Stefanie Maria geb.Graf Agassi (14 June 1969 in Mannheim), better known as Steffi Graf, is a former German professional tennis player. She won 22 Grand Slam tournaments and has a total of 377 weeks, the No. 1 world tennis ranking. In 1988 she won all four Grand Slam tournaments and the Olympic Games and won so far the only person as the Golden Slam.
Steffi Graf was three years old when she took in her home town in Brühl in 1973 for the first time a tennis racket in hand. These first experiments were inspired by Father Peter Graf He had worked as an insurance salesman and used car dealer with 27 years until he discovered the sport of tennis for himself and brought it within a few years to the player in the German Regionalliga and certified tennis coach. Peter Graf was early aware of the motor ability of his daughter and began to promote them through progressively more difficult tasks. Just two years later won daughter Stefanie winning the traditional "Last tournament in Munich. 1977 reach the Seven Years' more tournament victories. Convinced of the exceptional talent of his daughter, Peter Graf was two years later to his previous profession and devoted himself exclusively to sporting success von Steffi Graf.
Evidence that the deodorant brand and German babe Stefanie Graf still go well together could be seen at the Rexona charity tennis tournament in the Unilever headquarters in Hamburg. Selected teams and Stefanie Graf competed against each other on a scaled-down tennis court to play for donations for each point and match. Unilever employees and reporters had the opportunity to test their abilities against Stefanie.
Stefanie and her team Rexona won the charity tournament and were happy to have won 25.000 EUR of donations for the charitable foundation “Children for Tomorrow.”
With this charity tennis tournament, Rexona celebrated the kick-off of a resumed partnership with Ms. Graf, who already was active as a spokesperson for Rexona from 1994 to 1998. Starting in September 2010, she will once again be seen in a widely arranged advertising campaign for Rexona.
In the new TV-spot, Stefanie Graf plays a very active role in which she always trusts in her Rexona deodorant. She also chooses Rexona in her private life: “I can always rely on Rexona. This used to be when I was still on the court everyday back then, and this is still the case today, when I hurry between appointments. It is as easy as that: Rexona protects me for 48 hours, no matter what my plan are, “says Stefanie Graf.
Active or for a charitable cause: Stefanie Graf and Rexona will achieve great things together again in 2010.
Count started in 1981 for the first time at the German indoor championships for adults and caused a stir: the then world ranked eightieth Eva Pfaff succeeded only after three-fought sets to beat Graf. The game of Eleven year stands out above all by its speed on the field and whipped a hard forehand, with the young player, it always managed to dominate the game. These were circumstances that brought in Graf in the German press the respectful title of a "child prodigy". was at this time, the then national coach Klaus Hofsäss to request the record, Graf was the greatest talent that it had been in Germany ever. Within their age group it was the world without competition.
Graf won in 1982 as a thirteen-year-old German youth championship of the eight-year-olds. On 18 October of that year, reported the young German at the age of thirteen years and four months at the WTA as a professional player. In view of the unusually early date of the passage to the pros harvested father and daughter next to approval and criticism. Not a few experts and trainers feared the rapid mental and physical burnout of the so-called century talent. But these objections Brühl met the woman with the defiant words: ". I want it but that" A week later, Steffi Graf was in the world rankings for the first time recognized as number 214th She was the youngest player to first, which appeared in each ranking. Graf made her debut at the indoor tournament in Filderstadt. They met in the first round on the twenty-year-old former world ranked first Tracy Austin, who they defeated with 4:6 and 0:6. Austin, himself a former child prodigy and youngest winner of the U.S. Open was, in view of the now ever-increasing international interest in Steffi Graf for the record that there are in America hundreds of girls with the same skills.
1983 Graf played the first time at Roland Garros in Paris and then reached the second round. Despite the relatively early defeat, taught by experts in the focus increasingly on the young German. Graf's forehand was unusually hard hit first occasion to many technical analysis. Experts were of the opinion that Earl was the best three-year-olds who have seen the tennis before. At the end of the year Erin Bruehl was already listed at number 98 of the world rankings. Equipped with a special permit from the state of Baden-Württemberg decided, father and daughter the departure of player of the secondary school.
