Seven years later, in 2013, Sharapova came close once again to capturing the Double. Its clear that Williams has possessed more marketing power than Graf. Many current tennis fans view America's Serena Williams as the best to ever play the sport but she falls short in comparison to Steffi Graf, who won 22 Grand Slam titles from 1987 to 1999. The term "Sunshine Double" means winning the Indian Wells and Miami titles in the same year. With that in mind, we are spending the Wimbledon fortnight debating which of the greats is the greatest of them all. However, that did not happen, as her fellow countrywoman, Svetlana Kuznetsova, denied her 6-4, 6-3 in the final. As the pair met in the final of Indian Wells, known then as the Evert Cup, there was only one favourite on paper. Nick Gannon. A year earlier, Serena was the semi-finalist in Sydney and she proved her class against Steffi again, forcing the great opponent to give her best and sending the clear message it will not be a very long before she would become the leader of the pack on the Tour. (The highlighted box shows when sheretired, one Slam into her age-30 year.). The character and poise were there from the start. ? Graf beat opponents with spectacular precision, and Williams had a power game, unlike any woman in professional tennis. Her tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou (2012-15). . If you string together the number of weeks Graf held the No. This week our writers have made the case for. Serena Williams has played pro tennis for 20 years and is still an incredible competitor. Although Williams is one of the top womens players of all time, she is not the best. She did that with ease but Steffi was not to be denied, finishing the set with another comfortable hold and a service winner in game eight for a 6-2 in just over 40 minutes. She leveraged her position as a top player to spearhead the formation of the Womens Tennis Association in 1973 and her achievements on the court were matched by her accomplishments off it. In their prime, they ruled their eras with their own dominating styles. The 1999 season was a breakthrough one for Serena Williams. The French Open plays on clay, and Wimbledon always occurs on grass courts. One was 19 and one is pushing 34. WebSerena Williams. He has reported on events including the Tokyo Olympics, ICC Womens T20 World Cup and Wimbledon, while also getting the chance to cover the Euro 2022 final at Wembley. Patrick Mouratoglou became Serena Williams coach after she was stunned in a first-round defeat at the 2012 French Open, the first time shes made such an early exit in a Grand Slam tournament. 1 for Her victory in the Olympics semi-final against Anastasia Myskina in 2004 also stands out, as well as her many battles with Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters. In 1983, she played 87 matches and lost only one of them. Graf showed us perhaps the greatest footwork of all time. The face of tennis is notably more diverse than when she and her sister arrived. In an essay for Fortune, Williams wrote about Alexis, "She is my absolute priority, spending as much time as possible with her every day is so important to me. Serena Williams and Elena Rybakina are among the players who narrowly missed out on the Sunshine Double. Serena Williams vs. Steffi Graf. 1 spot, it would equal over seven years. 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. "In Paris and Berlin, I indeed did not just lose against Monica Seles. However, I think you must make a legitimate case as to why you think that. Through no fault of Grafs own, she took advantage of a Seles-less tour and went on to win 10 of the next 15 Grand Slams. So, if you really believe that Williams is the best to ever play and you arent being influenced by recency bias, then, by all means, place her above Graf. Williams has appeared in many TV commercials, such as McDonalds, Doublemint Gum, Cadburys Oreo, and Beats by Dre (2015). She was born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1981, to Richard and Oracene Williams. Her path to the final was helped somewhat by number one seed Martina Hingis shock defeat to Chanda Rubin. Graf:"You can't measure success if you have never failed. And business continues to be good for Williams, who has an estimated fortune of $225 million and recently became the first woman athlete to make the Forbes richest self-made women list. The end of the Graf era and the start of the Williams dynasty. As with our mens final, between Roger Federer and Pete Sampras, Graf vs. Williams pits the last great player of the 20th century against the first great player of the 21st. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; Serena Williams and Steffi Graf played twice in 1999.

