GRAF, STEFFI

born June 14, 1969, Brhl, W.Ger. Steffi Graf on the medal stand at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, where she won the singles gold 1/4 byname of Stephanie Maria Graf German tennis player who dominated women's tennis in the late 1980s and '90s. Graf began playing tennis with the encouragement of her father, who became her coach. At the age of 13 she became the second youngest player ever to earn an international ranking. In 1987 she won her first Grand Slam event, defeating Czech-born American Martina Navratilova at the French Open. In 1988 she accomplished the difficult feat of winning all four Grand Slam events (French, Australian, U.S., and Wimbledon championships) and won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. Graf was known for her intensity, speed, and powerful forehand, and by the 1990s she had become one of the premier players in the world, winning multiple singles titles in the French Open (1987-88, 1993, 1995-96, 1999), Australian Open (1988-90, 1994), and U.S. Open (1988-89, 1993, 1995-96). Her seven victories at Wimbledon (1988-89, 1991-93, 1995-96) were only second in number to Navratilova's nine. Soon after losing in the finals at Wimbledon in 1999, Graf, who had been plagued by injuries, retired from the sport.