1984 reached the knockout round count for the first time in the Australian Open and Wimbledon. On the so-called "sacred grass" on Church Road was required for the experienced Briton Jo Durie the mobilization of all forces to their fifteen-year-old opponent 9:7 in the third set to keep down. Kathleen McKane Godfree eyewitness, a 88-year-old two-time Wimbledon champion from the 20s, said in view of the game convinced that Graf will be hit in two years only with difficulty.
The further course of the year, confirm this prediction: A few weeks later, the fifteen-year-old Graf won at the Olympic tournament event held as a show in Los Angeles. The German was the youngest participant of the field. Graf defeated in the fall at a tournament in Filderstadt with Claudia Kohde-Kilsch in the quarter-finals for the first time a top-ten player, and reached for the first time the finals of a WTA tournament. Graf finished at year number 22 in the world rankings.
Also in 1985, Steffi Graf's continued ascent. She reached in Paris and Wimbledon in each case the knockout round. At the end of the sixteen-year-old was at number 6 in the world rankings - to have won without a tournament. The year began with a father of Peter prescribed waiver of the Australian Open, which should benefit the physical regeneration and improvement of playing skills benefit. When Clay Court Tournament Graf met in Miami in the semifinals for the first time in the best baseline player of her time, the world's second-ranked Chris Evert, who defeated however. The American and the German stood during the year in Hilton Head, Berlin and Paris against - each still with the better end for Evert. Even at Wimbledon, the German reached the second round again. Here they just failed in three sets in the world ranked fourth and turf specialist Pam Shriver pointed, but already their potential on the fastest of places. At the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows for the first time the German was then the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament. There was a premiere: the sixteen year old "child prodigy" met Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, together with the tennis world since the early 80's dominated at will. The 29-year-old American won the election with 6:2 and 6:3, was to demand but not tired of emphasizing that Graf had everything in order to get to the top if they stay injury free.
The year 1986 showed that Navratilova prediction quickly arrived. Graf won eight tournaments. The German continued to improve, was in third place at the end of the rankings and had only the two American women on. In the hard court tournaments in the spring, there was again the meeting with Evert, who won both finals clearly in two sentences. A little later, however, turned the balance of power. Only 16 years, Graf won the clay court tournament in Hilton Head. She beat the world ranked second with 6:4 and 7:5, and reached their first tournament win at the professional players. In preparation for the second Grand Slam tournament of the year in Paris it was the home tournament, the German at the German Open in Berlin memorable for another coincidence: In the final standing for the third time count and the World Ranked First Martina Navratilova against. The 16-year-old American tennis legend won against the surprising 6-2 and 6-3. This was given the first defeat against a teenager, in which the international expert group of the heiress The American saw, visibly touched emotionally. Later, Graf also reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open. Her opponent was again the American defending champion Navratilova, but now on a serve and volley the game of the American more responsive, faster hard court. Navratilova won a contested game with just under 6:1, 6:7 (3:6) and 7:6 (8:6). In the following indoor season, the German reached the final at Virginia Slim Championships of the best tennis players of the year again, the final against the American. Here again defeated Graf in straight sets. At the end of the German was ranked third in the world rankings.
The year 1987 brought the final breakthrough of the Germans and was conducted in the duel with the American Martina Navratilova. Graf lost only two games in 75 matches, won in eleven tournaments, won for the first time at a Grand Slam tournament and took over the leadership of the world tennis rankings.
