Steffi Graf

Steffi Graf

Country	Germany^[1]
Residence	Las Vegas, Nevada
Date of birth	June 14, 1969 (1969-06-14) (age 40)
Place of birth	Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
Height	1.76 metres (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	64 kilograms (140 lb)
Turned pro	1982
Retired	1999
Plays	Right; One-handed backhand
Career prize money	US$21,895,277 (4th in all-time rankings)
Singles
Career record:	900–115 (87.3%)
Career titles:	107 (3rd in all-time rankings)
Highest ranking:	No. 1 (August 17, 1987)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open	W (1988, 1989, 1990, 1994)
French Open	W (1987, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999)
Wimbledon	W (1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996)
US Open	W (1988, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996)
Major tournaments
WTA Championships	W (1987, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996)
Olympic Games	Gold medal (1988)
Doubles
Career record:	173–72
Career titles:	11
Highest ranking:	No. 5 (November 21, 1988)
Mixed Doubles
Career record:	{{{mixedrecord}}}
Career titles:	{{{mixedtitles}}}
Highest ranking:	{{{highestmixedranking}}}
Infobox last updated on: N/A.

Women's Tennis
Olympic medal record
Competitor for West Germany
Gold	1988 Seoul	Singles
Bronze	1988 Seoul	Doubles
Competitor for Germany
Silver	1992 Barcelona	Singles

Stefanie Maria Graf (born June 14, 1969, in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany) is a former World No. 1 ranked female tennis player from Germany. Billie Jean King is quoted as saying in 1999, "Steffi is definitely the greatest women's tennis player of all time."^[2] Martina Navratilova has included Graf on her list of great players.^[3] 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.^[4] Tennis writer Steve Flink, in his book The Greatest Tennis Matches of the Twentieth Century, named her as the best female player of the 20th century.^[5]

Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, second among male and female players only to Margaret Court's 24. Graf is the only player to have won all four Grand Slam singles tournaments (Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open, and the Australian Open) at least four times each. In 1988, Graf won the Olympic gold medal in singles and all four Grand Slam singles titles that year, becoming the first and only player to win the "Golden Slam".

Graf was ranked by the Women's Tennis Association as World No. 1 for a record 377 total weeks – the longest of any player, male or female, since rankings began – and Graf also holds the record (eight) for most years as year end World No. 1.^[6] Graf won 107 singles titles, which ranks her third on the list of most singles titles won during the open era, behind Martina Navratilova (167 titles) and Chris Evert (154 titles).

A notable feature of Graf's game was her versatility across all playing surfaces. She won six French Open singles titles (second to Evert) and seven Wimbledon singles titles (third behind Navratilova and Helen Wills Moody). She is the only singles player to have achieved a Calendar Year Grand Slam across all three types of tennis courts, as the other Calendar Year Grand Slams won by other players occurred when the Australian and US Opens were still played on grass. Graf reached thirteen consecutive Grand Slam singles finals, from the 1987 French Open through the 1990 French Open, winning nine of them. She played in 36 Grand Slam singles tournaments from the 1987 French Open through the 1996 US Open, reaching the finals 29 times and winning 21 titles. Her 22nd and last Grand Slam singles title was the 1999 French Open. She reached 31 Grand Slam singles finals, third overall behind Evert (34 finals) and Navratilova (32 finals).

Graf retired in 1999 while she was ranked World No. 3. She is married to the former World No. 1 men's tennis player Andre Agassi.

Biography

Early career

Steffi was introduced to tennis by her father Peter Graf, a car and insurance salesman and aspiring tennis coach, who taught his three-year-old daughter how to swing a wooden racket in the family's living room. She began practicing on a court at the age of four and played in her first tournament at five. She soon began winning junior tournaments with regularity, and in 1982 she won the European Championships 12s and 18s.

Graf played in her first professional tournament in October 1982 at Stuttgart, Germany. She lost her first round match 6–4, 6–0 to Tracy Austin, a two-time US Open champion and former World No. 1 player. Austin remarked of the then-thirteen year old Graf that "there are hundreds of girls like her in America." Twelve years later, Graf defeated Austin 6–0, 6–0 during a second round match at the Evert Cup in Indian Wells, California, which was their second and last match against each other.

At the start of her first full professional year in 1983, the 13-year-old Graf was ranked World No. 124. She won no titles during the next three years, but her ranking climbed steadily to World No. 98 in 1983, World No. 22 in 1984, and World No. 6 in 1985. In 1984, she first gained international attention when she almost upset the tenth seed, Jo Durie of the United Kingdom, in a fourth round Centre Court match at Wimbledon. In August as a 15-year-old (and youngest entrant) representing West Germany, she won the tennis demonstration event at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.^[7]

Graf's schedule was closely controlled by her father, Peter Graf, who limited her play so that she would not burn out. In 1985, for instance, she played only 10 events leading up to the US Open, whereas another up-and-coming star, Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina, who was a year younger than Graf, played 21. Peter also kept a tight rein on Graf's personal life. Social invitations on the tour were often declined as Graf's focus was kept on practising and match play. Working with her father and then-coach Pavel Složil, Graf typically practiced for up to four hours a day, often heading straight from airports to practice courts. This narrow focus meant that Graf, already shy and retiring by nature, made few friends on the tour in her early years, but it led to a steady improvement in her play.

1985 and early 1986 saw her emerge as the top challenger to the dominance of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. During that period, she lost six times to Evert and three times to Navratilova, all in straight sets. She did not win a tournament but consistently reached tournament finals and semifinals, with the highlight being her semifinal loss to Navratilova at the US Open.

On April 13, 1986, Graf won her first WTA tournament and beat Evert for the first time in the final of the Family Circle Cup in Hilton Head, South Carolina. She never lost to Evert again, beating her a further seven times over the next three and a half years. She then won her next three tournaments at Amelia Island, Charleston, and Berlin, culminating in a 6–2, 6–3 defeat of Navratilova in the final of the latter. At the French Open, Graf was the third seed but was seen by many as the tournament favorite. However, she caught a virus and lost to Hana Mandlikova in the quarterfinals 2–6, 7–6, 6–1. The illness caused her to miss Wimbledon, and an accident where she broke a toe several weeks later also curtailed her momentum. She returned to win a small tournament at Mahwah just before the US Open where, in one of the most anticipated matches of the year, she encountered Navratilova in a semifinal. The match was played over two days with Navratilova finally winning after saving three match points 6–1, 6–7, 7–6. Graf then won three consecutive indoor titles at Tokyo, Zürich, and Brighton, before once again contending with Navratilova at the season-ending Virginia Slims Championships in New York City. This time, Navratilova beat Graf easily 7–6, 6–3, 6–2.

Breakthrough year: 1987

Graf's Grand Slam breakthrough came in 1987. She started the year strongly, with six tournament victories heading into the French Open, the highlight being at the tournament in Miami, where she defeated Martina Navratilova in a semifinal and Chris Evert in the final and conceded only 20 games in the seven rounds of the tournament. In the French Open final, Graf defeated Navratilova, who was the World No. 1, 6–4, 4–6, 8–6 after beating Gabriela Sabatini in a three-set semifinal.

Graf then lost to Navratilova 7–5, 6–3 in the Wimbledon final, her first loss of the year. However, in the Federation Cup final in Vancouver, Canada, three weeks later, she defeated Evert easily 6–2, 6–1. The US Open ended anti-climactically as Navratilova defeated Graf in the final 7–6, 6–1.

Because Graf had lost to Navratilova in two of three Grand Slam finals in 1987 but had a superior record elsewhere (ten titles to Navratilova's four), the Virginia Slam Championships in November was expected to decide the World No. 1 for the year. Navratilova, however, was upset by Sabatini in the quarterfinals, and when Graf defeated Sabatini in the final, she clinched the top ranking in the eyes of most observers, finishing the year with a 74-2 match record.

"Golden Slam": 1988

A picture of a decaying scoreboard in Seoul, taken nearly 20 years after the tournament happened, that documents Graf's triumph there.

Graf started 1988 by winning the Australian Open, defeating Chris Evert in the final 6–1, 7–6. Graf did not lose a set during the tournament and lost a total of only 29 games.

Graf lost twice to Gabriela Sabatini during the spring, once on hardcourts in Boca Raton, Florida and once on clay at Amelia Island, Florida. Graf, however, won the tournament in San Antonio, Texas and retained her title in Miami, where she once again defeated Evert in the final. Graf then won the tournament in Berlin, losing only twelve games in five matches.

At the French Open, Graf successfully defended her title by routing Natasha Zvereva 6–0, 6–0 in a 32-minute final. That was only the second-ever double bagel in a Grand Slam final, the other being in 1911. Zvereva, who had eliminated Martina Navratilova in the fourth round, won only thirteen points in the match. Graf lost a mere twenty games in the tournament, setting a record for the French Open in the open era.

