Filing Number. Her impressive forehand shot nicknamed the Fraulein Forehand helped her be the No. Serena Williams is still seven match wins away from matching Steffi Graf's 1988 Grand Slam. Case for Steffi Graf: Of all the matchups this week, this might be the toughest to predict and the one that leads to the most consternation. At the start of the year in Sydney, a 29-year-old Graf beat a 17-year-old Williams; that spring, Williams reversed the result over three sets in Indian Wells. None of the three major tournaments were won by Serena Williams, the clear-cut best player of her era. . Look at MLS? Steffi didn't allow that in game five, bringing the game home with a service winner and creating break points in the following game that could have pushed her closer to the finish line. Steffi Graf had a 17 year pro career and in all those 17 years was the biggest star of female tennis all around the world and with good reason. Uncharacteristically, the Germans legendary forehand let her down twice to hand Williams a statement victory. Order Date. Starting next week at the US Open, Williams will be trying to match Graf's calendar Grand Slam from 1988 and also pull even in the majors department with 22. As competitive as we were in the 90s, we got along quite well. Her only doubles Grand Slam title came in 1988 at Wimbledon. Winning all five titles was called the Golden Slam. Graf went on to win the very next major at the French Open that year. Graf is one of the three greatest players of all time. She was the most consistent player Ive ever seen and that inside-out forehand was a shot that not even Roger Federer could not have returned. Is a business community property in California divorce? She has also easily been the most feared player in the Womens game for the two most recent decades. Steffi held at love with a service winner to move 5-1 up, forcing Serena to serve for staying in the set. I. It was fun. If it isn't, you wouldn't hear tennis commentators often commented his streaks during play-by-play. Serena Williams. She won more than 2000 matches in her career. Her singles win record is incredible with 900 wins and a win % of 88.7. I feel like people like Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf, they just, right now, are just, to me, the ultimate icons in history and the historics of womens tennis. Harsh Chopra January 19th 2023, 1:19:24 am 699 Reads, Pete Sampras vs Andre Agassi Head to Head and Stats Comparison. Both are greats of the game and began dating in 1999, the year they were the French Open champions. Party Name. Serena Williams won her 19th Grand Slam on Saturday night in Melbourne, breaking a tie with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova and putting her within three of tying Steffi Graf's Open era . Once played for Birmingham shadow squad when I was 10. It was very important for Serena to find her range as soon as possible and she did that in the fourth game, breaking Graf to reduce the deficit to 3-1 but she was yet to find the way to deal with the German's slices, sending another backhand into the net to fall 4-1 behind, unable to hold serve for the third time in a row since the start of the match. You would never, ever see on-court meltdowns like we've (famously) seen out of Serena. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. In an interview, the 23-time Grand Slam winner Steffi Graf praised Serena Williams's greatness. Graf faced the likes of Hall of Fame players such as, Gabriella Sabatini, who was vanquished in the finals of Grafs quest for the U.S. Open trophy and an Olympic gold medal. That's how truly awesome Serena's past year has been. Which isnt anything to be ashamed of. Her singles win record is incredible with 900 wins and a win % of 88.7. Enjoyed reading it! Arguably the all-time GOAT, Serena Williams currently holds 23 grand slam titles, second only to the great Margaret Court. . Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Court Number. One of which came at the 1988 Wimbledon final against the seven-time tournament champion and the red-hot favorite to win her eighth in. was a left handed player and she made the most of it. Serena Williams is a generational talent and she has won all the 4 Grand Slam titles 3 times and she is the only player in the modern era to have this achievement. Williams has never been in the same class as Graf when it comes to comparing the two as players. Who would you want to play for your life, in the biggest of all m. Wondering what the Tournament of Champions is, and how we got here? Its no easy feat.. (ask Clijsters) or any other tennis player that is a mother. Or the 1999 Manchester United treble-winning team. As of this writing, Serena was three behind. She has won a total of 22 Singles Grand Slam titles and 1 doubles Grand Slam titles and she is superior