Like last year, waived the 17-year-old on the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, the Australian Open, and worked to improve their game. Your in previous outstanding whipped forehand had gained further hardship. It was the best stroke in the women's tennis, with the Germans it was almost at will, to open the space and to dominate the rallies. It was at this time when the press gave this into expression and Count preferred to as "Fraulein Forehand" and "Countess Mercy" called. With seven tournament victories and 45 winning matches in a row, the young German was one of the longest winning streaks in women's tennis in general, and the best-ever season start. Graf's march began in the spring by the American hard courts in Boca Raton. At the big tournament in Key Biscayne, she managed the first time in the same tournament where International ranked first, Martina Navratilova, and number two, Chris Evert and beat. Both times she won in two sets clear. Evert remained at 1:6 and 2:6 in the final just three games. Graf's superiority continued even after the change to the continued flawless clay courts. After a victory in Iceland Amelia she also won in Rome and Berlin.
the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, Roland Garros in Paris, it came in the final game of the highly anticipated encounter between the side 44 games unbeaten Steffi Graf and the two-time Roland Garros champion Martina Navratilova. The first set, 6-4 to the German, while Navratilova also won the second round with 6-4. The third set proved to be highly competitive and tight: with the score at 5-3 the serving American, already looked like the sure winner, but ultimately Graf won with 8:6. It was at that time the youngest French Open winner all time.
came a few weeks later, in the final of Wimbledon again a showdown between Graf and Navratilova. There was also a duel for the lead in the world tennis rankings. The American won on the fast green spaces, the beneficiary you serve and volley game, with 7:5 and 6:3. The game play made two things clear: Were there any baseline duels, was the American hard whipped forehand against the Germans as helpless as the other players in the WTA Tour. Succeeded her to keep up with the lapels and attacks, count on the backhand side, the German almost knew how to answer only undercut balls, had them the better end in itself. Press formulated that Graf had set to improve until next year to pitch for the best player ever be a threat on the pitch to be.
Despite the defeat, the most important tennis tournament in the world at Wimbledon Graf of untouched for years in the ranking leader Martina Navratilova approached. The final defeat at the Church Road had been up to this time Graf's only loss of the season. Graf's points average rose steadily, while Navratilova melted lead. On 17 August 1987 took place, the expected transfer of power in women's tennis. Steffi Graf was a victory over Chris Evert in the final of Tournament in Manhattan Beach the number one world tennis rankings. Martina Navratilova broke it off, which had held with few interruptions since 1978, the top position in the women's tennis. At the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, the U.S. Open, it seemed almost logical again in the final to a duel of the two tennis players. It was found that the American had to the faster soil or favors. She won again against the young German, this time with 7:6 and 6:1. Navratilova claimed that it had won two and count only one victory in the four most important tournaments in the world. But the German finished the year with 75 wins and only two losses as world No. 1. The Erin Bruehl defended their world rankings lead to 10 March 1991 and stayed for a record 186 consecutive weeks ranked world-first.
The year 1987 Steffi Graf had brought the age of 18 years with only two losses and 14 tournament victories to the top of world tennis rankings. The 1988 season but was the best season of the Germans, who after winning the Golden Slam tennis history, and wrote perhaps the best year ever recorded by a professional player. Graf won in Melbourne, Paris, Wimbledon and on 10 September 1988 [1] at the U.S. Open and became the first player to accomplish since Margaret Smith Court in 1970 and the third player ever, who succeeded in a regular Grand Slam. They also won the gold medal in the singles and the bronze medal in doubles with Claudia Kohde-Kilsch at the Olympic Games in Seoul and thus achieved the first player in history known as the Golden Slam, winning all four Grand Slam tournaments and the Olympic gold medal in a calendar year. At Wimbledon, ended the German domination of Martina Navratilova. Their annual balance sheet included 72 wins in three defeats. Twice defeated the German of the same age almost Gabriela Sabatini. The Argentinian, with which Graf also at Roland Garros, U.S. Open and the Olympics close duels seemed at that time not a few experts as a future challenger of the Germans. Graf was voted the World Sportswoman of the Year and Honorary Citizen the town of Brühl.
1989 Graf won the Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon, Melbourne and New York again. Only in Paris they had in the final of the Spaniard Arantxa Sanchez Vicario hit enter, which thus prevented a double Grand Slam. Sanchez won the narrowest of margins with 7:6, 3:6 and 7:5. A second narrow defeat suffered by the German in the final of the tournament from Amelia Iceland, where she moved with 6:3, 3:6 and 5:7 against the Argentine Gabriela Sabatini, the short straw. Graf's balance sheet, the second best all time, was 86 wins and 2 losses. The German won 14 tournaments in all 16 tournaments and reached the final. From the Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman Graf was of the year appointed.