Next came Wimbledon, where Navratilova had won six straight titles. Graf was trailing Navratilova in the final 7–5, 2–0 before winning the match 5–7, 6–2, 6–1. She then won tournaments in Hamburg and Mahwah (where she lost only eight games all tournament).

At the US Open, Graf defeated Sabatini in a three-set final to win the Calendar Year Grand Slam, a feat previously performed by only two other women, Maureen Connolly Brinker in 1953 and Margaret Court in 1970.

Graf then defeated Sabatini 6–3, 6–3 in the gold medal match at the Olympic Games in Seoul and achieved what the media had dubbed the "Golden Slam".

Graf also won her only Grand Slam doubles title that year — at Wimbledon partnering Sabatini — and picked up a women's doubles Olympic bronze medal.

At the year-ending Virginia Slims Championships, Graf was upset by Pam Shriver, only her third loss of the year. She was named the 1988 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year.

New challengers and personal challenges

1989

Speculation was rife at the beginning of 1989 about the possibility of Graf winning another Grand Slam. Some noted observers, such as Margaret Court, suggested that Graf could achieve the feat a couple more times. And the year began as expected, with Graf extending her Grand Slam winning streak to five events at the Australian Open, defeating Helena Suková in the final. Her 6–3, 6–0 defeat of Gabriela Sabatini in a semifinal was described by veteran observer Ted Tinling as "probably the best tennis I've seen".^[8]

Graf followed this with easy victories in her next four tournaments at Washington, D.C., San Antonio, Texas, Boca Raton, Florida, and Hilton Head, South Carolina. The Washington, D.C. tournament was notable because Graf won the first twenty points of the final against Zina Garrison.^[9] In the Boca Raton final, Graf lost the only set she conceded to Chris Evert in their final seven matches.^[10]

In the subsequent Amelia Island final on clay, Graf lost her first match of the year to Sabatini but returned to European clay with easy victories at Hamburg and Berlin.

Graf's Grand Slam winning streak ended at the French Open, where 17-year-old Spaniard Arantxa Sánchez Vicario beat Graf in three sets. Graf served for the match at 5–3 in the third set but lost the game at love and won only three more points in the match. She had struggled to beat Monica Seles in their semifinal 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 after being affected by food-poisoning the day before that match.

Graf, however, recovered to defeat Martina Navratilova 6–2, 6–7, 6–1 in the Wimbledon final after defeating Seles 6–0, 6–1 in a fourth round match, Sánchez Vicario in a quarterfinal, and Chris Evert in a semifinal.

Graf warmed up for the US Open with easy tournament victories in San Diego and Mahwah. In her semifinal match at the US Open, Graf defeated Sabatini 3–6, 6–4, 6–2. In the final, Navratilova led 6–3, 4–2 before Graf rallied to win 3–6, 7–5, 6–1 for her third Grand Slam singles title of the year.

Victories at Zürich and Brighton preceded the Virginia Slims Championships, where Graf cemented her top-ranked status by beating Navratilova in the final 6–4, 7–5, 2–6, 6–2. Graf ended 1989 with an 86-2 match record and the loss of only twelve sets.

1990

Graf defeated Mary Joe Fernandez in the final of the Australian Open, which was her eighth Grand Slam singles title in the last nine she contested. Her winning streak (unbeaten since the 1989 French Open loss to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario) continued with victories in Tokyo, Amelia Island, and Hamburg. In Berlin, she extended her unbeaten streak to 66 matches (second in WTA history to Martina Navratilova's 74) before losing the final to Monica Seles.

While the Berlin tournament was being played, the largest-circulation German tabloid, Bild, ran a story about Graf's father allegedly having an affair with a former Playboy model. The subsequent paternity suit brought by the model, Nicole Meissner, was covered extensively in the tabloids for the next two months. The difficulty of answering questions about the matter came to a head at a Wimbledon press conference, where Graf broke down in tears. Wimbledon authorities then threatened to immediately shut down any subsequent press conferences where questions about the issue were asked. The blackmail scheme eventually failed when DNA tests proved Peter was not the baby's father. Whether this scandal affected Graf's form is open to debate. In an interview with Stern magazine in July 1990, Graf stated, "I could not fight as usual."^[11]

Graf again lost to Seles in the final of the French Open 7–6, 6–4, with Seles saving four consecutive set points in the first set tiebreaker. At Wimbledon, Graf lost in the semifinals to Zina Garrison. After victories in Montreal and San Diego, Graf reached the US Open final, where she lost in straight sets to Gabriela Sabatini. Graf won four indoor tournaments after the US Open, but lost again to Sabatini in a Virginia Slims Championships semifinal. Even though Graf won only one Grand Slam singles title in 1990, she finished the year as the top ranked player.

1991

A mixture of injury problems, personal difficulties, and loss of form made 1991 a tough year for Graf. Seles established herself as the new dominant player on the women's tour, winning the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open and, in March, ending Graf's record 186 consecutive-weeks hold on the World No. 1 ranking. Graf briefly regained the top ranking after winning at Wimbledon but lost it again after her loss to Martina Navratilova at the US Open.

Graf lost an Australian Open quarterfinal to Jana Novotná, the first time she did not reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam singles tournament since the 1986 French Open. She then lost to Gabriela Sabatini in her next three tournaments before winning the U.S. Hardcourt Championships in San Antonio, beating Monica Seles in the final. After losing a fifth straight time to Sabatini in Amelia Island, Florida, Graf once again defeated Seles in the Hamburg final. Following her tournament victory in Berlin, Graf suffered one of the worst defeats of her career in a French Open semifinal where she won only two games against Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and lost her first 6–0 set since 1984. Graf did, however, win her third Wimbledon title, defeating Sabatini in the final. Navratilova then defeated Graf 7–6, 6–7, 6–4 in a US Open semifinal, the first time she had beaten Graf in four years. Graf then won Leipzig, with her 500th career victory coming in a quarterfinal against Judith Wiesner. After winning two more indoor tournaments at Zürich and Brighton, she failed once again in the Virginia Slims Championships, losing her quarterfinal to Novotná. Soon after, she split with her long-time coach, Pavel Složil, stating that she wanted to work on her own.

1992

A bout with German measles forced Graf to miss the first major event of 1992, the Australian Open. Her year continued indifferently with losses in three of her first four tournaments, although she did win unconvincingly at Boca Raton, Florida. Victories at Hamburg and Berlin (beating Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the finals of both) prepared her for the French Open, where she defeated Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals after losing the first set 6–0. She then renewed her rivalry with Monica Seles in the final, which Seles won 10-8 in the third set. At Wimbledon, after struggling through early-round three-setters against lowly-ranked Mariaan de Swardt and Patty Fendick, she easily defeated Natasha Zvereva in a quarterfinal, Sabatini in a semifinal, and Seles in the final 6–2, 6–1, with Seles playing in almost complete silence because of widespread media and player criticism of her grunting. Graf then won all five of her Fed Cup matches, helping Germany defeat Spain in the final by defeating Sánchez Vicario 6–4, 6–2. At the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Graf lost to Jennifer Capriati in the final and claimed the silver medal. At the US Open, Graf was upset in a quarterfinal by Sánchez Vicario 7–6(5), 6–3. Four consecutive indoor tournament victories in the autumn improved her year, but for the third consecutive year, she failed to win the Virginia Slims Championships, where she lost in the first round to Lori McNeil.

Second period of dominance

1993

Monica Seles beat Graf in three sets in the final of the Australian Open. The burgeoning rivalry between them was then cut short. During a quarterfinal match between Seles and Magdalena Maleeva in Hamburg, Seles was stabbed between the shoulder blades by a mentally ill Günter Parche. He claimed that he committed the attack to help Graf reclaim the World No. 1 ranking. More than two years elapsed before Seles competed again.

In the absence of Seles, Graf won three of four Grand Slam events to re-establish herself as the dominant player in women's tennis. It took some time, however, for Graf to separate herself from her challengers, with four losses in her first six tournaments of the year – two to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and one each to Seles and the 36 year-old Martina Navratilova. She struggled in Berlin where she lost a 6–0 set to the unheralded Sabine Hack before defeating Mary Jo Fernandez and Gabriela Sabatini in three-set matches to claim her seventh title there in eight years. Nor was she at her best at the French Open but still managed to win her first title there since 1988 with a three-set victory over Fernandez in the final. The win elevated Graf to the World No. 1 ranking for the first time in 22 months. Her fifth Wimbledon title was aided by a celebrated meltdown in the final from Jana Novotná, who had a point on serve to go up 5–1 in the deciding set before losing the next five games. Graf had an injured right foot during that tournament (and for the next few months), finally resulting in surgery on October 4.

