Steffi Graf

Who is Steffi Graf?

Stefanie Maria "Steffi" Graf is a former World No. 1 German tennis player.

Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles. Her 22 singles titles mark the record for most Major wins by a tennis player since the introduction of the Open Era in 1968, and is the only player to win at least 4 singles titles at each Grand Slam . In 1988, she became the first and only tennis player to achieve the Calendar Year Golden Slam by winning all four Grand Slam singles titles and the Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year.

Graf was ranked World No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association for a record 377 total weeks—the longest period for which any player, male or female, has held the number-one ranking since the WTA and the Association of Tennis Professionals began issuing rankings. She won 107 singles titles, which ranks her third on the WTA's all-time list after Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.

A notable feature of Graf's game was her versatility across all playing surfaces, having won each of the four Majors at least four times, the only player to do so, and she is best known for her great footwork and for her powerful forehand drive.