The Unforgettable Miss Forehand: A look at Steffi Graf's incredible career

Not only can Steffi Graf claim to be Germany's greatest tennis export, but she also has a legitimate case for being one of the best tennis players of all time, racking up a record-breaking 377 weeks as a world number one and being the only player to win a Golden Slam in a single year. We take a look at her life and incredible career.

"The Countess", as Steffi Graf is known in tennis circles, has won 22 Grand Slam tournaments and, with 377 weeks at the top spot had the longest stint at number one until February 2023, when it was overtaken by Novak Djokovic.

Stefanie Marie "Steffi" Graf was born on June 14, 1969 in Mannheim. At the age of three she held a tennis racket in her hands for the first time.

Graf's father, Peter Graf, discovered tennis for himself at the age of 27, played in the German regional league and was a tennis coach. He recognized his daughter's talent early on.

Photo: Steffi Graf with her parents Heidi and Peter Graf.

At the age of five, Steffi Graf won the "Jünsten Tournament" in Munich and continued that winning form.

In order to encourage his daughter's talent, Peter Graf gave up his jobs as an insurance salesman and used car dealer and devoted himself exclusively to supporting the then nine-year-old Steffi Graf.

For the training of his daughter, Peter Graf engaged the Polish tennis player Daniela Nosek, former number 92 in the women's world rankings, as a partner.

In 1981, at the age of eleven, Steffi Graf competed in the adult indoor championships. Gaf played against Eva Pfaff, who was ranked 80th in the world at the time – and Graf became a sensation. Pfaff was only able to beat Graf after three tough rounds.

Klaus Hofsäss, the national coach at the time, said when asked that Steffi Graf was the greatest talent that had ever existed in Germany and that she was also unrivaled in her age group worldwide.

Graf's career progressed in leaps and bounds and she was able to keep winning. At the age of 13 she was registered as a professional player. The Graf father-daughter team also received criticism for this.

Experts feared that Steffi Graf would be overwhelmed and the risk of her mental and physical burnout. However, Steffi Graf responded with the words: "But I want it that way."

Steffi Graf was especially known for her hard-hitting forehand, which earned her the nicknames  "Fraulein Forehand/Miss Forehand" and "Countess Merciless".

The year 1988 was to be a very special one for Steffi Graf: she won all four Grand Slam tournaments as well as the Olympic Games, making her the first and only person to win the Golden Slam in a single year.

Although various tennis players have achieved a career Grand Slam (four Grand Slam wins and one Olympic victory in their entire career), the Golden Slam, for both women and men, in the same year has only been achieved by Steffi Graf.

On October 1, 1988, Steffi Graf became a legend – even though she was only 19 at the time!

In the years that followed, Steffi Graf won several Grand Slam tournaments. However, signs of wear also caused her problems, which is why she had to forego participation in the Australian Open in Melbourne in the mid-1990s.

On August 13, 1999, the then-30-year-old Steffi Graf announced her retirement from professional tennis at a press conference.

Two scandals overshadowed Steffi Graf's career. First, there was the knife attack by a mentally ill Graf fan in 1993, who attacked and injured the world number one, Monica Seles.

The second scandal affected the Graf family directly. Investigations into suspected tax evasion began as early as 1995. Entry fees and prize money had been transferred to foreign accounts.

The case against Steffi Graf was dropped because she could credibly assure that she was not involved in the finances. Her father Peter Graf was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison in 1997.

Steffi Graf now has an estimated net worth of US $39.5 million and has earned around US $21.9 million in tennis prize money.

Steffi Graf has been married to US tennis player Andre Agassi since 2001, with whom she has a son and a daughter. Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi live in Las Vegas.

Today, Steffi Graf is involved in her "Children for Tomorrow" foundation, which works to help traumatized children.