In the meantime, she lost surprisingly to Nicole Bradtke of Australia in a Fed Cup match on clay before winning San Diego and Montreal in preparation for the US Open. She won there, beating Helena Suková comfortably in the final after eliminating Sabatini in a three-set quarterfinal. She won Leipzig yet again the day before her foot operation, losing only two games to Novotná in the final. Graf lost to Conchita Martínez in her return tournament a month later in Philadelphia. However, she finished her year with a highlight, winning her first Virginia Slims Championships since 1989 by beating Sánchez Vicario in the final despite needing painkillers for a back injury.

1994

Seemingly free of injury for the first time in years, Graf began the year by winning the Australian Open, where she defeated Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the final with the loss of only two games. She then won her next four tournaments easily. In the Miami final, she lost her first set of the year — to Natasha Zvereva — after winning 54 consecutive sets. In the Hamburg final, she lost for the first time in 1994 after 36 consecutive match victories, losing to Sánchez Vicario in three sets. She then won her eighth German Open, but there were signs that her form was worsening as she almost lost to Julie Halard in a quarterfinal. Graf then lost to Mary Pierce in a French Open semifinal and followed that with a first-round loss at Wimbledon to Lori McNeil, her first loss in a first round Grand Slam tournament in ten years. Graf still managed to win San Diego the following month but aggravated a long-time back injury in beating Sánchez Vicario in the final. She then began to wear a back brace and was unsure about playing the US Open but elected to play while receiving treatment and stretching for two hours before each match. She made it to the final and took the first set there against Sánchez Vicario. Her back injury, however, flared up and she lost the next two sets. She took the following nine weeks off, returning only for the Virginia Slims Championships where she lost to Pierce in a quarterfinal.

1995

Injury kept Graf out of the Australian Open. She came back to beat Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon. The US Open was Monica Seles's first Grand Slam event since the 1993 attack. Seles and Graf met in the final, with Graf winning 7–6, 0–6, 6–3. Graf then capped the year by beating countrywoman Anke Huber in a five-set final at the season-ending WTA Tour Championships.

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. In her defense, she stated that her father Peter was her financial manager, and all financial matters relating to her earnings at the time had been under his control. As a result, Peter was sentenced to 45 months in jail. He was eventually released after serving 25 months. Prosecutors dropped their case against Steffi in 1997, when she agreed to pay a fine of 1.3 million Deutsche Marks to the government and an unspecified charity.

1996

Graf again missed the Australian Open due to injury and then successfully defended the three Grand Slam titles she won the year before. In a close French Open final, Graf again overcame Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, taking the third-set 10-8. Graf then had straight-sets wins against Sánchez Vicario in the Wimbledon final and Monica Seles in the US Open final. Graf also won her fifth and final Chase Championships title with a five set win over Martina Hingis. She was unable to participate in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta because of an injured left knee.^[12]

Final years on the tour: 1997-1999

The last few years of Graf's career were beset by injuries, particularly to her knees and back.

These injuries caused Graf to miss much of the tour in 1997. She lost the World No. 1 ranking to Martina Hingis and failed to win a Grand Slam title for the first time in ten years.

After missing almost half of the tour in 1998, Graf defeated World No. 2 Hingis and World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport en route to the Philadelphia title. At the first round of the season-ending Chase Championships, Graf defeated World No. 3 Jana Novotná to become the first player to defeat each of the top three ranked players in four matches.

At the 1999 French Open, Graf reached her first Grand Slam final in three years and fought back from a set and two breaks down in the second set to defeat the top ranked Hingis in three sets. Graf also became the first player in the open era to defeat the first, second, and third ranked players in the same Grand Slam tournament by defeating second ranked Davenport in the quarterfinals and third ranked Monica Seles in the semifinals. Graf said after the final that it would be her last French Open,^[13] fueling speculation about her retirement.

Graf then reached her ninth Wimbledon singles final, losing to Davenport 6–4, 7–5. In mixed doubles at Wimbledon, Graf briefly partnered with John McEnroe.^[14]

In August 1999, Graf announced her retirement from the women's tour. She was ranked World No. 3 at that time. Graf said, "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."^[15]

Summary of career

Graf won 107 singles titles and 11 doubles titles. Her 22 Grand Slam singles titles are second only to Margaret Court, who won 24. Graf won 7 singles titles at Wimbledon, 6 singles titles at the French Open, 5 singles titles at the US Open, and 4 singles titles at the Australian Open. She is the only person to have won at least four singles titles at each Grand Slam event. She is also the only person to have won a combined total of at least 13 singles titles at Wimbledon and the French Open. Her overall record in 56 Grand Slam events was 282-34 (89 percent) (87-10 at the French Open, 75-8 at Wimbledon, 73-10 at the US Open, and 47-6 at the Australian Open). Her career prize-money earnings totalled US$21,895,277 (a record until Lindsay Davenport surpassed this amount in January 2008). Her singles win-loss record was 900-115 (88.7 percent).^[16] She was ranked World No. 1 for a total of 377 weeks during her career, the record in both men's and women's tennis. She was ranked World No. 1 for 186 consecutive weeks (from August 1987 to March 1991), which is still the record in the women's game.

Rivalry with Monica Seles

The indirect effects on Graf's career of the stabbing of Monica Seles in 1993 is the subject of frequent speculation. Seles was World No. 1 at the time of the attack. In head-to-head matches, Graf never had a losing record versus Seles at any point in her career, and prior to 1990, Graf was undefeated versus Seles in three encounters. Seles, however, won four of the seven matches they played from 1990 through 1993, including a 3–1 advantage over Graf in Grand Slam tournaments. From the start of 1991 until the April 1993 Seles stabbing (i.e., the period of Seles's dominance), Graf lost nineteen matches but only two of these were to Seles (while defeating her three times). Graf retired with a 10-5 lifetime record over Seles, including a 6–4 winning record versus Seles in Grand Slam singles tournaments and a 3–2 winning record versus Seles while Seles was ranked World No. 1 in 1991-1993.

Accolades

In an interview with ESPN Classic's SportsCentury series, Chris Evert said, "Steffi Graf's the best all-around player. Martina [Navratilova] won more on fast courts and I won more on slow courts, but Steffi came along and won more titles on both surfaces." Evert also has said that Graf's forehand was "the best in women's tennis".^[17] Billie Jean King said in 1999 that she considered Graf to be the greatest female tennis player ever.^[18] Navratilova said in 1996, "Steffi is the best all-around player of all time, regardless of the surface."^[19]

Playing style

The main weapon in Graf's game was her powerful inside-out forehand drive, which earned her the moniker "Fräulein Forehand". ^[20] She often positioned herself in her backhand corner, and although this left her forehand wide open and vulnerable to attack, her court speed meant that only the most accurate shots wide to her forehand caused any trouble.

The news media constantly likened her to a "gazelle" or "springbok" while Martina Navratilova considered her speed comparable to that of an Olympic long-distance runner.

Graf also had a powerful backhand drive but over the course of her career tended to use this less frequently, opting more often for her very effective backhand slice. In baseline rallies, she used the slice almost exclusively. Her accuracy with the slice, both crosscourt and down the line, and her ability to skid the ball and keep it low, enabled her to use it as an offensive weapon to set the ball up for her forehand putaways. Her top-spin backhand was retained only for passing-shots, but as the number of net-rushers declined, her need for the shot lessened.

She built her powerful and accurate serve up to 180 km/h (110 mph), making it one of the fastest serves in women's tennis, and was a capable volleyer, but was often criticized for not using her volley more often.

Personal life

With her father dominating her personal life until the Graf tax scandal in 1995, Graf often declined social invitations and made few friends on tour. Soon after retiring she made headlines off the court for dating Andre Agassi. They married on October 22, 2001 with only their mothers as witnesses.^[21] Four days later Steffi gave birth, six weeks prematurely, to their son Jaden Gil (named for Andre's longtime trainer Gil Reyes). Their daughter, Jaz Elle, was born on October 3, 2003.

At the 1992 Wimbledon champions banquet, Graf and husband-to-be Andre Agassi showed no interest in one another. However, in a 2006 Sports Illustrated piece, Agassi – who claimed he had been secretly pining for Graf as far back as 1990 – said that officials would not allow him to dance with her, which was a Wimbledon tradition.

In 1991 Graf founded The Steffi Graf Youth Tennis Center in Leipzig. In 1998 she founded 'Children for Tomorrow', a non-profit foundation to support children who have been traumatized by war, exile and violence. She has been an Ambassador of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) since 1994.

