Steffi Graf

Biography

Steffi Graf achieved something no tennis player has ever matched: the Golden Slam, winning all four Grand Slam tournaments plus Olympic gold in a single calendar year. Her 1988 season stands as perhaps the most dominant individual year in tennis history. What made her remarkable was the versatility - equally devastating on clay, grass, and hard courts, her sliced backhand keeping opponents off balance while her forehand generated ferocious topspin. For 377 weeks she occupied the world No. 1 ranking, a record for women's tennis that still stands. The stutter-step forehand approach became her signature, a technique so effective that it influenced a generation of players. Quiet and private off court, she let her racquet do the talking, compiling a career of such consistent excellence that debates about the greatest female player inevitably include her name.

Career Highlights

• 22 Grand Slam singles titles
• 377 weeks as World No. 1 (record for WTA)
• Only Golden Slam winner (1988)
• Won each Grand Slam at least 4 times
• 107 career singles titles

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