[146], In December 1999, Graf was named the greatest female tennis player of the 20th century by a panel of experts assembled by the Associated Press. played a game called "Can you last an hour on court with Graf" because throughout her career she used to beat her opponents 6-0 6-1. [56][57] This was followed by a first-round straight-sets loss at Wimbledon to Lori McNeil, her only loss at Wimbledon between 1991 and 1997 and her first loss in a first round Grand Slam tournament in ten years. [95][96][97], In late 1999 and early 2000, as part of her Farewell Tour, Graf played a series of exhibition matches against former rivals in New Zealand, Japan, Spain, Germany and South Africa. Though she did not win any title for the . At the Roland-Garros trophy ceremony, after she . A mixture of injury problems, personal difficulties, and loss of form made 1991 a tough year for Graf. . [143] Graf's mother and her brother also live there. Graf's schedule was closely controlled by her father, who limited her play so that she would not burn out. . Graf won a majority of her slams using her sharp slice backhand and her incredible forehand. Online", "GOAT Vote: Steffi or Serena? In her semifinal match at the US Open, Graf defeated Sabatini 36, 64, 62. [92][93], Graf also occasionally played mixed doubles, although she never won a title. 3, She was not included in the official year end ranking. Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 20:01, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Steffi_Graf_career_statistics&oldid=1142150918, Virginia Slims Championships, New York City, WTA Tour Championships, New York, United States. In the Miami final, she lost her first set of the yearto Natasha Zverevaafter winning 54 consecutive sets. At the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Graf lost to Jennifer Capriati in the final and claimed the silver medal. [108] She was ranked world No. [156], Graf was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004 and the German Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.[157][158]. She also won her fifth and final WTA Tour Championships title with a five set win over Martina Hingis, with Hingis cramping up in the fifth set. [76] Graf played only one warm-up event ahead of the US Open, the Acura Classic in Manhattan Beach, California, where she lost to Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals. Since then, four players managed a 271 winloss record, meaning all of them failed to win the Grand Slam: Graf in 1989 and 1993, Martina Hingis in 1997, Roger Federer in 2006 and Novak Djokovic in both 2015 and 2021. 1 . She won 7 Wimbledon, 6 French Open, 5 US Open and 4 Australian Open . Monica Seles was an opponent in six major finals and the duo spilt at 3-3. It would also be the last loss Graf would ever have to Novotna in a match she completed (she did have a loss after withdrawing with injury after the first set of a late 1996 match). used to be curious about one player who will make the women's singles Grand Slam finals as the other name was always Steffi Graf. Graf then lost to Navratilova 75, 63 in the Wimbledon final, her first loss of the year. 1 German tennis player. 'The Ten' went one way; you went another", "The greatest female tennis player of the last 50 years: the fans' verdict", "Exclusive Interview with Steve Flink about the career of Chris Evert", "A celebration of Martina Navratilova's multifaceted legacy", "Special events and records at the 1988 Australian Open Tennis Tournament", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Steffi_Graf&oldid=1140574067, Golden Slam (4 majors + Olympic gold in same calendar year), Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam in addition to already winning a Grand Slam, 100% match winning percentage in 1 season, 100% match winning percentage in 3 separate seasons, 89.67% (278-32) match winning percentage overall, 5 calendar years winning 3+ Grand Slam titles, Defeated the top 3 seeded players in the same tournament, Reached the final of all four Grand Slams tournaments in a calendar year, Reached the final of all four Grand Slams tournaments in a calendar year three times, 5 years as wire-to-wire (all 52 weeks) No. [73] Graf came back to the tour in March, winning back to back titles in Indian Wells and Miami, followed by a record ninth title at the German Open in May and a quarterfinal defeat in Rome against Martina Hingis. Graf then won in Leipzig, with her 500th career victory coming in a quarterfinal against Judith Wiesner. Having won the first three Majors of the year, Djokovic is three-fifths of the way to a . In the middle of the second set, Graf suffered back spasms while reaching for a ball in the ad court. [67][68], In personal terms, 1995 was a difficult year for Graf, as she was accused by German authorities of tax evasion in the early years of her career. [68] 6 in 1985. [17] Graf married former world No. Her toughest battle came against rising star Martina Hingis in the semifinal, with Hingis unable to convert on five set points. Graf's Grand Slam tournament winning streak ended at the French Open, where 17-year-old Spaniard Arantxa Snchez Vicario beat Graf in three sets. I feel I have nothing left to accomplish. [70][71] He was eventually released after serving 25 months. In 1986, she formed a partnership with rival Gabriela Sabatini. Graf lost twice to Sabatini during the spring, once on hardcourts in Boca Raton, Florida, and once on clay at Amelia Island, Florida. I have complied some stats . 1 was in peerless form on the clay courts of Roland . Steffi Graf was already world number one, and just shy of 19 years old, when she began the 1988 season. "[89] The pair played their last major tournament together at the 1990 Wimbledon Championships, losing in the quarterfinals. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for a record 377 total weeks. Graf, Kerber's idol . She hit the sliced backhand harder and with more underspin than any woman I have ever seen. 22 in 1984, and No. This was a major upset as Garrison had to save a match point to defeat Monica Seles in the quarterfinal, and was expected to easily fall to Graf, whom she had not beaten in four years. 