Record against other top players

As of October 30, 2008, Graf's win-loss record against certain players who have been ranked World No. 10 or higher is as follows:^[22]

Jana Novotná 29–4
Gabriela Sabatini 29–11
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 28–8
Mary Joe Fernandez 17–0
Conchita Martínez 13–1
Martina Navratilova 13–13
Amanda Coetzer 11–4
Jennifer Capriati 10–1
Monica Seles 10–5
Julie Halard-Decugis 9–1
Magdalena Maleeva 8–0
Hana Mandlikova 8–1
Lindsay Davenport 8–6
Chanda Rubin 7–0
Kimiko Date Krumm 7–1
Martina Hingis 7–2
Chris Evert 7–6
Brenda Schultz-McCarthy 6–0
Ai Sugiyama 4–1
Mary Pierce 4–2
Barbara Schett 3–0
Venus Williams 3–2
Anna Kournikova 2–1
Irina Spîrlea 2–0
Amélie Mauresmo 1–0
Kim Clijsters 1–0
Serena Williams 1–1
Tracy Austin 1–1
Wendy Turnbull 1–2
Patty Schnyder 0–1

Grand Slam singles finals

Wins (22)

Year	Championship	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
1987	French Open	Martina Navratilova	6–4, 4–6, 8–6
1988	Australian Open	Chris Evert	6–1, 7–6(3)
1988	French Open (2)	Natasha Zvereva	6–0, 6–0
1988	Wimbledon	Martina Navratilova	5–7, 6–2, 6–1
1988	US Open	Gabriela Sabatini	6–3, 3–6, 6–1
1989	Australian Open (2)	Helena Suková	6–4, 6–4
1989	Wimbledon (2)	Martina Navratilova	6–2, 6–7(1), 6–1
1989	US Open (2)	Martina Navratilova	3–6, 7–5, 6–1
1990	Australian Open (3)	Mary Joe Fernandez	6–3, 6–4
1991	Wimbledon (3)	Gabriela Sabatini	6–4, 3–6, 8–6
1992	Wimbledon (4)	Monica Seles	6–2, 6–1
1993	French Open (3)	Mary Joe Fernandez	4–6, 6–2, 6–4
1993	Wimbledon (5)	Jana Novotná	7–6(6), 1–6, 6–4
1993	US Open (3)	Helena Suková	6–3, 6–3
1994	Australian Open (4)	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–0, 6–2
1995	French Open (4)	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	7–5, 4–6, 6–0
1995	Wimbledon (6)	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	4–6, 6–1, 7–5
1995	US Open (4)	Monica Seles	7–6(6), 0–6, 6–3
1996	French Open (5)	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–3, 6–7(4), 10-8
1996	Wimbledon (7)	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–3, 7–5
1996	US Open (5)	Monica Seles	7–5, 6–4
1999	French Open (6)	Martina Hingis	4–6, 7–5, 6–2

Runner-ups (9)

Year	Championship	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
1987	Wimbledon	Martina Navratilova	7–5, 6–3
1987	US Open	Martina Navratilova	7–6(4), 6–1
1989	French Open	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	7–6(6), 3–6, 7–5
1990	French Open (2)	Monica Seles	7–6(6), 6–4
1990	US Open (2)	Gabriela Sabatini	6–2, 7–6(4)
1992	French Open (3)	Monica Seles	6–2, 3–6, 10-8
1993	Australian Open	Monica Seles	4–6, 6–3, 6–2
1994	US Open (3)	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	1–6, 7–6(3), 6–4
1999	Wimbledon (2)	Lindsay Davenport	6–4, 7–5

Grand Slam women's doubles finals

Win (1)

Year	Championship	Partner	Opponents in Final	Score in Final
1988	Wimbledon	Gabriela Sabatini	Larisa Savchenko Neiland Natasha Zvereva	6–3, 1–6, 12-10

Runner-ups (3)

Year	Championship	Partner	Opponents in Final	Score in Final
1986	French Open	Gabriela Sabatini	Martina Navratilova Andrea Temesvári	6–1, 6–2
1987	French Open (2)	Gabriela Sabatini	Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver	6–2, 6–1
1989	French Open (3)	Gabriela Sabatini	Larisa Savchenko Neiland Natasha Zvereva	6–4, 6–4

WTA Tour singles finals

Wins (107)

Legend (singles wins)
Tier I (16)
Tier II (29)
Tier III (9)
Tier IV (8)
VS (17)
Grand Slam Title (22)
WTA Tour Championship (5)
Olympic Gold (1)