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The French Open plays on clay, and Wimbledon always occurs on grass courts. Olly is a Senior Writer for GiveMeSport Women and GiveMeSport. And it was great. At her best, she was unbeatable. Graf, in particular, was winning matches right up to her final days on the court in 1999, and Williams is still going at the age of 37, overcoming injuries and returning from a pregnancy that kept her out for most of the 2017 season. So far, only 11 players (seven men and four women) have managed to win the Sunshine Double. Although Steffi was cleared of any wrongdoing, people began to notice that her game was affected by the scandal. Yes, they did. Actor Hosea Chanchez (2008). Not only did she excel as a player by winning 39 grand slam titles 12 in singles, 16 in womens doubles and 11 in mixed doubles but she is a crusader for social justice and womens equality in sports. Both matches went to three sets. To keep up with Wimbledon throughout the year, visit wimbledon.com/mywimbledon Luckily, Grafs Golden Slam, albeit impressive, was just one of the many accomplishments she achieved. Despite their differences, their careers, on and off the court, share some uncanny similarities. Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) [1] is an American inactive professional tennis player. Graf beat opponents with spectacular precision, and Williams had a power game, unlike any woman in professional tennis. She dominated on clay, popularising the two-handed backhand and the idea of staying on the baseline. Grafs all-around tennis game and achievements cement her as the reigning womens tennis GOAT. Steffi Graf and Serena Williams are two of the greatest womens tennis players ever. With Williams down a set to Naomi Osaka, Ramos warned her for a coaching violation (accusing coach Patrick Mouratoglou of giving signals). Steffi Graf had the most graceful game of any female player in history. 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. It was a pretty amazing feat given that she had given birth to her first daughter in the intervening years. Chelsea's potential XI under Luis Enrique in 2023/24 looks pretty special, Arsenal deal for 70k-a-week star now 'basically done' at the Emirates, WWE: Roman Reigns breaks character to tell a fan he knows theyre high. Graf won the gold medal in Seoul and silver in Barcelona. They have had personal difficulties off the court, and they have had their moments with the press. With Graf ready to leap around and take a cut at a forehand return whenever possible, Williams will need to rely on both of her serves coming down the stretch in a third set. Then, when Seles stops playing, the Graf wins start back up. Although Graf retired in 1999, her legacy lives on. 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. But Id have to go with her first Wimbledon victory, in 1988 over the great Martina Navratilova. She has won 23 grand slams the most of any active tennis player, male or female. With so few one-handed backhands left on the WTA tour, Serena doesnt often have to deal with those backspinning balls. 2018 ITF World Junior Tennis: The future of American tennis looks bright.

Unlike Graf, Williams is raising Alexis while still holding down a tennis career, and shes had to fight through some injuries since giving birth, slowing her comeback. These greats came very close to attaining the feat, but missed out on the achievement by the barest of margins. 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. She has won 23 grand slams the most of any active tennis player, male or female. If you are already a Tennis.com user click the LOGIN button, otherwise create an account and start playing. Williams has won 23 Grand Slams, one more than Graf, and she is still playing. The match itself proved to be one of the best in the history of Indian Wells. Please check your email for a confirmation. Little did people know, however, that Williams would later go on to catch and then surpass Grafs extraordinary Grand Slam tally. That would seem to give Williams an advantage, but Mark Knowles, for one, thinks the edge goes to Graf because of the low, skidding shots she can produce with her slice. Graf: 343-40 on hardcourt (.896 winning percentage), Williams: 505-85 on hardcourt (.856 winning percentage). Some of Williams greatest victories have come on grass, including seven Grand Slam wins at Wimbledon. Williams, in contrast, is one of the most fined women in tennis. Williams' biggest meltdown was at the 2018 U.S. Open, when verbal attacks directed at umpire Carlos Ramos cost her a shot at winning a 24th major that wouldve tied her with Margaret Court for the most major victories. From the 1988 Australian Open through the 1990 Australian Open (when Graf was ages 17 through 19), she won eight of nine Slams, including her famed GoldenSlam of 1988 (all four Slams and the Olympic gold). Billie Jean King takes on Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes. 1 for During their heydays, Graf was the best player in tennis toward the end of the 1980s and the 1990s, while Williams has controlled things from the start of the 21st century. Serena Williams vs. Steffi Graf. WebM25 Toulouse-Balma. In the doubles final, Steffi and Helena Sukova beat Tine Scheuer-Larsen and Catherine Tanvier 6-4, 6-4. ? That was also the year when Graf bid goodbye to the sport, finishing on a whopping 22 Grand Slam titles. These include some of the greatest ever to play the game, like Roger Federer, Steffi Graf, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and Novak Djokovic. It was my breakout season. . Williams is a trailblazer. She was born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1981, to Richard and Oracene Williams.

