Today German tennis legend Steffi Graf is celebrating her 50th birthday. The 22-time grand slam champion achieved numerous records throughout her career and some of them are still standing this present day. Including being the only person to have won every grand slam at least four times.
To celebrate Graf’s birthday, here is a look at the numbers behind her remarkable career.
1. Won all four grand slam titles in 1988, as well as a gold medal at the Olympic Games. Becoming the first and only player to achieve a calendar golden slam in the Open Era. Other women to have achieved a calendar slam without an Olympic medal are Maureen Connolly (1953) and Margaret Court (1970).
1 plus 1. The Graf is married to the former world No. 1 André Agassi.
1. Her only grand slam doubles title was with Argentina’s Gabriela Sabatini at the 1988 Wimbledon championships.
2. Graf won the Fed Cup twice in 1987 and 1992.
2. Steffi and André have 2 children called Jaden Gil and Jaz Elle.
3. Technically won three Olympic medals during her career. However, at the 1984 Games Graf’s gold wasn’t formally recognized as tennis was only a demonstration sport. She also won gold in 1988 and 1992.
3. Won three consecutive Australian Open titles (1988, 1989, 1990).
4. Victories at the Australian Open in total (1988, 1989, 1990 and 1994).
4. Won both the French Open and Wimbledon within the same year four times. Doing so in 1988, 1993, 1995 and 1996.
4. Played in four consecutive French Open finals (1987 to 1990).
5. Won the year-end championships five times. The joint second highest of all-time after Martina Navratilova, who won the tournament on eight occasions. (1987, 1989, 1993, 1995 and 1996).
5. Five-time US Open champion (1988, 1989, 1993, 1995 and 1996).
6. Six-time French Open winner (1987, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1999). In 1999 André Agassi also triumphed in the Parisian slam. It is understood that the relationship between the two started during that tournament.
7. Seven-time Wimbledon winner (1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995 and 1996).
8. The number of times she has finished a season ranked No.1 in the world.
9. Finished runner-up nine grand slam events during her career.
9. Number of finals played at Roland Garros.
11. 11-time doubles champion on the WTA Tour. Five of those victories were with Sabatini.
13. Between 1987-1990 Graf reached the final at 13 consecutive grand slam tournaments.
13. At 13 years and 10 months, Graff is the youngest tennis player ever to win a match in a slam tournament (1983 Roland Garros).
14. Steffi was born on 14 June 1969.
19. Consecutive quarter-finals in the majors.
21. Graf’s Prize Money amounts to more than 21 million dollars.
22. Triumphed in 22 Grand Slam tournaments. She is third on the all-time list for most major titles after Margaret Court (24) and Serena Williams (23).
32. The number of finals lost in her career.
39. Consecutive sets won at the Australian Open.
40. Consecutive sets won in the Majors (1988).
74. Number of matches won at Wimbledon.
107. Number of WTA titles won during her career. Only Chris Evert and Navratilova have won more trophies in women’s tennis.
186. Consecutive weeks at No. 1.
377. Has held the No.1 position longer than any other player in the history of the WTA Tour at 377 weeks.
900. Career matches won by Graf.
2001. The year she married André Agassi.
2004. The year she was introduced into the Tennis Hall of Fame.