Graf's unbroken dominance continued into the April 1990. Between 1988 and the Australian Open in January, they won eight out of nine Grand Slam tournaments played. After her third victory in the Grand Slam in Melbourne Graf won in Tokyo, Amelia Iceland and Hamburg. Since the finals of Roland Garros in June of the previous year, Graf had not lost a game in hand. It was Graf's longest winning streak until then. The superiority of the Germans proved so overwhelming that the expected victories were measured only on the number of votes matches or the total duration of the match. Experts speculated on the few remaining to be paid wins, the left to set the record Martina Navratilova of the wipe out of 74 match win in a row.
In the spring of 1990 his father, Peter Graf got the attention of the German tabloid press. The Bild newspaper claimed that he had an affair with a nude model and I have witnessed this with a child. At the height of these revelations, Graf had at the German Open in Berlin for the first time give the young, aspiring Yugoslavian Monica Seles defeated. It was Graf's first defeat after 66 victories in a row, the second-longest winning streak of all time. Seles Graf had already established in the previous year as a five-year-old semi-finals of Roland Garros at the edge of defeat. Seles has been more and more serious Challenger to Graf, who had to plug it unusual in this period against other rivals many defeats: in 1990 in Melbourne (against Mary Joe Fernandez), 1991 Wimbledon (against Gabriela Sabatini) and 1992 again in Wimbledon (against Monica Seles) won Steffi Graf in each case only one Grand Slam tournament per year. The other Grand Slam titles in 1991 and 1992 were Monica Seles. On 10 March 1991 Graf had the lead in the world rankings for the first time to give Seles. This followed a defeat against their former partner Gabriela Sabatini double at the WTA tournament in Boca Raton (USA). She fell back to No. 2 in the world rankings behind Monica Seles. Also the final of the Olympic tennis tournament in Barcelona in 1992 brought a surprise: Graf, the towering favorite, lost to the only 16-year-old US-American Jennifer Capriati. However, Steffi Graf won three of five matches against Seles during their time as world number one.
Graf in 1993 won the Grand Slam tournaments in Paris, Wimbledon and New York. She managed to return to the top of the world rankings. However, this success was overshadowed by an assassination in the WTA tournament in Hamburg in April 1993 pierced the emotionally disturbed German Graf fan Günter Parche up to that time in the world rankings leader Monica Seles with a knife in the back. Seles, the attack of the mentally especially made things difficult for returned two years later returned to the women's tour.
At the beginning of 1994 Graf won her success in Melbourne, the fourth Grand Slam title in succession and a second, even if "false" Grand Slam, which was not completed within one calendar year.
won in 1995 and 1996, respectively, the Grand Slam tournaments in Paris, Wimbledon and New York. Both U.S. Open title was won against the Count returned after a two year break rival Monica Seles. The final of the year 1995 was a competitive game: Graf won almost 7:6, 0:6, 6:3. The first signs of physical Wear, became visible: Each injured, Graf had in two years, refrain from participating in the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Steffi Graf won 22 victories in Grand Slam tournaments. She won the Australian Open four times, five times the U.S. Open, six times the Roland Garros and Wimbledon seven times. It is outperformed only by the Australian Margaret Smith Court (24 wins). 1988 Graf won all four Grand Slam tournaments in the calendar year, making it the third player in tennis history after Maureen Connolly (1953) and Margaret Smith Court (1970) the so-called Grand Slam completed. By winning the gold medal at the Seoul Olympics in 1988 by Graf won an unprecedented success, received the "Golden Slam" in the history of tennis.
Total Graf won 107 tournaments and used - in terms of tournament victories in the individual - to third place in the alltime list of professional players behind Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.
Steffi Graf also won at the Summer Olympics 1984 Los Angeles, where tennis has held only the status of a demonstration sport, five times won the Tennis Masters (1987, 1989, 1993, 1995 and 1996) and twice with the German team, the Federation Cup (1987 and 1992).