#	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
1.	April 13, 1986	Family Circle Cup, Hilton Head, South Carolina, U.S.	VS	Clay	Chris Evert	6–4, 7–5
2.	April 20, 1986	Sunkist WTA Championships, Amelia Island, Florida, U.S.	VS	Clay	Claudia Kohde-Kilsch	6–4, 5–7, 7–6(3)
3.	May 3, 1986	U.S. Clay Court Championships, Indianapolis	VS	Clay	Gabriela Sabatini	2–6, 7–6(5), 6–4
4.	May 3, 1986	German Open, Berlin	VS	Clay	Martina Navratilova	6–2, 6–3
5.	August 24, 1986	United Jersey Bank Classic, Mahwah, New Jersey, U.S.	VS	Hard	Molly van Nostrand	7–5, 6–1
6.	September 14, 1986	Toray Pan Pacific Open, Tokyo	VS	Carpet (I)	Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere	6–4, 6–2
7.	October 12, 1986	European Indoors, Zürich, Switzerland	VS	Carpet (I)	Helena Suková	4–6, 6–2, 6–4
8.	October 26, 1986	Pretty Polly, Brighton, United Kingdom	VS	Carpet (I)	Catarina Lindqvist	6–3, 6–3
9.	February 22, 1987	Virginia Slims of Florida, Boca Raton, Florida, U.S.	VS	Hard	Helena Suková	6–2, 6–3
10.	March 8, 1987	Miami, U.S.	VS	Hard	Chris Evert	6–1, 6–2
11.	April 12, 1987	Family Circle Cup, Hilton Head, South Carolina, U.S.	VS	Clay	Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere	6–2, 4–6, 6–3
12.	April 19, 1987	Bausch & Lomb Championships, Amelia Island, Florida, U.S.	VS	Clay	Hana Mandlikova	6–3, 6–4
13.	May 10, 1987	Italian Open, Rome	VS	Clay	Gabriela Sabatini	7–5, 4–6, 6–0
14.	May 17, 1987	German Open, Berlin	VS	Clay	Claudia Kohde-Kilsch	6–2, 6–3
15.	June 6, 1987	French Open, Paris	GS	Clay	Martina Navratilova	6–4, 4–6, 8–6
16.	August 16, 1987	Virginia Slims of Los Angeles, U.S.	VS	Hard	Chris Evert	6–3, 6–4
17.	September 27, 1987	Citzen Cup, Hamburg, Germany	VS	Clay	Isabel Cueto	6–2, 6–2
18.	November 1, 1987	European Indoors, Zürich, Switzerland	VS	Carpet (I)	Hana Mandlikova	6–2, 6–2
19.	November 22, 1987	Virginia Slims Championships, New York City	CH	Carpet (I)	Gabriela Sabatini	4–6, 6–4, 6–0, 6–4
20.	January 24, 1988	Australian Open, Melbourne	GS	Hard	Chris Evert	6–1, 7–6(3)
21.	March 6, 1988	U.S. Hardcourt Championships, San Antonio, Texas	IV	Hard	Katerina Maleeva	6–4, 6–1
22.	March 27, 1988	Miami, U.S.	I	Hard	Chris Evert	6–4, 6–4
23.	May 15, 1988	Lufthansa Cup - German Open, Berlin	II	Clay	Helena Suková	6–3, 6–2
24.	June 5, 1988	French Open, Paris	GS	Clay	Natasha Zvereva	6–0, 6–0
25.	July 3, 1988	Wimbledon, London	GS	Grass	Martina Navratilova	5–7, 6–2, 6–1
26.	July 31, 1988	Citzen Cup, Hamburg, Germany	IV	Clay	Katerina Maleeva	6–4, 6–2
27.	August 28, 1988	United Jersey Bank Classic, Mahwah, New Jersey, U.S.	IV	Hard	Nathalie Tauziat	6–0, 6–1
28.	September 11, 1988	US Open, New York City	GS	Hard	Gabriela Sabatini	6–3, 3–6, 6–1
29.	October 2, 1988	Olympics, Seoul	OT	Hard	Gabriela Sabatini	6–3, 6–3
30.	October 30, 1988	Midland Bank Championships, Brighton, United Kingdom	III	Carpet (I)	Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere	6–2, 6–0
31.	January 29, 1989	Australian Open, Melbourne	GS	Hard	Helena Suková	6–4, 6–4
32.	February 19, 1989	Virginia Slims of Washington, D.C.	II	Carpet (I)	Zina Garrison Jackson	6–1, 7–5
33.	March 5, 1989	U.S. Hardcourt Championships, San Antonio, Texas	IV	Hard	Ann Henricksson	6–1, 6–4
34.	March 19, 1989	Virginia Slims of Florida, Boca Raton, U.S.	II	Hard	Chris Evert	4–6, 6–2, 6–3
35.	April 9, 1989	Family Circle Cup, Hilton Head, South Carolina, U.S.	II	Clay	Natasha Zvereva	6–1, 6–1
36.	May 7, 1989	Citzen Cup, Hamburg, Germany	IV	Clay	Jana Novotná	walkover
37.	May 21, 1989	Lufthansa Cup - German Open, Berlin	II	Clay	Gabriela Sabatini	6–3, 6–1
38.	July 9, 1989	Wimbledon, London	GS	Grass	Martina Navratilova	6–2, 6–7(1), 6–1
39.	August 6, 1989	Great American Bank Classic, San Diego, U.S.	IV	Hard	Zina Garrison Jackson	6–4, 7–5
40.	August 20, 1989	United Jersey Bank Classic, Mahwah, New Jersey, U.S.	IV	Hard	Andrea Temesvári	7–5, 6–2
41.	September 10, 1989	US Open, New York City	GS	Hard	Martina Navratilova	3–6, 7–5, 6–1
42.	October 22, 1989	BMW European Indoors, Zürich, Switzerland	III	Carpet (I)	Jana Novotná	6–1, 7–6(6)
43.	October 29, 1989	Midland Bank Championships, Brighton, United Kingdom	III	Carpet (I)	Monica Seles	7–5, 6–4
44.	November 19, 1989	Virginia Slims Championships, New York City	CH	Carpet (I)	Martina Navratilova	6–4, 7–5, 2–6, 6–2
45.	January 28, 1990	Australian Open, Melbourne	GS	Hard	Mary Joe Fernandez	6–3, 6–4
46.	February 4, 1990	Toray Pan Pacific Open, Tokyo	II	Carpet (I)	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–1, 6–2
47.	April 15, 1990	Bausch & Lomb Championships, Amelia Island, Florida, U.S.	II	Clay	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–1, 6–0
48.	May 6, 1990	Citzen Cup, Hamburg, Germany	IV	Clay	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	5–7, 6–0, 6–1
49.	August 5, 1990	Canadian Open, Montreal	I	Hard	Katerina Maleeva	6–1, 6–7(6), 6–3
50.	August 12, 1990	Great American Bank Classic, San Diego, U.S.	III	Hard	Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere	6–3, 6–2
51.	September 30, 1990	Volkswagen-Damen-Grand Prix, Leipzig, Germany	III	Carpet (I)	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–1, 6–1
52.	October 14, 1990	BMW European Indoors, Zürich, Switzerland	II	Carpet (I)	Gabriela Sabatini	6–3, 6–2
53.	October 28, 1990	Midland Bank Championships, Brighton, United Kingdom	II	Carpet (I)	Helena Suková	7–5, 6–3
54.	November 11, 1990	Virginia Slims of New England, Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.	II	Carpet (I)	Gabriela Sabatini	7–6(5) 6–3
55.	March 31, 1991	U.S. Hardcourt Championships, San Antonio, Texas	III	Hard	Monica Seles	6–4, 6–3
56.	May 5, 1991	Citzen Cup, Hamburg, Germany	II	Clay	Monica Seles	7–5, 6–7(4), 6–3
57.	May 19, 1991	Lufthansa Cup - German Open, Berlin	I	Clay	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–3, 4–6, 7–6(6)
58.	July 7, 1991	Wimbledon, London	GS	Grass	Gabriela Sabatini	6–4, 3–6, 8–6
59.	October 6, 1991	Volkswagen-Damen-Grand Prix, Leipzig, Germany	III	Carpet (I)	Jana Novotná	6–3, 6–3
60.	October 13, 1991	BMW European Indoors, Zürich, Switzerland	II	Carpet (I)	Nathalie Tauziat	6–4, 6–4
61.	October 27, 1991	Midland Bank Championships, Brighton, United Kingdom	II	Carpet (I)	Zina Garrison Jackson	5–7, 6–4, 6–1
62.	March 8, 1992	Virginia Slims of Florida, Boca Raton, U.S.	I	Hard	Conchita Martínez	3–6, 6–2, 6–0
63.	May 3, 1992	Citzen Cup, Hamburg, Germany	II	Clay	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	7–6(5), 6–2
64.	May 17, 1992	Lufthansa Cup - German Open, Berlin	I	Clay	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	4–6, 7–5, 6–2
65.	July 5, 1992	Wimbledon, London	GS	Grass	Monica Seles	6–2, 6–1
66.	October 4, 1992	Volkswagen-Damen-Grand Prix, Leipzig, Germany	III	Carpet (I)	Jana Novotná	6–3, 1–6, 6–4
67.	October 11, 1992	European Indoors, Zürich, Switzerland	II	Carpet (I)	Martina Navratilova	2–6, 7–5, 7–5
68.	October 25, 1992	Midland Bank Championships, Brighton, United Kingdom	II	Carpet (I)	Jana Novotná	4–6, 6–4, 7–6(3)
69.	November 15, 1992	Advanta Championships Philadelphia, U.S.	II	Carpet (I)	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–3, 3–6, 6–1
70.	March 7, 1993	Virginia Slims of Florida, Delray Beach, U.S.	II	Hard	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–4, 6–3
71.	April 4, 1993	Family Circle Cup, Hilton Head, South Carolina, U.S.	I	Clay	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	7–6(8), 6–1
72.	May 16, 1993	German Open, Berlin	I	Clay	Gabriela Sabatini	7–6(3), 2–6, 6–4
73.	June 6, 1993	French Open, Paris	GS	Clay	Mary Joe Fernandez	4–6, 6–2, 6–4
74.	July 4, 1993	Wimbledon, London	GS	Grass	Jana Novotná	7–6(6), 1–6, 6–4
75.	August 8, 1993	Mazda Tennis Classic, San Diego, U.S.	II	Hard	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–4, 4–6, 6–1
76.	August 22, 1993	Canadian Open, Toronto	I	Hard	Jennifer Capriati	6–1, 0–6, 6–3
77.	September 12, 1993	US Open, New York City	GS	Hard	Helena Suková	6–3, 6–3
78.	October 3, 1993	Volkswagen-Card Cup, Leipzig, Germany	II	Carpet (I)	Jana Novotná	6–2, 6–0
79.	November 21, 1993	Virginia Slims Championships, New York City	CH	Carpet (I)	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–1, 6–4, 3–6, 6–1
80.	January 30, 1994	Australian Open, Melbourne	GS	Hard	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–0, 6–2
81.	February 6, 1994	Toray Pan Pacific Open, Tokyo	I	Carpet (I)	Martina Navratilova	6–2, 6–4
82.	February 27, 1994	Evert Cup, Indian Wells, California, U.S.	II	Hard	Amanda Coetzer	6–0, 6–4
83.	March 6, 1994	Virginia Slims of Florida, Delray Beach, U.S.	II	Hard	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–3, 7–5
84.	March 20, 1994	Miami, U.S.	I	Hard	Natasha Zvereva	4–6, 6–1, 6–2
85.	May 15, 1994	German Open, Berlin	I	Clay	Brenda Schultz-McCarthy	7–6(3), 6–4
86.	August 7, 1994	Toshiba Tennis Classic, San Diego, U.S.	II	Hard	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–2, 6–1
87.	February 19, 1995	Open Gaz de France, Paris	II	Carpet (I)	Mary Pierce	6–2, 6–2
88.	March 12, 1995	Virginia Slims of Florida, Delray Beach, U.S.	II	Hard	Conchita Martínez	6–2, 6–4
89.	March 26, 1995	Miami, U.S.	I	Hard	Kimiko Date	6–1, 6–4
90.	April 16, 1995	Gallery Furniture Championship, Houston, Texas, U.S.	II	Clay	Asa Carlsson	6–1, 6–1
91.	June 11, 1995	French Open, Paris	GS	Clay	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	7–5, 4–6, 6–0
92.	July 9, 1995	Wimbledon, London	GS	Grass	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	4–6, 6–1, 7–5
93.	September 10, 1995	US Open, New York City	GS	Hard	Monica Seles	7–6(6), 0–6, 6–3
94.	November 12, 1995	Advanta Championships Philadelphia, U.S.	I	Carpet (I)	Lori McNeil	6–1, 4–6, 6–3
95.	November 19, 1995	Virginia Slims Championships, New York City	CH	Carpet (I)	Anke Huber	6–1, 2–6, 6–1, 4–6, 6–3
96.	March 17, 1996	Evert Cup, Indian Wells, California, U.S.	I	Hard	Conchita Martínez	7–6(5), 7–6(5)
97.	March 31, 1996	Miami, U.S.	I	Hard	Chanda Rubin	6–1, 6–3
98.	May 19, 1996	German Open, Berlin	I	Clay	Karina Habšudová	4–6, 6–2, 7–5
99.	June 8, 1996	French Open, Paris	GS	Clay	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–3, 6–7(4), 10-8
100.	July 7, 1996	Wimbledon, London	GS	Grass	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–3, 7–5
101.	September 8, 1996	US Open, New York City	GS	Hard	Monica Seles	7–5, 6–4
102.	November 17, 1996	Virginia Slims Championships, New York City	CH	Carpet (I)	Martina Hingis	6–3, 4–6, 6–0, 4–6, 6–0
103.	May 25, 1997	Internationaux de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France	III	Clay	Mirjana Lučić	6–2, 7–5
104.	August 30, 1998	Pilot Pen International, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.	II	Hard	Jana Novotná	6–4, 6–1
105.	November 8, 1998	Sparkassen Cup, Leipzig, Germany	II	Carpet (I)	Nathalie Tauziat	6–3, 6–4
106.	November 15, 1998	Advanta Championships Philadelphia, U.S.	II	Carpet (I)	Lindsay Davenport	4–6, 6–3, 6–4
107.	June 6, 1999	French Open, Paris	GS	Clay	Martina Hingis	4–6, 7–5, 6–2