So did Steffi Graf and Serena Williams ever play each other? Graf, who had more Slams at age 20 than Evert, Navratilova and Williams combined, would win just two of her next 12 majors after winning eight of nine. In other words, if youre looking for controversy, its not here. Graf and Williams split their only two meetings, in 1999. Jannik Sinner improves on Novak Djokovic's data! On Tuesday, we published a chart of Grand Slam progression by age for the ATPs big three. It was quite illustrative as Federer, Djokovic and Nadal have been, for the most part,contemporaries fighting for the same titles. In their prime, they ruled their eras with their own dominating styles. The top 10 tennis players in the world right now, Transfer Talk: PSG won't move on from Mbappe this summer as tensions rise, 7 top young players who will be summer transfer targets, Why OL Reign has the NWSL's best defense: A tactical explainer, Team owners' feud with NASCAR gives fans excuse to tune out -- again, SCI gives girls state championship teams one more shot at title. Serena Williams vs Ajla Tomljanovic US Open 2022 Preview and Prediction . Aryna Sabalenka's photo shoot is damn sensual. Evonne Goolagong Cawley was not just a phenomenal tennis player, she was also a person of colour from Australia who succeeded in a sport that was and is still dominated by the white, middle classes. The U.S. Open and Australian Open play on hard surfaces. Henins career is synonymous with the French Open, where she was magical. Who is the best of the best? Stevegtennis is your No.1 resource for tennis & football stats.

The local media covered her matches with the same interest they covered Muhammad Alis boxing bouts. But how do they match up against each other. (Seles assailant said he stabbed her to help Graf reach No. 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. 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? 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. Meanwhile, the great Steffi Graf had 21 to her name. While the American has made herself into an excellent clay-courter, the German was a more natural mover on dirt, and she would have time on the surface to use her slice to move Williams around and position herself for her big forehand. Serena Williams vs Ajla Tomljanovic US Open 2022 Preview and Prediction . Serena Williams and Steffi Graf played twice in 1999. Her demolition of her arch-rival Monica Seles at Wimbledon in 1992 after losing a heartbreaker at Roland Garros just weeks earlier was particularly fulfilling. The more experienced player held in game 11 and Serena was now serving to stay in the match and force the deciding tie break. Graf: 282-32 in singles (.890 winning percentage), Williams: 343-48 in singles (.877 winning percentage). She had a varied and beautiful all-around style of play and, despite being small in stature, was a giant fighter. For the most part, Williams has a pretty good relationship with the media, although there are critics who say the media often gives Williams a bad rap. English pop singer and famous womanizer Mick Hucknall (1991-92). However, Hingis exacted revenge in the Miami Open (then known as the Ericsson Open). The U.S. Open and Australian Open play on hard surfaces. Showing their Slams by age helped give insight into whether one (Djokovic) could break the record of another (Federer). Tennis H2H Steffi Graf vs Serena Williams. Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) [1] is an American inactive professional tennis player. 1 for the same number of consecutive weeks, but Graf held the top spot in tennis for the most weeks.

Winning all five titles was called the Golden Slam. Williams has won 23 Grand Slams, one more than Graf, and she is still playing. Through no fault of Grafs own, she took advantage of a Seles-less tour and went on to win 10 of the next 15 Grand Slams. Williams had more dates with different men than Graf, but it's difficult to say who really gets the edge. She won 12 of the final 13 games. Twice in fact and both times in 1999. The Swiss took down Davenport 63, 62 in the final at Key Biscayne in straight sets to capture her second title in Florida. Recording artist Common, aka Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr., (2007-10) Actor and musician Jackie Long (2007-08). Williams has had her moments with the press, but the latest one after the third round of the 2019 French Open where she lost, then kicked Dominic Thiem out of his news conference was eye-opening. WebThis is the official Wimbledon YouTube page. 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. Twice in fact and both times in 1999. WrestleMania 40 bold predictions: Roman Reigns loses? So even though Serena has more overall Olympic gold, the Golden Slam is an equalizer for Steffi and gives us a tie. What helped them both become champions was their mental approach. Serena Williams has been dominant for such a long period of time. So what happened? Another legendary tennis player, Evert, said, Steffi Graf is the best all-around player. Graf has done endorsements for T-Mobile, Head sports equipment, Wilson Sporting Goods, Dunlop Sports, Rexona, Canon Inc., Kerala Tourism, Barilla Pasta, Opel Automobiles, Aramis Always Fragrance (with Andre Agassi), Adidas, and Longines watches. At the same time, Williams had to deal with racism and sexism on and off the court, including racist remarks made from fans during matches. She smacked forehand winners from everywhere, retrieved balls that were impossible to get, threw down second-serve aces, and most thrillingly of all displayed rare audacity on her backhand side in order to go for topspin winners.