Know These Significant Stats That Make Steffi Graf The “Greatest of All Time” in Tennis!
Who is the king of tennis? Although many people have different opinions on this matter, almost everyone agrees on the fact that Steffi Graf is the queen of tennis. Almost two decades have passed since Steffi's retirement, but most tennis-wise still agree in one sentence that a tennis player as talented and successful as Steffi Graf has never been seen in women's tennis history. She was equally adept on all three surfaces, clay, grass, and hard, on the one-hand back-hand, strong forehand, excellent footwork, powerful shots from the baseline, and aggressiveness, all in all, she was a complete classic tennis star.
Until Serena Williams won the 2017 Australian Open, Steffi Graf was the female tennis player with the most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era with 22 Grand Slam titles. On the other hand, Steffi currently owns the second most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era behind Serena Williams (23) and third all-time behind Margaret Court (24) titles. She ranked World No.1 for a record 337 weeks and she is the first tennis player to achieve the "Golden Slam "by winning all four major singles titles (French Open, Wimbledon, Australian Open, and the US Open) including the Olympic gold medal in the same year. She won 107 singles titles (third of all time) in her career and she is the only player (Jointly with Margaret Court) female or male, to win three majors in a calendar year five times.
Furthermore, Steffi is the only player male or female to achieve a "Grand Slam” across three surfaces (Grass, Clay, and Hard Courts) and is the only player to have won each major tournament at least four times in her career. The list of Steffi’s career accomplishments is so vast that it is quite impossible to describe them all in detail in a single blog. So for the convenience of the readers, only the notable achievements of her career are briefly highlighted below, so that you would able to know why she is called the "Queen of Tennis".
Wimbledon
How many Wimbledon titles has Steffi Graf won?
Steffi Graf won seven (7) titles at Wimbledon women's singles, in 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, and 1996 respectively. Her seven (7) Wimbledon titles tied for the second most in the Open Era with Serena Williams's seven titles and only two titles behind the all-time most-winners Martina Navratilova’s nine titles in the Open Era. On the other hand, she has reached the Wimbledon singles final nine times, where she has been runner-up twice in 1987, and 1999, and she is the third-most winner of the Wimbledon women's singles titles of all time. Furthermore, she won 87% of her matches at the tournament and her dominance on grass courts cemented her as one of the all-time greats of tennis.
When did Steffi Graf win the first Wimbledon title?
In 1988, Steffi won the first Wimbledon Open women’s singles tennis title at the Wimbledon Open championships played on grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, in the United Kingdom. In the 1988 Wimbledon Open (102nd Edition and the third Grand Slam Tennis event of the year) women’s singles final, she defeated the six-time defending champion Martina Navratilova (USA) by 5-7, 6-2, and 6-1sets and became the champions of the women’s singles at the Wimbledon Open. It was her first Wimbledon Singles title, the fourth major Singles title of the year, and her third step towards completing the first and the only "Golden Slam "in the history of tennis.
US Open
How many US Open has Steffi Graf won?
Steffi Graf has won five (5) titles at the US Open women's singles, in 1988, 1989, 1993, 1995, and 1996 and she is the second most winners of this tournament in the Open Era. Graf's dominance at the US Open is further reflected in her winning percentage of 91.8% in singles matches, having won 73 matches and lost only 6, where she is the fourth-most winner of the US Open women’s singles competition(Jointly with Margaret Court(Australia). Her remarkable achievements at the US Open tournament cemented her place as one of the greatest players to ever grace the sport of tennis.
When did Steffi Graf win the first US Open?
In 1988, Steffi Graf won the first US Open women’s singles title at the US Open championships In the 1988 US Open Women’s single’s final (108th Edition of the US Open Championship) she defeated Gabriela Sabatini (Argentina) by 6-3, 3-6, and 6-1 sets and became the champion of the US Open Women’s Singles championship. It was her first Major singles title of the year and the fifth major title overall with this victory, she achieved the “Calendar Grand Slam” which was her fourth step towards completing the first and the only “Calendar Golden Slam "in the history of men's or women's tennis.
Australian Open
How many Australian Open singles has Steffi Graf won?
Steffi Graf achieved remarkable records at the Australian Open throughout her career having won four (4) Australian Open women's singles championships titles in 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1994. She is the second-most winner of women's singles at the Australian Open in the Open Era, where with her fourth Australian Open title; she is the fifth-most winner of this competition. Furthermore, her aggressive style of play, coupled with her exceptional athleticism and tactical brilliance, enabled her to leave an indelible mark on the Australian Open, captivating fans around the world.