Runner-ups (31)

Legend (singles runner-ups)
Tier I (6)
Tier II (8)
Tier III (0)
Tier IV (0)
VS (6)
Grand Slam Title (9)
WTA Tour Championship (1)
Olympic silver (1)

#	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
1.	October 15, 1984	Stuttgart, Germany	VS	Carpet (I)	Catarina Lindqvist	6–1, 6–4
2.	May 20, 1985	German Open, Berlin	VS	Clay	Chris Evert	6–4, 7–5
3.	August 18, 1985	United Jersey Bank Classic, New Jersey, U.S.	VS	Hard	Kathy Rinaldi Stunkel	6–4, 3–6, 6–4
4.	October 6, 1985	Maybelline, Florida, U.S.	VS	Hard	Martina Navratilova	6–3, 6–1
5.	February 3, 1986	Miami, U.S.	VS	Hard	Chris Evert	6–3, 6–1
6.	February 23, 1986	Lipton International Players Championships, Boca Raton, Florida, U.S.	VS	Hard	Chris Evert	6–4, 6–2
7.	November 23, 1986	Virginia Slims Championships, New York City	CH	Carpet (I)	Martina Navratilova	7–6(3), 6–2
8.	July 5, 1987	Wimbledon, London	GS	Grass	Martina Navratilova	7–5, 6–3
9.	September 13, 1987	US Open, New York City	GS	Hard	Martina Navratilova	7–6(4), 6–1
10.	March 13, 1988	Virginia Slims of Florida, Boca Raton, U.S.	II	Hard	Gabriela Sabatini	2–6, 6–3, 6–1
11.	April 16, 1989	Bausch & Lomb Championships, Amelia Island, Florida, U.S.	II	Clay	Gabriela Sabatini	3–6, 6–3, 7–5
12.	June 11, 1989	French Open, Paris	GS	Clay	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	7–6(6), 3–6, 7–5
13.	May 20, 1990	German Open, Berlin	I	Clay	Monica Seles	6–4, 6–3
14.	June 10, 1990	French Open, Paris	GS	Clay	Monica Seles	7–6(6), 6–4
15.	September 9, 1990	US Open, New York City	GS	Hard	Gabriela Sabatini	6–2, 7–6(4)
16.	March 10, 1991	Virginia Slims of Florida, Boca Raton, U.S.	II	Hard	Gabriela Sabatini	6–4, 7–6(6)
17.	April 14, 1991	Bausch & Lomb Championships, Amelia Island, Florida, U.S.	II	Clay	Gabriela Sabatini	7–5, 7–6(3)
18.	April 12, 1992	Bausch & Lomb Championships, Amelia Island, Florida, U.S.	II	Clay	Gabriela Sabatini	6–2, 1–6, 6–3
19.	June 7, 1992	French Open, Paris	GS	Clay	Monica Seles	6–2, 3–6, 10-8
20.	August 9, 1992	Olympics, Barcelona	OT	Clay	Jennifer Capriati	3–6, 6–3, 6–4
21.	January 31, 1993	Australian Open, Melbourne	GS	Hard	Monica Seles	4–6, 6–3, 6–2
22.	March 21, 1993	Miami, U.S.	I	Hard	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–4, 3–6, 6–2
23.	May 2, 1993	Citzen Cup, Hamburg, Germany	II	Clay	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–3, 6–3
24.	November 14, 1993	Advanta Championships Philadelphia, U.S.	I	Carpet (I)	Conchita Martínez	6–3, 6–3
25.	May 1, 1994	Citzen Cup, Hamburg, Germany	II	Clay	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	4–6, 7–6(3), 7–6(6)
26.	August 21, 1994	Canadian Open, Montreal	I	Hard	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	7–5, 1–6, 7–6(4)
27.	September 11, 1994	US Open, New York City	GS	Hard	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	1–6, 7–6(3), 6–4
28.	November 17, 1996	Advanta Championships Philadelphia, U.S.	II	Carpet (I)	Jana Novotná	6–4, retired
29.	February 2, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	I	Carpet (I)	Martina Hingis	walkover
30.	March 14, 1999	Evert Cup, Indian Wells, California, U.S.	I	Hard	Serena Williams	6–3, 3–6, 7–5
31.	July 4, 1999	Wimbledon, London	GS	Grass	Lindsay Davenport	6–4, 7–5

WTA Tour doubles finals (18)

Wins (11)

Legend (doubles wins)
Tier I (1)
Tier II (2)
Tier III (0)
Tier IV (1)
VS (6)
Grand Slam title (1)
WTA Tour Championship (0)

No.	Date	Tournament	Tier	Partner	Opponents in Final	Score in Final
1.	April 28, 1986	U.S. Clay Court Championships, Indianapolis	VS	Gabriela Sabatini	Gigi Fernández Robin White	6–2, 6–0
2.	May 12, 1986	German Open, Berlin	VS	Helena Suková	Martina Navratilova Andrea Temesvári	7–5, 6–2
3.	September 14, 1986	Tokyo, Japan	VS	Bettina Bunge	Katerina Maleeva Manuela Maleeva	6–1, 6–7(4), 6–2
4.	October 6, 1986	Zürich, Switzerland	VS	Gabriela Sabatini	Lori McNeil Alycia Moulton	1–6, 6–4, 6–4
5.	October 20, 1986	Brighton, United Kingdom	VS	Helena Suková	Tine Scheuer-Larsen Catherine Tanvier	6–4, 6–4
6.	April 13, 1987	Amelia Island, U.S.	VS	Gabriela Sabatini	Hana Mandlikova Wendy Turnbull	3–6, 6–3, 7–5
7.	March 13, 1988	Miami, U.S.	I	Gabriela Sabatini	Gigi Fernández Zina Garrison	7–6(6), 6–3
8.	June 20, 1988	Wimbledon, United Kingdom	GS	Gabriela Sabatini	Larisa Savchenko Neiland Natasha Zvereva	6–3, 1–6, 12-10
9.	August 14, 1989	Mahwah, U.S.	IV	Pam Shriver	Louise Allen Laura Gildemeister	6–2, 6–4
10.	April 27, 1992	Hamburg, Germany	II	Rennae Stubbs	Manon Bollegraf Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	4–6, 6–3, 6–4
11.	April 26, 1993	Hamburg, Germany	II	Rennae Stubbs	Larisa Savchenko Neiland Jana Novotná	6–4, 7–6(5)

Runner-ups (7)

Legend (doubles runner-ups)
Tier I (0)
Tier II (0)
Tier III (0)
Tier IV (0)
VS (4)
Grand Slam runner-ups (3)
WTA Tour Championship (0)

No.	Date	Tournament	Tier	Partner	Opponents in Final	Score in Final
1.	May 20, 1985	German Open, Berlin	VS	Catherine Tanvier	Claudia Kohde-Kilsch Helena Suková	6–4, 6–1
2.	April 13, 1986	Family Circle Cup, Hilton Head, South Carolina, U.S.	VS	Catherine Tanvier	Chris Evert Anne White	6–3, 6–3
3.	June 9, 1986	French Open, Paris	GS	Gabriela Sabatini	Martina Navratilova Andrea Temesvári	6–1, 6–2
4.	August 24, 1986	Mahwah, U.S.	VS	Helena Suková	Betsy Nagelsen Elizabeth Smylie	7–6(4), 6–3
5.	November 16, 1986	Chicago, Illinois	VS	Gabriela Sabatini	Claudia Kohde-Kilsch Helena Suková	6–7(5), 7–6(5), 6–3
6.	June 6, 1987	French Open, Paris	GS	Gabriela Sabatini	Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver	6–2, 6–1
7.	June 11, 1989	French Open, Paris	GS	Gabriela Sabatini	Larisa Savchenko Neiland Natasha Zvereva	6–4, 6–4