49 . ", "Graf edges Hingis, captures sixth and 'last' French title", "Do Not Disturb: If Steffi Graf could shut out the world the way she shuts down opponents on the court then, for her, life would be perfect", "Tennis | Martinez wins controversial clash", "Results Archive - Steffi Graf - Australian Open Tennis Championships", "Tennis: Wimbledon 99 - Magic mixture of McEnroe and Graf", "TENNIS; Without Dad Around To Disturb Her, Lucic Upsets Fourth-Seeded Seles at Wimbledon", "Graf overcomes layoff to beat Coetzer in farewell exhibition", "* NZine * Tennis - The Biggest Participant Sport In New Zealand - Tennis, Steffi Graf, Indoor Tennis Centre, Davis Cup, Anthony Wilding, Wilding Park, Maurice Agar, Scenic Circles Indoor Tennis Centre, New Zealand Tennis", "Steffi Graf delights crowd at Westside Tennis Club - Houston Chronicle", "Steffi Graf: The Queen Returns to Centre Court", "Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Elton John headline an evening of tennis for charity in Washington", "ASAP Sports Transcripts - Tennis - 1995 - WTA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS - November 18 - Steffi Graf", "Today in Performance Sneaker History: Steffi Graf Becomes First Female with 500 Wins in Signature adidas Model", "Take a look at this Dunlop Steffi Graf ad from 1989! [89][114], Graf also had a powerful backhand drive but over the course of her career tended to use it less frequently, opting more often for an effective backhand slice. Steffi is the GOAT in women's tennis because she's the most dominant player to ever play this game. Official match time was 34 minutes, which charitably included two minutes of rain delay. [62] Although Graf ended the year ranked No. After Wimbledon, for the first time in my career, I didn't feel like going to a tournament. Steffi Graf was already world number one, and just shy of 19 years old, when she began the 1988 season. Notable features of Graf's game were her versatility across all playing surfaces, footwork and powerful forehand drive. Graf reached 13 consecutive singles major finals from the 1987 French Open to the 1990 French Open, winning nine of them. [145] She is the founder and chairperson of "Children for Tomorrow", a non-profit foundation established in 1998 for implementing and developing projects to support children who have been traumatized by war or other crises. Steffi Graf vs. Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario ** **Head to Head: **28-8, Graf . Only results in WTA Tour (incl. [116][13] Graf stated that grass was her favorite surface to play on, while clay was her least favorite. Martina revolutionized women's tennis with her hardcore workout regimen to become more fit and stronger than her opponents. This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 20:01. At the year-ending Virginia Slims Championships, Graf was upset by Pam Shriver, only her third loss of the year. In the womens tournament, Williams could repeat the achievement if she competes in what will be her fifth Olympic Games. Graf ended 1989 with an 862 match record and the loss of only 12 sets. Stefanie Graf was born on 14 June 1969, in Mannheim, Baden-Wrttemberg, West Germany, to Heidi Schalk and car-and-insurance salesman Peter Graf (18 June 1938 30 November 2013). And Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, arguably the most accomplished sports couple there ever was, had good reason to be on campus that day. Her 63, 60 defeat of Gabriela Sabatini in a semifinal was described by veteran observer Ted Tinling as "probably the best tennis I've seen". Stefanie Maria "Steffi" Graf; 14. 1969, , ) . Graf, however, won the tournament in San Antonio, Texas, and retained her title in Miami, where she once again defeated Evert in the final. [48] In Boca Raton, Florida, Graf reached her first final of the year, where she faced Conchita Martnez for the title. Steffi Graf was a dominant force in tennis during the late 1980s and for much of the 1990s. No medals were awarded as this was not an official Olympic event.[23]. It was decided to grant her a joint number-one ranking with Graf who took her first loss of the year in the first round to Amanda Coetzer. After winning two more indoor tournaments at Zurich and Brighton, she failed once again in the Virginia Slims Championships, losing her quarterfinal to Novotn. She won there, comfortably beating Helena Sukov in the final after needing three sets to eliminate Gabriela Sabatini and Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively. One was 19 and one is pushing 34. Last edited on 20 February 2023, at 18:23, BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year, Learn how and when to remove this template message, 3 different Grand Slam titles won without losing a set, 2 titles won without losing a set in the same calendar year, Tennis records of the Open Era - women's singles, "Duden | Steffi | Rechtschreibung, Bedeutung, Definition", "The 10 most influential players in the history of tennis", "ON TENNIS; Graf Is Best, Right? She married fellow Olympic champion Agassi in 2001, and the pair have two children together. After losing a fifth straight time to Sabatini in Amelia Island, Florida, Graf again defeated Seles in the Hamburg final. [55] In the Hamburg final, she lost for the first time in 1994 after 36 consecutive match victories, losing to Snchez Vicario in three sets. [79] Only one week later, she underwent reconstructive knee surgery in Vienna and subsequently missed the 1997 Wimbledon and US Open championships. At Wimbledon, after struggling through early-round three-setters against Mariaan de Swardt and Patty Fendick, she easily defeated Natasha Zvereva in the quarterfinal, Sabatini in the semifinal, and Seles in the final, 62, 61, with Seles playing in almost complete silence because of widespread media and player criticism of her grunting.

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