Steffi Graf is a German tennis player. Repeated world champion, winner of the Women's Tennis Association tournament became the Gold medalist of the Olympic Games in Seoul in singles, bronze - in doubles. The six-time winner of the French Open tennis has repeatedly won at Wimbledon.
For a decade, Stephanie Maria Graf held the title better than the racket of the world. She is the only one who managed to win the Golden Grand Slam on 4 types of coatings and become a seven-time gold winner in the world championship.
Star start
The biography of the future celebrity began in 1969. The child was born on July 14 in Mannheim. Father Peter Graf was engaged in the sale of cars and was an insurer, his mother Heidi Schalk led the house. The child soon appeared in the family, the brother of the future celebrity Michael. My father played football very well, was fond of boxing. He was also a qualified tennis coach.
The baby went to court at 3 years old. Immediately showed abilities. The father who trained her quickly realized that her daughter had great prospects. Stefania studied at a sports school. At the age of 9, the coach of the national team after consultation predicted a bright future for the young tennis player. He prophesied her the glory of one of the three strongest athletes in Europe, but the parent sought to make her daughter better.
The girl became the world champion among juniors at 12. The 13-year-old Steffi was included in the list of the youngest professional tennis players in the history of sports. From 14, Graf began an individual training. All efforts of the teenager were directed to tennis.
The debutant took part in competitions for adult players at 18. She defeated all professional and more experienced rivals.
Steffi's game was distinguished by a tough and at the same time aesthetic manner. In 1986, for the first time, the Earl managed to beat the best racket of the world. Martina Navratilova did not know defeats, she had no equal in the sports world. But in 1987, it was the Count who became the first for seven consecutive matches. In 45 meetings, she won, becoming the youngest triumphant Roland Garros. In the same period, the title of world champion was won. However, the rapid ascent was interrupted by defeat at Wimbledon.
Retirement
Until 1990, it was the Count who dominated the tennis Olympus. Then she was replaced by Gabriela Sabatini and Monica Seles. It was increasingly difficult to confront such rivals. Steffi kept the record for the number of gold in tournaments and competitions in world qualifications until 2008. For 377 weeks she remained at the top of her professional rating. This indicator was recognized as the best among women and men.
The confrontation with Monica Seles began in 1989. The Yugoslav athlete became a worthy opponent. Several times she managed to beat the Earl. Psychic trauma prevented the continuation of his career in 1993. In 1996, Steffi, among the most promising candidates for the Olympic gold, was preparing to participate in the games in Atlanta. Training had to be interrupted due to injury.
After a series of failures, doctors diagnosed joint problems. This did not stop Stefania from becoming the first in the Roland Garros tournament in 1999 and reaching the Wimbledon Grand Slam final. In this battle, the purposeful German lost to the rising star Lindsay Davenport. A month later, Graf announced the end of her career in sports. She left professional tennis.
After leaving Steffi ceased cooperation with the brands "Wilson" and "Adidas". She did not continue to interact with sponsors. The athlete refused the prospect of becoming a coach, did not give an interview and did not participate in advertising.
Heart affairs
For herself, the champion found more interesting types of creativity. In 2004, she was included in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
On the way to the sports peaks, she did not think at all about her personal life. Information has repeatedly appeared in the press about the novel that broke out between tennis player Alexander Mrontz and Stefanie Graf. However, the girl was so fascinated by the improvement of skill that fans quickly realized that the information was irrelevant.
In 1992, Stefi met race car driver Michael Bartels. Young people started dating. But the tightest training schedules hindered the development of these relationships. The couple saw no more than a couple of times a month, and even then only between competitions and preparation for them.
In 1999, a fateful meeting with Andre Agassi took place. He was distinguished by a no less swift and bright take-off in the world of sports than Steffi. Acquaintance took place at one of the tournaments. From the very beginning, their romance was perceived by others as an advertising move. Agassi managed to become famous for shocking, Steffi, on the contrary, was modest.