Major tournament singles performance timeline

Tournament	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	Career SR	Career Win-Loss
Grand Slam Tournaments
Australian Open	A	1R	3R	A	Not Held	A	W	W	W	QF	A	F	W	A	A	4R	A	QF	4 / 10	47–6
French Open	A	2R	3R	4R	QF	W	W	F	F	SF	F	W	SF	W	W	QF	A	W	6 / 16	87–10
Wimbledon	A	LQ	4R	4R	A	F	W	W	SF	W	W	W	1R	W	W	A	3R	F	7 / 15	75–8
US Open	A	LQ	1R	SF	SF	F	W	W	F	SF	QF	W	F	W	W	A	4R	A	5 / 15	73–10
Grand Slam SR	0 / 0	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 3	0 / 2	1 / 3	4 / 4	3 / 4	1 / 4	1 / 4	1 / 3	3 / 4	1 / 4	3 / 3	3 / 3	0 / 2	0 / 2	1 / 3	22 / 56	N/A
Grand Slam Win-Loss	0–0	5–4	7–4	11–3	9–2	19–2	27–0	27–1	24–3	21–3	17–2	26–1	18–3	21–0	21–0	7–2	5–2	17–2	N/A	282–34
Year-End Championship
WTA Tour Championships	A	A	A	A	F	W	SF	W	SF	QF	4R	W	QF	W	W	A	SF	A	5 / 12	31–7
Olympic Games
Summer Olympics	Not Held		W¹	Not Held			W	Not Held			F	Not Held			A	Not Held			2 / 3	15–1
WTA Tier I Tournaments²
Berlin	Not Tier I						W	W	F	W	W	W	W	A	W	QF	A	QF	7 / 10	43–3
Miami	Not Held			Not Tier I			W	A	A	SF	SF	F	W	W	W	A	A	SF	4 / 8	41–4
Montreal/Toronto	Not Tier I								W	A	A	W	F	2R	A	A	3R	A	2 / 5	15–3
Hilton Head / Charleston	Not Tier I								A	A	A	W	A	A	A	A	A	A	1 / 1	5–0
Boca Raton, Florida³	Not Held		Not Tier I							F	W	Not Tier I			Not Held				1 / 2	8–1
Philadelphia	Not Tier I											F	A	W	Not Tier I				1 / 2	8–1
Indian Wells	Not Held							Not Tier I							W	A	SF	F	1 / 3	12–2
Tokyo	Not Held		Not Tier I									SF	W	A	A	F	A	QF	1 / 4	13–2⁴
Rome	Not Tier I				Not Held	Not Tier I			A	A	A	A	A	A	QF	A	A	A	0 / 1	2–1
Moscow	Not Held														Not Tier I	A	A	A	0 / 0	0–0
Zürich	Not Held		Not Tier I									A	A	A	A	A	A	A	0 / 0	0–0
Chicago	Not Tier I								A	Not Tier I							Not Held		0 / 0	0–0
Career Statistics
Tournaments played	1	15	14	13	14	13	14	16	15	15	15	15	13	11	11	5	13	10	N/A	223
Finals reached	0	0	1	3	11	13	12	16	13	9	11	14	10	9	8	2	3	3	N/A	138
Tournaments Won	0	0	0	0	8	11	11	14	10	7	8	10	7	9	7	1	3	1	N/A	107
Hardcourt Win-Loss	0–0	1–2	1–2	19–6	20–3	27–1	38–1	37–0	23–1	23–4	13–2	32–2	38–2	17–1	22–2	3–1	14–5	14–5	N/A	342–40
Clay Win-Loss	0–1	14–7	7–6	14–4	24–1	32–0	20–1	23–2	20–2	19–2	30–3	21–2	14–2	11–0	16–1	10–2	0–0	9–1	N/A	284–37
Grass Win-Loss	0–0	3–4	7–4	3–1	0–0	6–1	7–0	7–0	5–1	7–0	7–0	7–0	0–1	7–0	7–0	0–0	6–2	6–1	N/A	85–15
Carpet Win-Loss	0–0	3–2	4–2	4–2	19–2	9–0	7–1	19–0	24–1	16–2	21–2	16–2	6–1	12–1	9–1	3–0	13–2	4–2	N/A	189–23
Overall Win-Loss	0–1	21–15	19–14	40–13	63–6	74–2	72–3	86–2	72–5	65–8	71–7	76–6	58–6	47–2	54–4	16–3	33–9	33–9	N/A	900–115
Match winning percentage	0%	58%	58%	75%	91%	97%	96%	98%	94%	89%	91%	93%	91%	96%	93%	84%	79%	79%	N/A	89%
Year End Ranking	124	98	22	6	3	1	1	1	1	2	2	1	1	1	1	28	9	3⁵	N/A	N/A

A = did not participate in the tournament.

LQ = lost in the qualifying tournament.

SR = the ratio of the number of singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.

¹Tennis was a demonstration sport during the 1984 Olympic Games.

²This table includes only those tournaments that were classified on the WTA Tour as Tier I at the time they were played.

³The Virginia Slims of Florida was classified on the WTA Tour as a Tier I tournament only in 1991 and 1992.

⁴Graf defaulted before the 1997 final of this tournament, which is classified as a walkover and, therefore, does not count as a loss on her official record.

⁵This was Graf's ranking on the date she retired from professional tennis. She was not included in the official year end rankings.

Awards

1986: "Most Improved Player", by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA)
1987 "Player of the Year", by the WTA
1987 "World Champion", by the International Tennis Federation (ITF)
1988 "Player of the Year", by the WTA
1988 "World Champion", by the ITF
1988 "BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year"
1989 "Player of the Year", by the WTA
1989 "World Champion", by the ITF
1989 "Female Athlete of the Year", by the Associated Press
1990 "Player of the Year", by the WTA
1990 "World Champion", by the ITF
1993 "Player of the Year", by the WTA
1993 "World Champion", by the ITF
1994 "Player of the Year", by the WTA
1995 "Player of the Year", by the WTA
1995 "World Champion", by the ITF
1996 "Player of the Year", by the WTA
1996 "World Champion", by the ITF
1996 "Most Exciting Player of the Year", by the WTA
1998 "Most Exciting Player of the Year", by the WTA
1999 "Most Exciting Player of the Year", by the WTA
1999 "Prince of Asturias Award", one of the most important awards of Spain and named after the heir apparent of Spain, Prince Felipe
1999 "Germany Television Award"
1999 "Athlete of the Century" for the category "Female Athlete in Ballsports" by a panel of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
1999 "Female Athlete of the Year", by the German television broadcaster ARD
1999 "Female Sports Award of the Last Decade", by ESPY
1999 "Olympic Order" granted by Dr. Antonio Samaranch, president of the IOC
2002 "Medal of Honor", bestowed by the prime minister of Graf's home state Baden-Württemberg, Erwin Teufel
2004 Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame

Special honours

Graf is the only female to be selected for Forbes Top-30 "Most recognizable and marketable athletes" list in 1995.
Selected for "European Heroes" in 2004 by TIME Magazine.
Voted "Germans greatest role model" by TV14 magazine.
Voted "Most admirable German woman" by Amica magazine.
Voted "Germany's Sportswoman of the Century" in 1999 by the German press.
Graf is the only person to have won the 'Golden Slam' (1988)
Graf is the first German to win the Spain's 'Prince of Asturias' award.
Chosen by World Economic Forum As Young Global Leader for 2008
Godmother of the Navigator of The Seas (Royal Caribbean Cruiselines), 2002

Notes and references

↑ Before the German reunification, she played for West Germany
↑ ON TENNIS; Graf Is Best, Right? Just Don't Ask Her
↑ ON TENNIS; Graf Is Best, Right? Just Don't Ask Her
↑ "Tennis Players of the Century.". AugustaSports.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-24.
↑ "Exclusive Interview with Steve Flink about the career of Chris Evert". ChrisEvert.net. Retrieved on 2007-04-23.
↑ Steffi Graf
↑ Steffi Graf: The Golden Slam
↑ "Australian Tennis", March, 1989, p. 28
↑ Graf Trounces Garrison
↑ Head to Head
↑ Tennis; Graf's Toughest Foe: the Press
↑ OLYMPICS;Injuries Force Sampras and Graf to Skip Games
↑ Graf edges Hingis, captures sixth and 'last' French title
↑ Tennis: Wimbledon 99 - Magic mixture of McEnroe and Graf
↑ Steffi Graf announces retirement
↑ WTA profile of Steffi Graf
↑ Graf, queen of the lawn
↑ 14. Steffi Graf
↑ Who Is the Greatest Female Player Ever?
↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/wimbledon_history/3742103.stm
↑ Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf Wed
↑ Player Profiles

