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Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Steffi Graf

Steffi Graf during a charity tennis tournament for Rexona. Author: Mark Henckel.

Stefanie Marie 鈥淪teffi鈥� Graf is a German former professional tennis player. She was born on 14th June 1969, in Manheim, Baden-Wurrtemberge, West Germany.

Steffi was born to Heidi Schalk and car-and-insurance salesman Peter Graf. She had a younger brother Michael. Steffi and her family moved to the neighbouring town of Br眉hl when she was nine years old.

Steffi was ranked as the world number one for a record 377 weeks and won twenty-two major singles titles. This was the second-most since the start of the Open Era in 1968.

Steffi became the first tennis player to have achieved the Golden Slam . She won all four major singles titles and an Olympic gold medal in 1988. She is the only tennis player to have won each major tournament at least four times.

Here are the top 10 Astonishing Facts about Steffi Graf;

1. Steffi was Introduced to Tennis at the Age of Three

Peter Graf, the father of Steffi Graf was a car-and-insurance salesman. However, he was an aspiring tennis coach during his era.

At the age of three, her father Steffi Graf introduced her to the game. He was teaching her how to swing a wooden racket in their family鈥檚 living room.

When she reached the age of four, Steffi Graf began practising tennis on a court. Steffi Graf played her first tournament at the age of five.

2. Steffi’s First Championship Top Prizes at a Tender Age

Steffi Graf. Photographed by: Chris Eason.

After taking part in junior training and practising, his career began being successful at a very tender age. Steffi started taking part in top prize junior tournaments with regularity.

At the age of 12, Steffi went ahead and win the European Championships. In 1982, Steffi Graf won the 18s European championships trophy.

3. Steffi Lost her First Professional Tournament but Won in a Rematch

Steffi Graf. Photographed by: Mark Henckel.

Steffi Graf played her first professional tournament in October 1982 at Filderstadt, Germany. She played her first match against Tracy Austin.

Steffi lost her first-round match 6-4, 6-0. Tracy Austin was a two-time US Open champion and former world number one player.

In twelve years, Steffi Graf played against Tracy Austin at Evert Cup in Indian Wells, California. Steffi successfully won by defeating Tracy Austin 6-0, 6-0. This was the last game against each other.

4. Steffi鈥檚 Father Closely Controlled her Professional Play Time at a Younger Age

Steffi Graf鈥檚 father became the personal trainer of her daughter. The schedule of Steffi was closely controlled by her father.

Steffi Graf was limited to play by the father because he never wanted her to get burned out. In 1985, there was the US Open competition which she never played more often.

She just played ten events that led to the US Open whereas her competitor, Gabriela Sabatini was younger and played 21. Peter Graf also made sure he kept a tight rein on the personal life of Steffi Graf.

The father of Steffi also declined several social invitations on various tours as she was kept focused on practising and match play. Steffi also made her practice for up to four hours a day.

This tight schedule and control by her father made her shy and never had lots of friends. However, this led to the steady improvement of her play and game.

5. Steffi Never Won any Tournament Award in the 1985 and 1986

Steffi Graf. Photographed by Mister-E.

Steffi Graf played in several tournaments in 1985 and early 1986. Her major opponents were Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.

Steffi lost six times to Chris Evert and three times to Martina Navratilova in straight sets. She never won any award in a tournament but consistently reached finals, semi-finals and quarterfinals.

6. Steffi Missed Wimbledon Tournaments due to Illness and an Accident

Steffi Graf plays an exhibition match. Photographed by Hhst.

After failing to win in consecutive tournaments, Steffi Graf began getting to winning ways. She won her next three tournaments at Amelia Island, Charleston and Berlin.

However, the following year, in 1987, Steffi Graf missed out on the Wimbledon tournament due to illness. Steffi also got involved in an accident and broke her toe.

This also curtailed her from competing in several other weeks.

7. Steffi Had a Difficult Start of 1991 with Injury, Personal Difficulties and Loss of Form

Steffi Graf (Wimbledon 2009). Photo Sourced from

The start of 1991 was a very difficult period for Steffi Graf and her career. She started having problems with an injury that made her shy off from playing.

Other than the injury problems, Steffi Graf also had personal difficulties and loss of form. This made her opponent, Seles become a more dominant player on the women鈥檚 tour as she won the Australian Open, French Open and US Open.

8. Steffi was Struck with Tax Issues

In 1995, Steffi Graf started having several personal terms. This was a difficult year for Steffi Graf as she was accused by the German authorities of tax evasion in her early career years.

Steffi Graf defended herself by stating that her father Peter Graf was the financial manager. She stated the father controlled her finances.

9. Steffi鈥檚 Father was Jailed for 25 Months for Tax Evasion Claims

In 1995, Steffi Graf was troubled by the tax evasion problems. She defended herself that her father was taking control of the finances which got him in trouble.

In August 1995, Peter Graf was arrested and sentenced to forty-five months in jail. However, he was released after serving twenty-five months in jail.

The prosecutors dropped the case against Graf in 1997 after Steffi Graf agreed to pay a fine of one million three hundred thousand. Peter Graf was handed to an unspecified charity after he was released from jail.

10. Steffi Dated Racing Driver and Married Fellow Tennis Player

Steffi Graf鈥檚 personal life was not kept a secret as people knew who she dated. From 1992 to 1999, Steffi Graf started dating race driver Michael Bartels.

Their relationship ended later on in 1999. During the 1999 French Open, Steffi Graf started dating Andre Agassi.

On 22nd October 2001, Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi got married with their mothers being witnesses. Steffi and Andre have two children, a son who was born in 2001, and a daughter who was born in 2003.

Agassi stated that they were not pushing their children to become tennis players. The family of Steffi Graf live in Summerlin, Las Vegas Valley in the United States.

Steffi Graf is a role model and mentor to young female persons who want to prosper in their careers.