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Steffi Graf Year-end No. 1 ranking: 1987-1990, 1993-96 Steffi Graf turned professional as a 13-year-old on 18th October 1982, having started playing tennis as a four-year-old. Graf showed so much promise as a youngster, which would win her a unique 'Golden Slam' that her father sold his business and set up a tennis school. The young German right-hander was a consummate professional, training as hard as she did in a match: finishing her career, having netted 22 Grand Slam singles titles, consisting of seven Wimbledon (1988-89, 1991-93, 1995-96); six French (1987-88, 1993, 1995-96, 1999); five U.S. (1988-89, 1993, 1995-96) and four Australian (1988-1990, 1994) crowns.
In 1988 she became the third woman to win the true Grand Slam, taking the Australian, French, Wimbledon and US championships in one calendar year, standing alongside Maureen Connolly (1953) and Margaret Court (1970) in the exclusive club. What made the achievement more remarkable is her 1988 Olympic Gold medal triumph in the singles, thus heralding the "Golden Slam." She could have captured the Grand Slam a further four times, losing to Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in the 1989 French Open final. In 1993 the Australian Open proved to be her downfall again losing in the final, and must have rued missing the event in 1995 and 1996 as she went on to win the three remaining Slams in those years. The statistics speak for themselves: Graf won a minimum of seven tournaments a year for 11 straight years (1986-96); reached 21 consecutive finals between 1986-88 and 20 in 1993-94; voted WTA Player of the Year 1987-90, 1993-96; finished seven years as the number one player, finishing her career with a record $21,895, 277 in prize money; and a record 377 weeks at the top. Graf once said in 1991: "I want to reach absolute perfection.
And i think i can reach it." She retired on 13th August
1999, ranked number three in the world, having won 107 singles and 11
doubles titles in total. She married Andre Agassi on 22nd October 2000.
Grand Slam Record Australian Open Singles winner 1988-1990, 1994; Singles finalist 1993 French Open Singles winner 1987-88, 1993, 1995-96, 1999; Singles finalist 1989-90, 1992 Wimbledon Singles winner 1988-89, 1991-93, 1995-96; Singles finalist 1987, 1999; Doubles winner 1988 U.S. Open Singles winner 1988-89, 1993, 1995-96; Singles finalist 1987, 1990, 1994 Tournament Record (inc. Federation Cup and Olympics) Italian Open Singles winner 1987 German Olympic Games team member 1988, 1992, 1996; Singles Gold Medalist 1988 German Federation Cup team member 1986-87, 1989-93, 1996; winning side 1987, 1992 WTA Tour Championships Singles winner 1987, 1989, 1993, 1995-96; Singles finalist 1986 Special Honours and Awards WTA Tour Player of the Year 1987-90, 1993-96 WTA Tour Most Improved Player 1986 WTA Tour Most Exciting Player 1996, 1998-99
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