to Martina in singles but Martina Navratilova is way ahead in doubles. And as this years Indian Wells competition continues to throw up a number of upsets of its own, perhaps we might see the birth of a brand new superstar. I hope you all enjoyed reading this one and learned something about the history of Tennis. It does not store any personal data. Tom Taylor Dec 25, 2020 at 12:37 am, STEFFI GRAFS ONLY COMPETITOR WAS ESSENTIALLY MONICA SELES. Here we take a look at Pete Sampras vs Andre Agassi Head to Head and Stats Comparison. Until anybody can rival her perfect season, that is a status she will always have. We understand that a matchup of players from different generations comes with its share of things to take into consideration, such as the advancement of technology and the slowing of court surfaces in today's game. Hard. Jake Evans Mar 3, 2021 at 2:04 am. Storm or Liberty? Pauline Betz Addie (ne Pauline May Betz, August 6, 1919 - May 31, 2011) was an American professional tennis player. Graf was the best in the game. She has won 14 Womens Doubles Grand Slam titles along with her sister Venus Williams and they have won all the 4 Doubles Grand Slam titles Twice. Seriously, who has been her biggest rival? Martina won more on fast courts, and I won more on slow courts, but Steffi came along and won more titles on both surfaces.. To add a few more In the department of sportsmanship and conduct on court, Steffi is way above Serena. and she is one of the greatest of all time in both Singles and doubles as she has won 18 Singles Grand Slam titles and 31 Womens Doubles Grand Slam titles and 10 Mixed Doubles Grand Slam titles which makes it a total of 69 slams and that is a record in the Open Era. If Serena does, it will be more than a triumph; it will be a coronation. How can I check my court case status in Maharashtra? Check out the Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer top 5 best matches. Graf and Williams split their only two meetings, in 1999. Steffi Graf and her husband have many joint ventures after their tennis career. How Fast Is Serena Williams fastest serve? Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved by The Sports Legends. For example if we calculate the singles Grand Slam titles between these 3 best tennis players it will be 18 of Martina Navratilova, 22 of Steffi Graf and 23 Serena Williams which makes it a total of 63 Grand Slam singles titles among the 3 which is 1 more than the trip of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic at this point with 62 Grand Slam singles titles. QF. Graf achieved her Golden Slam in part because of her ability to excel on all surfaces. At this year's U.S. Open, which begins Monday, Serena Williams will have the chance to equal Graf's record for major titles and become the first player to win the calendar slam since Graf did it in 1988. For a three-year span at the Aussie Open (1988-1990), Graf lost a total of one set (one!). Unlike so many of the other match-ups in this tournament, Graf and Williams in their primes would not have offered a distinct contrast in styles. Steffi Graf. She won five Grand Slam singles titles and was the runner-up on three other occasions. These were 2 totally different styles of tennis players and everyone loved cheering for Roger and against Novak and this egged him on. Up to that point, Serena had been the second best player in her family; when the match was over, she was officially out of her sister Venus shadow, and on her to way to stardom. In the decider, the majority thought Grafs experience would prove the difference, especially when she secured an early break to lead 3-1. The end of the Graf era and the start of the Williams dynasty. This is a really interesting article to write as all 3 ladies have their strengths and all 3 have achieved the highest in womens tennis and made it what it is today. Even the key to their success of these two women was essentially the same: Its hard to think of anyone who detested losing more than Serena or Steffi.Steffis game matches up well with Serenas, former No. (Dick Enberg NBC Sports) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDhT3h9FWi0. This included watching every match of Steffi Grafs 1988 Golden Slam, which saw her crowned the victorious champion of all four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. Despite facing such elite talent, Grafs opponents managed to win a total of two sets against her. Harsh Chopra January 19th 2023, 1:19:24 am 573 Reads. I mean, playing Steffi was legendary, and it was amazing. ET following the match between Roger Federer and Adrian Mannarino, which is due to start at 9:45 a.m. Published on May 6, 2020 Serena Williams has played pro tennis for 20 years and is still an incredible competitor. The teenager followed this victory with strong wins over Frances Mary Pierce and Sandrine Testud in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively. 1 Serena Williams 23 2 Steffi Graf 22 3 Martina Navratilova 18 3 Chris Evert 18 5 Margaret Court 11 6 Monica Seles 9 7 Billie Jean King 8 8 Justine Henin 7 . As Im sure you all remember, in the Spring of 2020 we had a period where no live sports were being played and we had to somehow make do without. The greatest of all-time At the time, many regarded Graf as the greatest tennis player in history. Although Williams is one of the top womens players of all time, she is not the best. 1 spot. It was my breakout season. 2 at approximately 1:40 p.m. local time (8:40 a.m. TENNIS WAS MORE TACTICAL IN THE 80s BUT THE GAME EVOLVED. The US youngster had ended 1998 ranked 20th in the world and claimed her first Tour title in France at the Open GDF Suez in February 1999. Make no mistake about it, I think Serena Williams style of play is boring, and I dont think it would have been as effective in the 80s and early 90s. . She also defeated another legend in Chris Evert, whom Graf defeated in straight sets in the Australian Open final by a score of 6-1, 7-6. You might be thinking something along the lines of But Stefan, you said Williams has won 23 Grand Slams, thats more than 22! In my opinion, it doesnt matter, because as I previously mentioned, Williams never had to overcome consistently elite competition. Sampras, asked about his relationship with Agassi last September during a conference call with reporters, offered this brief, guarded answer: Its fine. Tracy Ann Austin Holt (born December 12, 1962) is an American former world No. Graf then beat Rubin in three sets to set up a match against Williams. The German former player said: "The tour constantly evolves. Though being a die hard fan of Steffi and tennis, I would like to see Steffi and Serena differently. Chris Evert turned pro in 1972 and played till 1989. Dallas signs kicker Vizcaino as added insurance, Chargers' Staley: Never felt job was in jeopardy, Vikings GM expects Cousins to return next season, Recovering Hamlin at Bills facility almost daily, Activism group disappointed in Provorov's boycott, Sources: Arkansas' Briles to become TCU's OC, VIP seat for Messi, Ronaldo clash fetches $2.6m, Sources: Dream to get Gray in trade with Wings, Tracing the rise of Josh Allen: Behind-the-scenes stories of how he got here. Ranking the fights at UFC 283: Will Moreno and Figueiredo deliver again? The U.S. Open and Australian Open play on hard surfaces. Steffi confirmed the break in game two after another error from Serena and she had a double break lead following more errors from the youngster in game three. Its not like any of their previous meetings have been one-sided straight-set matches before. She had won 107 career titles which is the 3, highest of all time. He has won 14 Grand Slam titles. Cordially, Glen (Woody), Pope, Paige Mar 13, 2021 at 3:41 pm. 4 min read. Some of these head-to-heads have an actual, albeit brief, history, while one player was winding down his or her career; thus, we're not taking those into consideration. Tennis, when all is said and done, is a mental game. Graf was fiercely dedicated to her mission, the mission of winning. HAD SRLES NOT BEEN ATTACKED ON TBE COURT, STEFFI WOULD OF WON NO MORE THAN 18 SLAMS. Williams, in contrast, was seeking just her second WTA title. For the sake of this series, we're assuming both parties are playing each other at their peak. Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal Head to Head and Stats Comparison. Even though Graf crushed her forehand with more punch than perhaps anyone who ever played, she would have a difficult time matching Serena's overall power. Even Steffi has admitted that Serena has achieved her success at a much more competitive era than hers, & believed that without injury, she could beat courts record. Perhaps the greatest Doubles player the world has ever seen as Martina Navratilova has won 31 Womens Doubles Grand Slam titles and 10 Mixed Doubles Grand Slam titles. The 23 Grand Slam titles argument is laughable. How about Serena? As the pair met in the final of Indian Wells, known then as the Evert Cup, there was only one favourite on paper. Are 'fluffier' tennis balls causing longer matches at the Australian Open? Mental game Court case status in Maharashtra over Frances Mary Pierce and Sandrine Testud the! Germans legendary forehand let her down twice to hand Williams a statement victory are playing each at! 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All Rights Reserved by the Sports Legends play on hard surfaces dedicated to her mission, the Germans forehand... With a service winner to move 5-1 up, forcing Serena to serve for staying in the class... Slam winner Steffi Graf and Williams split their only two meetings, in contrast, was just!