Sporting positions
Preceded by Martina Navratilova Monica Seles Monica Seles Monica Seles Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Arantxa Sánchez Vicario ' '	World No. 1 August 17, 1987–March 10, 1991 August 5, 1991–August 11, 1991 August 19, 1991–September 8, 1991 June 7, 1993–February 5, 1995 February 20, 1995–February 26, 1995 April 10, 1995–May 14, 1995 June 12, 1995–March 30, 1997 inc. August 15, 1995–November 3, 1996 (w/ Seles) inc. November 18, 1996–November 24, 1996 (w/ Seles)	Succeeded by Monica Seles Monica Seles Monica Seles Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Martina Hingis ' '
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Cornelia Hanisch	German Sportswoman of the Year 1986 – 1989	Succeeded by Katrin Krabbe
Preceded by Katja Seizinger	German Sportswoman of the Year 1999	Succeeded by Heike Drechsler
Preceded by Martina Navratilova	ITF World Champion 1987-1990	Succeeded by Monica Seles
Preceded by Monica Seles	ITF World Champion 1993	Succeeded by Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Preceded by Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	ITF World Champion 1995-1996	Succeeded by Martina Hingis
Preceded by Heike Drechsler	United Press International Athlete of the Year 1987	Succeeded by Florence Griffith-Joyner
Preceded by Florence Griffith-Joyner	United Press International Athlete of the Year 1989	Succeeded by Merlene Ottey

German members of the International Tennis Hall of Fame

Boris Becker (2003) · Steffi Graf (2004) · Hans Nüsslein (2006) · Gottfried von Cramm (1977)

WTA World No. 1s in Women's tennis

Tracy Austin · Jennifer Capriati · Kim Clijsters · Lindsay Davenport · Chris Evert · Evonne Goolagong · Steffi Graf · Justine Henin(-Hardenne) · Martina Hingis · Ana Ivanović · Jelena Janković · Amélie Mauresmo · Martina Navrátilová · Arantxa Sánchez Vicario · Monica Seles · Maria Sharapova · Serena Williams · Venus Williams

Tennis at the Summer Olympics • Olympic Champions in women's singles

1900: Charlotte Cooper • 1908: Dorothea Chambers, Gwendoline Eastlake-Smith (indoors) • 1912: Marguerite Broquedis, Edith Hannam (indoors) • 1920: Suzanne Lenglen • 1924: Helen Wills • 1988: Steffi Graf • 1992: Jennifer Capriati • 1996: Lindsay Davenport • 2000: Venus Williams • 2004: Justine Henin-Hardenne • 2008: Elena Dementieva

Australian Open women's singles champions

(1969–71) Margaret Court · (1972) Virginia Wade · (1973) Margaret Court · (1974–76) Evonne Goolagong · (1977 (Jan)) Kerry Reid · (1977 (Dec)) Evonne Goolagong · (1978) Chris O'Neil · (1979) Barbara Jordan
(1980) Hana Mandlíková · (1981) Martina Navrátilová · (1982) Chris Evert-Lloyd · (1983) Martina Navrátilová · (1984) Chris Evert-Lloyd · (1985) Martina Navrátilová · (1987) Hana Mandlíková · (1988–90) Steffi Graf
(1991–93) Monica Seles · (1994) Steffi Graf · (1995) Mary Pierce · (1996) Monica Seles · (1997–99) Martina Hingis · (2000) Lindsay Davenport · (2001–02) Jennifer Capriati · (2003) Serena Williams
(2004) Justine Henin-Hardenne · (2005) Serena Williams · (2006) Amélie Mauresmo · (2007) Serena Williams · (2008) Maria Sharapova

French Open women's singles champions

(1968) Nancy Richey · (1969–70) Margaret Court · (1971) Evonne Goolagong · (1972) Billie Jean King · (1973) Margaret Court · (1974–75) Chris Evert · (1976) Sue Barker · (1977) Mima Jaušovec
(1978) Virginia Ruzici · (1979–80) Chris Evert-Lloyd · (1981) Hana Mandlíková · (1982) Martina Navrátilová · (1983) Chris Evert-Lloyd · (1984) Martina Navrátilová · (1985–86) Chris Evert-Lloyd · (1987–88) Steffi Graf
(1989) Arantxa Sánchez · (1990–92) Monica Seles · (1993) Steffi Graf · (1994) Arantxa Sánchez Vicario · (1995–96) Steffi Graf · (1997) Iva Majoli · (1998) Arantxa Sánchez Vicario · (1999) Steffi Graf
(2000) Mary Pierce · (2001) Jennifer Capriati · (2002) Serena Williams · (2003) Justine Henin-Hardenne · (2004) Anastasia Myskina · (2005–07) Justine Henin-Hardenne · (2008) Ana Ivanović

Wimbledon (Open era) women's singles champions

(1968) Billie Jean King · (1969) Ann Haydon-Jones · (1970) Margaret Court · (1971) Evonne Goolagong · (1972–73) Billie Jean King · (1974) Chris Evert · (1975) Billie Jean King · (1976) Chris Evert
(1977) Virginia Wade · (1978–79) Martina Navrátilová · (1980) Evonne Goolagong · (1981) Chris Evert · (1982–87) Martina Navrátilová · (1988–89) Steffi Graf · (1990) Martina Navrátilová · (1991–93) Steffi Graf
(1994) Conchita Martínez · (1995–96) Steffi Graf · (1997) Martina Hingis · (1998) Jana Novotná · (1999) Lindsay Davenport · (2000–01) Venus Williams · (2002–03) Serena Williams · (2004) Maria Sharapova
(2005) Venus Williams · (2006) Amélie Mauresmo · (2007–08) Venus Williams

US Open women's singles champions

(1968) Virginia Wade · (1969–70) Margaret Court · (1971–72) Billie Jean King · (1973) Margaret Court · (1974) Billie Jean King · (1975–78) Chris Evert · (1979) Tracy Austin · (1980) Chris Evert-Lloyd
(1981) Tracy Austin · (1982) Chris Evert-Lloyd · (1983–84) Martina Navrátilová · (1985) Hana Mandlíková · (1986–87) Martina Navrátilová · (1988–89) Steffi Graf · (1990) Gabriela Sabatini · (1991–92) Monica Seles
(1993) Steffi Graf · (1994) Arantxa Sánchez Vicario · (1995–96) Steffi Graf · (1997) Martina Hingis · (1998) Lindsay Davenport · (1999) Serena Williams · (2000–01) Venus Williams · (2002) Serena Williams
(2003) Justine Henin-Hardenne · (2004) Svetlana Kuznetsova · (2005) Kim Clijsters · (2006) Maria Sharapova · (2007) Justine Henin · (2008) Serena Williams

WTA Tour Championships singles champions*

(1972-73, 1975, 1977) Chris Evert • (1974, 1976) Evonne Goolagong • (1978-79, 1981, 1983-86) Martina Navrátilová • (1980) Tracy Austin • (1982) Sylvia Hanika • (1987, 1989, 1993, 1995-96) Steffi Graf • (1988, 1994) Gabriela Sabatini • (1990-92) Monica Seles • (1997) Jana Novotná • (1998, 2000) Martina Hingis • (1999) Lindsay Davenport • (2001) Serena Williams • (2002-03) Kim Clijsters • (2004) Maria Sharapova • (2005) Amélie Mauresmo • (2006-07) Justine Henin(-Hardenne) • (2008) Venus Williams

Female tennis players who have won 3 or more Grand Slam singles titles in one season

1928–29: Helen Wills Moody (3) • 1953: Maureen Connolly (4) • 1962–65–69–70–73: Margaret Court (3–3–3–4–3) • 1972: Billie Jean King (3) • 1983–84: Martina Navratilova (3) • 1988–89–93–95–96: Steffi Graf (4–3–3–3–3) • 1991–92: Monica Seles (3) • 1997: Martina Hingis (3) • 2002: Serena Williams (3)

Tennis players who have completed a career Grand Slam in singles*

Career Grand Slam champions (women):	Maureen Connolly Brinker · Doris Hart · Shirley Fry · Margaret Court · Billie Jean King · Chris Evert · / Martina Navratilova · Steffi Graf · Serena Williams

Career Grand Slam champions (men):	Fred Perry · Don Budge · Rod Laver · Roy Emerson · Andre Agassi

Calendar year Grand Slam champions:	Don Budge (1938) · Maureen Connolly Brinker (1953)* · Rod Laver (1962, 1969) · Margaret Court (1970) · Steffi Graf (1988)**

Persondata
NAME	Graf, Steffi
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Graf, Stefanie Maria
SHORT DESCRIPTION	former World No. 1 ranked female tennis player from Germany
DATE OF BIRTH	June 14, 1969
PLACE OF BIRTH	Mannheim, West Germany
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH