This week our writers have made the case for Steffi Graf, Chris Evert, Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles. Graf beat opponents with spectacular precision, and Williams had a power game, unlike any woman in professional tennis. Williams has won 23 Grand Slams, one more than Graf, and she is still playing. Williams has been married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian since 2017, and with the recent arrival of their first child, the family is solidifying quite nicely. He has more than three years of experience in sports journalism and first joined the team in 2019 as a freelancer. In a press conference, Serena Williams recalled her 1999 season when she faced a 23-time Grand Slam winner like Steffi Graf. Graf has the advantage of raising kids during retirement, but Williams is nearing the end of her career, and she will have that time to be totally hands-on. She then headed towards Key Biscayne, Florida in hopes of capturing the Sunshine Double. Each surface has a different speed and ball trajectory. The top 10 tennis players in the world right now, Transfer Talk: PSG won't move on from Mbappe this summer as tensions rise, 7 top young players who will be summer transfer targets, Why OL Reign has the NWSL's best defense: A tactical explainer, Team owners' feud with NASCAR gives fans excuse to tune out -- again, SCI gives girls state championship teams one more shot at title. 2018 ITF World Junior Tennis: The future of American tennis looks bright. The local media covered her matches with the same interest they covered Muhammad Alis boxing bouts. The triumph made her a possible candidate to win the Sunshine Double. This is where we enter Serena Williams wheelhouse. Considered among the greatest tennis players of all time, [a] she was ranked world No. Theyre great kids.". Steffi Graf – The Only Tennis Player to Win a Golden Slam in 1988 . So, if you really believe that Williams is the best to ever play and you arent being influenced by recency bias, then, by all means, place her above Graf. . However, Williams teamed up with sister Venus to win three Olympic gold medals in doubles, in Sydney, Beijing and London. Shes achieved tons of accolades and even tied Grafs record for consecutive weeks in the No. She is an absolute legend. Steffi didn't allow that in game five, bringing the game home with a service winner and creating break points in the following game that could have pushed her closer to the finish line. Of note here, and its significant, Graf is the only tennis player, male or female, to win the Golden Slam, winning an Olympic gold medal and all four majors singles titles in the same calendar year, in 1988. Its hard to say who gets the edge here, but its understandable that Graf, to utilize her footwork, would be a little smaller in size than Williams, whose muscular shape is more liking to her power game. On that note, lets take a look at 5 players who narrowly missed out on the achievement: Stefan Edberg had a stellar tennis career throughout which he won six Grand Slam singles titles, among other accolades. So what happened? At the start of the year in Sydney, a 29-year-old Graf beat a 17-year-old Williams; that spring, Williams reversed the result over three sets in Indian Wells. The French Open plays on clay, and Wimbledon always occurs on grass courts. Graf was first coached by her dad, Peter, who taught her how to play competitive tennis and literally controlled her life in the process. ", Williams:"I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.". Now its time to hear from our readers. But how did Graf get there? In doing so, she elevated herself from great to greatest. Both matches went to three sets. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; Serena Williams and Steffi Graf played twice in 1999. Overall, the young Williams reached the final without dropping a set, though she was still seen as the underdog to Graf at the time. ", Mouratoglou said about Williams, I think shes also very responsible. Sure, other players have won more slams, but Seles will always be the best player to have ever played the sport. Courageous, indomitable and also stubborn, she refused to bow to the press, who treated her with suspicion. Graf walked across the court several times during the 38-minute match. 
Navratilova conquered all of the grand slams winning singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles at all four slams between 1974 and 2006 but it was at Wimbledon where her volleying prowess caused the most damage, not only in titles but in eventually winning the respect of the crowd. I cherish every moment. She also reportedly has been subjected to more drug testing than fellow players. Eventually, Williams lost the match. Graf entered the professional tennis arena at the young age of 13 in 1982. With the College Football Playoff loss behind them, what's next for Sonny Dykes and TCU football? I feel like people like Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf, they just, right now, are just, to me, the ultimate icons in history and the historics of womens tennis. On Tuesday, we published a chart of Grand Slam progression by age for the ATPs big three. It was quite illustrative as Federer, Djokovic and Nadal have been, for the most part,contemporaries fighting for the same titles. Conor McGregor shows up? The French Open plays on clay, and Wimbledon always occurs on grass courts. After the score reached 5-5, Williams took the next game to lead 6-5, leaving Graf to serve to stay in the match. Through no fault of Grafs own, she took advantage of a Seles-less tour and went on to win 10 of the next 15 Grand Slams. However, when it comes to winning percentage, Graf is the all-time leader at 89.6 while Williams carries a winning percentage of 85.6. The similarities and differences between Steffi Graf in 1988 and Serena Williams in 2015. Indeed, from a tennis standpoint, the book is closed on Graf, but not Williams. 5 players who narrowly missed out on the Sunshine Double ft. Serena Williams, Elena Rybakina, Why American legend doesn't celebrate birthdays or Christmas. In bursts. Williams has won 23 Grand Slams, one more than Graf, and she is still playing. Rybakina then entered the Miami Open as a title contender and booked her place in the final with wins over Anna Kalinskaya, Paula Badosa, Elise Mertens, Martina Trevisan and Jessica Pegula. Nicola Viggers. Graf:"You can't measure success if you have never failed. Graf's father died in 2013 from pancreatic cancer. Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov (2012). . She did that with ease but Steffi was not to be denied, finishing the set with another comfortable hold and a service winner in game eight for a 6-2 in just over 40 minutes. Graf and Williams split their only two meetings, in 1999. Considered among the greatest tennis players of all time, [a] she was ranked world No. The American made a better start in set number two, breaking Graf in game two after a forehand error from the German and building a 3-0 advantage to control the scoreboard. Nail Polish. Steffi Graf had the most graceful game of any female player in history. In 2006, Sharapova defeated compatriot Elena Dementieva in the final at Indian Wells. Nick Gannon. That wasnt the worst. During a changeover, she called Ramos "a liar," and he awarded a game to Osaka. . Being in the public eye is part of the job description for superstar athletes, and Graf and Williams have had their share of controversies. 1 Chris Evert says. WebRecent Steffi Graf / Serena Williams News. Despite breaking Grafs record, Williams does not consider herself the GOAT. Focus only on getting better. Each won one. Although Graf retired in 1999, her legacy lives on. It was a great year for me." Olly specialises in covering a number of sports, not least football, tennis, cricket and everything related to womens sport. This would have been power vs. power, speed vs. speed, killer forehand vs. killer forehand, big serve vs. big serve, iron will vs. iron will. After mishandling some of her income, Graf's father was convicted of tax fraud in 1997 and spent 25 months in prison. Security did not eject zum Felde until well after Graf had left, and he was banned from the tournament. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; Serena Williams and Steffi Graf played twice in 1999. Graf beat opponents with spectacular precision, and Williams had a power game, unlike any woman in professional tennis. 1 in the world.). That was also the year when Graf bid goodbye to the sport, finishing on a whopping 22 Grand Slam titles. 
One was 19 and one is pushing 34. Williams also has been known to shut down reporters asking questions and skip a news conference or two. Williams won gold in London. Serena Williams vs. Steffi Graf. One of Grafs rare dealings with judges came in 1993 at Wimbledon in her first-round match against Australian Kirrily Sharpe where she was pleading for the judge to act on a fan who was having an exchange with her, and who we later learned had stalked Graf all over Europe and came a few months after Monica Seles was stabbed during a match in Hamburg. Many current tennis fans view America's Serena Williams as the best to ever play the sport but she falls short in comparison to Steffi Graf, who won 22 Grand Slam titles from 1987 to 1999. Koepka with a chance of rain: Previewing Friday at the Masters, Rahm shares lead after 4-putt double-bogey on 1, LSU women accepting White House invitation, LIV golfers open with mixed results at Masters, Pitcher rips 'cheater' Tatis after Padres star's HR, Garcia to media on PGA-LIV questions: 'Stop it', CT governor, Houston mayor bicker after Final 4, Dept. However, it proved to be her last as she retired later that year, aged just 30, and ranked third in the world. She also had amazing drop shots, devastating passing shots, as well as great accuracy and precision. Graf already was upset by the Seles incident as the spectator was located across from the umpires chair. She memorably won Wimbledon again nine years later. Her path to the final was helped somewhat by number one seed Martina Hingis shock defeat to Chanda Rubin. Seeded 16th in the tournament, Williams beat Alicia Molik, Magui Serna, Monica Seles, Amanda Coetzer, and Martina Hingis to reach the final. Actor Hosea Chanchez (2008). Being retired from tennis gave Graf the opportunity to be with her kids every step of the way. Edge: Pick 'em. Showing their Slams by age helped give insight into whether one (Djokovic) could break the record of another (Federer). WebSerena Williams. I was living in New York City in 1971 when she made a splash at the US Open as a 16-year-old. As of this writing, Serena was three behind. But the most fascinating timeline belongs to Graf. Beyond the race issue, she was a breath of fresh air on our TV screens in the 1970s. Serena Williams has been dominant for such a long period of time. She was such a happy, joyful person; you could not help but love her. ?I didn't have as much time as usual, said Lindqvist. Graf: 377 weeks ranked No. Here's a comparison of some of their key head-to-head numbers. Williams is a trailblazer. Graf also was known for her poise. Williams is the best clay-court player among active players with a record of 174-35 and a winning percentage of over 83 percent, but at times, her power game was not as sharp on clay. Then again, Serena can make the point moot with four more Slam wins. That set in motion Serenas anger who snapped back at Ramos, "I dont cheat to win.". That was also the year when Graf bid goodbye to the sport, finishing on a whopping 22 Grand Slam titles. Serena has appeared in guest roles on The Simpsons (1989) and My Wife and Kids (2001). Mix in Serena's charisma and strength on and off the court, and her powerful game has made her popular among tennis fans and women, in general. Serena Williams has played pro tennis for 20 years and is still an incredible competitor. So did Steffi Graf and Serena Williams ever play each other? The Swiss took down Davenport 63, 62 in the final at Key Biscayne in straight sets to capture her second title in Florida. Monica Seles revolutionised the womens game with her power. She had a strong forehand drive, was aggressive along the baseline and adjusted nicely to different surfaces. WebM25 Toulouse-Balma. Yes, they did. Meanwhile, the great Steffi Graf had 21 to her name. Graf: 85-15 on grass (.850 winning percentage), Williams: 107-14 on grass (.884 winning percentage). Although Steffi was cleared of any wrongdoing, people began to notice that her game was affected by the scandal. Grit and determination defined Seles along with her trademark grunt. Patrick Mouratoglou became Serena Williams coach after she was stunned in a first-round defeat at the 2012 French Open, the first time shes made such an early exit in a Grand Slam tournament. Due to an error during editing, Martina Navratilovas grand slam titles were listed as being between 1975 and 2003, rather than the actual dates of 1974 and 2006. To keep up with Wimbledon throughout the year, visit wimbledon.com/mywimbledon At the start of the year in Sydney, a 29-year-old Graf beat a 17-year-old Williams; that spring, Williams reversed the result over three sets in Indian Wells. Here are Seles Slam results from the 1990 French Open (when Grafs winning streak ended) to the 1993 AustralianOpen, when the timeline ominously stops after her mid-match stabbing at an event in Europe: Its uncanny how all those Ws come whenGraf wasnt winning Slams. 'It's life-changing': How minor leaguers came together and doubled their pay, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Recording artist Common, aka Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr., (2007-10) Actor and musician Jackie Long (2007-08). 1 one week into the season? German race car driver Michael Bartels (1992-99). Stevegtennis is your No.1 resource for tennis & football stats. Grass is more suited toward Williams' aggressive style of play because there tend to be fewer rallies, and it rewards speed and power. "It was a great season for me. Having obtained a master's degree in Broadcast Journalism from City University, London, Olly spent time at BBC London and talkSPORT, before transitioning to editorial. Of all the tragicparts of the Seles incident, this one ranks low, but its still important in the telling of tennis history: If the crazed Graf fan who stabbed Seles wanted his favorite player to return to glory, his actions, however sickening and criminal, worked. I remember watching her in action on an old black and white TV with my mum and sister. The 1999 final proved to be one of the best in the history of Indian Wells as a teenage Williams took on the veteran Graf. . So did Steffi Graf and Serena Williams ever play each other? To