When did Steffi Graf win the first Australian Open?
In 1988, Steffi Graf won the first Australian Open women’s singles title at the Australian Open championships In the 1988 Australian Open Women’s single’s final (76th Edition of the Australian Open Championship) she defeated Chris Evert(USA) by 6-1 and 7-6(7-3) sets and became the champion of the Australian Open Women’s Singles championship. Along with numerous records, the 1988 Australian Open final was played under the roof, and it was the first edition of the tournament, which was held on Hard-Court. On the other hand, by winning the 1988 Australian Open, she completed her first and only “Golden Slam” in the history of tennis, which remains the only record by any male or female player.
French Open
How many French Open singles has Steffi Graf won?
Steffi Graf achieved outstanding records at the French Open throughout her career having won six (6) French Open women's singles championships titles in 1987, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1997. She is the second-most winner of women's singles at the French Open in the Open Era, on the other hand, her sixth Australian Open title; she is the second-most winner of this competition only one title less than all-time most-winners Chris Evert’s seventh title as well. Graf's dominance on the clay courts at Roland Garros is unmatched, where her relentless power, and precise shot-making skills, propelled her victories as well as etched her name in tennis history.
When did Steffi Graf win the first French Open?
In 1987, Steffi Graf won the first French Open women’s singles title at the French Open championships In the 1987 French Open Women’s single’s final (91st Edition of the French Open Championship) she defeated Martina Navratilova (USA) by 6-4, 4-6, and 8-6 sets, and became the champion of the French Open Women’s Singles championship. Along with numerous records, it was her first major title, and sixth title of the year, where she overtook Navratilova for the World No.1 ranking for the first time in her career.
Grand Slam
How many Grand Slams has Steffi Graf won?
Steffi Graf won 22(Twenty-Two) Grand Slam women’s singles titles in her career, and she is the second-most winner of the Grand Slam Women’s Singles only one title less than the all-time most winners Serena Williams’ twenty-three titles. Among those twenty-two Grand Slam titles, seven came from Wimbledon, five from the US Open, Four at the Australian Open, and six at the French Open. Here is a list of her Grand Slam-winning years;
- Wimbledon: 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, and 1996
- US Open: 1988, 1989, 1993, 1995, and 1996
- Australian Open: 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1994
- French Open: 1987, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1997
When was Steffi Graf inducted into the Hall of Famer?
Steffi Graf was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004, and in 2008 She was also inducted into the German Sports Hall of Fame. In December 1999, she was named the greatest female tennis player of the 20th century by a panel of experts joined by the Associated Press (AP), where she received the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year Award in 1988.
What is the net worth of Steffi Graf?
As of May 2023, Steffi Graf has a net worth of $145 million, and she is one of the richest tennis players of all time. Steffi Graf earned a record total of $21,895,277 in prize money during her 17-year career in Tennis, until Lindsay Davenport surpassed this amount in January 2008. On the other hand, she signed many endorsement deals with some world-famous brands like Opel, Rexona, Barilla, City Bank, Danone, and Teekanne, also she has appeared in many advertisements and television commercials as well.
Career Slam & Golden Slam
In 1988, Steffi Graf became the first tennis player to achieve the “Golden Slam” by winning all four major women’s singles titles (Australian Open, French Open, US Open, and Wimbledon) and the Olympic Gold Medal in the same calendar year (1988). On the other hand, she is the only tennis player, male or female to have won each major tournament at least four times in her career. Furthermore, she and Margaret Court are the only tennis players, female or male to win three major tournaments in a calendar year five times in 1988, 1989, 1993, 1995, and 1996. Along with numerous records, she is the only single-player female or male to have won a “Grand Slam” across three different surfaces, Grass, Clay, and Hard Courts, and she is often regarded as one of the greatest women’s tennis players of all time.
Finally, by reading this post, you've known why Steffi Graf is called the greatest female tennis player of all time and she is called the " Queen of Tennis ". Don't hesitate to comment, SportsOwls is a sports blog site that is dedicated to sports fans. Don't forget to share this post if you liked it, Also you are welcome to connect to our social media pages: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @sportsowls #sportsowls. Thanks for being with us.
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Mostafa Masud
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