Calendar Year Golden Slam, winning each Grand Slam tournament as well as the Olympic gold in 1988. Before Fame She climbed from No. 124 to No. 6 in the span of two years without having won any titles.

Question: In 1988 who won the tennis Grand Slam and Olympic gold?
Answer: Steffi Graf