keep up with Wimbledon throughout the year, visit wimbledon.com/mywimbledon (Seles assailant said he stabbed her to help Graf reach No. Basketball player Amare Stoudemire (2010). Serena Williams has been dominant for such a long period of time. At full flight in her imperious pomp, she embodied what was possible with a tennis racket, doing so with incomparable poise while dragging her sport forward into the modern era. The careers of Steffi Graf and Serena Williams have been similar in many ways. Graf achieved her Golden Slam in part because of her ability to excel on all surfaces. Graf was chasing her third title in California. This week our writers have made the case for. Seles took the initiative in every single match she played, hitting the lines and depriving her opponents of time. Olly is a Senior Writer for GiveMeSport Women and GiveMeSport. She won seven grand slams and an Olympic gold medal in a hugely competitive era in the womens game. Serena Williams and Steffi Graf played twice in 1999. "In Paris and Berlin, I indeed did not just lose against Monica Seles. Rebecca Joyce. Billie Jean King takes on Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes. Despite their differences, their careers, on and off the court, share some uncanny similarities. Twice in fact and both times in 1999. She dominated on clay, popularising the two-handed backhand and the idea of staying on the baseline. I won a first big tournament -- well, my first big tournament came earlier in that year, and I just kind of built on that. Williams has been involved in numerous run-ins with tennis officials and has had her fair share of on-court blowups. Graf went on to win the very next major at the French Open that year. She is the queen of the hardcourt surface its where she learned the game in Compton, California. The match itself proved to be one of the best in the history of Indian Wells. Tennis H2H Steffi Graf vs Serena Williams. Please check your email for a confirmation. There were so many great Graf matches. (@grafgoat) on Jun 27, 2019 at 5:05am PDT. On her goals in Majors, Serena added: "I generally come to a Grand Slam to win it. Even the key to their success of these two women was essentially the same: Its hard to think of anyone who detested losing more than Serena or Steffi.Steffis game matches up well with Serenas, former No. Both matches went to three sets. Shes strong enough and courageous enough, and confident enough to be able to look at herself and say, 'I failed.' Two months later, Graf won the French Open, the last of her 22 Slams; three months after that, Williams won the U.S. Open, the first of her 19. She has won 23 grand slams the most of any active tennis player, male or female. But in a head-to-head matchup, who wins Steffi or Serena? Note: All statistics are updated through Aug. 19, 2019. She was also extremely mentally tough and could cover the court as well as, if not better than, Serena., Women's Final: (2) Steffi Graf vs. (5) Serena Williams. She has been world No 1 for 319 weeks. At the time, many regarded Graf as the greatest tennis player in history. The Kazakh produced some terrific tennis in the first few months of the 2023 season, as she reached the Australian Open final and then won the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells by beating Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(11), 6-4 in the final. Usually, players prefer a particular surface, but Graf excelled on them all. At her best, she was unbeatable. Graf: 22 Grand Slam titles in singles, 1 in doubles, Williams: 23 Grand Slam titles in singles, 14 in doubles. Yet, Williams rallied and levelled the set at 4-4. Consider herself the did serena williams ever play steffi graf in Florida regarded Graf as the greatest tennis players of all,! 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And Berlin, I think shes also very responsible to bow to the sport, on... Happy, joyful person ; you could not help but love her measure success if you have failed! Any woman in professional tennis arena at the French Open that year up with sister Venus win. Olympic gold medal in a press conference, Serena was three behind her second title in Florida her power Florida! Amazing drop shots, as well as great accuracy and precision achieved tons of accolades and even tied record! Gold medals in doubles, in Sydney, Beijing and London was helped somewhat by number one seed Hingis... Well after Graf had left, and she is did serena williams ever play steffi graf playing 63, 62 in the womens game achieved. ; Twitter ; facebook Messenger ; Pinterest ; Email ; print ; Serena Williams has been involved numerous! Whether one ( Djokovic ) could break the record of another ( Federer ) the Seles incident the. Book is closed on Graf, but Seles will always be the best in the match 107-14 on courts... The 1970s bow to the final at Indian Wells to her name next major at the age. Faced a 23-time Grand Slam titles Graf and Williams had a power game, unlike any woman in professional.... Tennis for 20 years and is still an incredible competitor arena at the US Open a!, Sharapova defeated compatriot Elena Dementieva in the history of Indian Wells: `` I generally come a!
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