Steffi Graf

Steffi Graf was in a romantic relationship with fellow German tennis player Alexander Mronz and racing car driver Michael Bartels over the 1990s. However, none of them materialized though her affair was Bartels was a long term one.

On October 22, 2001, she tied the nuptial knot with tennis star Andre Agassi. Her wedding ceremony was a private affair with no pompous arrangements. The couple has been blessed with a son, Jaden Gil (2001) and daughter Jaz Elle (2003).

Steffi Graf was born as Stefanie Maria Graf to Peter and Heidi Graf in Mannheim, Germany. She has a brother named Michael.

Graf’s tryst with tennis started when she was merely three years old. Her father, who was an aspiring tennis coach, taught toddler Graf how to swing a wooden racket. A year later, she hit the court and began practicing officially. This was the modest beginning to what became an international successful career.

While still young, Graf began playing junior tournaments and winning the same. In 1982, she won the 1982 European Championships 12s and 18s.

Graf’s first outing professionally was for the 1982 Porsche Grand Prix at Filderstadt, Germany. She was only 13 at that time. Though she lost the game to opponent Tracy Austin by 6–4, 6–0, this did very little to dishearten the young blood.

Graf secured the World 124th position in her first year. Though she did not win any title for the next three consecutive years, her ranking nevertheless steadily rose to World No. 98, No. 22, and No. 6 in 1983, 1984 and 1985, respectively.

It was at the 1984 fourth round Centre Court match at Wimbledon that Graf came to the limelight when she almost upset the tenth seed, Jo Durie of the United Kingdom. She went on to win the tennis demonstration event at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Following years, Graf emerged as the top challenger at the US Open. Though she lost both to Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, she was consistent enough to reach the finals and the semi-finals.

April 13, 1986 was a seminal day for Graf as she won her first WTA tournament by beating Chris Evert in the finals of the Family Circle Cup in Hilton Head, South Carolina. She followed up the same by winning at Amelia Island, Charleston, and Berlin.

The breakthrough for Graf’s career happened in 1987 when she defeated both Martina Navratilova in semi-finals and Chris Evert in the finals of a tournament in the Miami. Later in the French Open finals, Graf defeated Navratilova, who was the World No. 1, after beating Gabriela Sabatini in a three-set semi-final.

In 1988, she struck gold by not only winning all the four Grand Slam titles, but the Olympic Gold Medal as well. With this, she became the first and the only player to achieve this feat.

While Graf gained an easy victory over Chris Evert in the finals of Australian Open, at the French Open, she defeated Natasha Zvereva thus successfully defending her title. At Wimbledon, Graf was playing against Navratilova when she won the match, thus ending the latter’s winning streak. In the US Open, Graf played against Sabatini defeating her and winning the Calendar Year Grand Slam.

The blazing trail of victory reached the peak when Graf defeated Sabatini 6–3, 6–3 in the gold medal match at the Olympic Games in Seoul. Additionally, Graf also won her only Grand Slam doubles title that year at Wimbledon partnering Sabatini and picked up a women's doubles Olympic bronze medal.

The following year, the winning streak of 1988 continued as Graf went on to win the Australian Open, defeating Helena Sukov� in the final.