Yes, she is one of the greatest tennis players who ever lived but there are countless tournaments where Serena was erratic, sprayed balls outside the court, and simply gave up. Case for Serena Williams: Let's be honest here: When Rafael Nadal lost early at Wimbledon, were you completely shocked? Cause Lists. The slice would make it very for hard for Serena to play her game against Steffi, Knowles says. Stay tuned to thesportslegends.com to dive deep into the world of sports. This means that when assets are divided during the divorce process, the other spouse is legally entitled to half of the value , Admissibility of Recorded Conversations in California Typically, recorded conversations are inadmissible in court as hearsay. She had won 34 consecutive matches amid the best stretch of her career. But if you look at her old videos and compare her forehand to Serena's today, it just doesn't match up. Oh for goodness sake she won a grand slam while being pregnant!!! Tennis, when all is said and done, is a mental game. 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. Nadal is out, but vows to make another comeback, Slow-starting USWNT blitz New Zealand in second half as Lynn Williams scores on return, Looking ahead to the LPGA season -- Upcoming events, predictions, players to watch, more, Arizona Coyotes debut new 'Desert Night' jerseys. Playing against Serena in Oz would be a true test of endurance, and that's where Graf would have the edge. I live in NYC and Im sick of Americans thinking that Serena is the GOAT. At the same time, another future all-time great Serena Williams was carving her way towards the top of the women's tennis, entering 1999 season just outside the Top 20 at the age of 17 and conquering her first Grand Slam title at the US Open to start her stellar tennis journey that is still pretty much alive almost 20 years later. This article is very bias as well. This enabled her to overcome injuries (which affected some of her opportunities in winning all slams in a year), to have a never say never attitude at top competitions (go re-watch her comebacks finals against Sharapova, Vicka, Kerber, Henin.there are one of the best on record) & above all her passion for the game, which has fueled her desire for success at every turn. Steffi Graf entered the 1988 Australian Open with a maiden Slam title already under her belt, Roland Garros 1987. It does influence tennis experts when evaluating the player's placement in ATG. Her only doubles Grand Slam title came in 1988 at Wimbledon. If there was any doubt before, there was none after that match. Arguably the all-time GOAT, Serena Williams currently holds 23 grand slam titles, second only to the great Margaret Court. Both sisters have been ranked world No. 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. My first connect with your article was that even I watched all Steffis matches during lockdownI was literally reliving the golden era of Steffi. Mattheus S Ayongwa Feb 13, 2021 at 12:28 pm. She of course hit countless of her infamous, deadly forehands at angles that inspired the Frulein Forehand nickname of the German superstar. ". The Williams sisters rivalry was a tennis rivalry between sisters Venus Williams and Serena Williams (born June 17, 1980, and September 26, 1981, respectively), regarded as two of the best tennis players for over two decades. The simple answer is no, it is not legal to record your spouse unless that person consents to being recorded. THAT CASTS A DARK CLOUD ON HER RECORD, Tom Taylor Dec 25, 2020 at 12:45 am, STEFFI GRAFS ONLY COMPETITOR WAS ESSENTIALLY MONICA SELES. HAD SELES NOT BEEN ATTACKED ON TBE COURT, STEFFI WOULD OF WON NO MORE THAN 18 SLAMS. THAT CASTS A DARK CLOUD ON HER RECORD. Serena's forehand is way bigger than Steffi's. 2 - 0 Serena. Her singles win record is incredible with 900 wins and a win % of 88.7. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". What time is Serena playing today? Or the 1999 Manchester United treble-winning team. 1 tennis player. Venus Williams. Backhand: Serena wins this one easily. Seles was the only true competition till she got stabbed which derailed her momentum. Graf was the best in the game. In 1988, Steffi became only the seventh tennis player (amongst both male and female players) to achieve this. Despite breaking Grafs record, Williams does not consider herself the GOAT. THAT IS A BIG DEAL. Enjoyed reading it! Why are Barcelona travelling to North African coast for Copa del Rey clash? Youre only as good as youre second serve, the saying goes, and that may be what decides this clash of the titans. Williams has always lacked the quickness, agility, and skill that Steffi Graf had, which made womens tennis a joy to watch. Steffi Graf and Serena Williams have won 45 Grand slam titles in total. Graf has more majors (22), but Serena is one away from tying that and could match Graf's calendar-year sweep of the Slams by the time the US . Meanwhile, the great Steffi Graf had 21 to her name. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. I spent a lot of time re-watching documentaries, full games, and full matches from the past featuring some of my favorite teams and athletes. As strong as Grafs serve is, Williams is stronger, and her kick second delivery is safer and steadier. She averaged 106 mph and recorded the fastest at 128.6 mph in 2013. The eighth singles title of Steffis career. Steffi Graf. Sports. Uncharacteristically, the Germans legendary forehand let her down twice to hand Williams a statement victory. In an era that she effectively has a monopoly in? Williams has also greatly benefitted from a lack of competition. Stefan Collins youve spoken like a true pundit. Serena and Venus Williams have not only won 14 Grand Slam titles together but also 3 Olympic Gold Medals in 2000,2008 and 2012. His other annual earnings, running into the multimillions, come from superbrands like Mercedes-Benz, Seiko, Lacoste and Adidas, among others. 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. 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. QF. 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. That was also the year when Graf bid goodbye to the sport, finishing on a whopping 22 Grand Slam titles. Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved by The Sports Legends. Party Name. Act. Pete Sampras is a name that all the tennis fans from the 1980s and beyond would know. Take a look at his top 5 best performances. For Williams, she has five titles and a 54-7 record. Australian Rod Laver won all four majors in the Open era the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open in 1969, and it is a nod to this achievement that this weekends Laver Cup has been named. Here we take a look at her top 5 best performances. Meanwhile, Williams won her first major at the US Open at the end of 1999 and now boasts 23 Slams in total one more than Graf has in her own trophy cabinet. In terms of skill, natural ability & technique, Steffi reigned supreme. The American made a better start in set number two, breaking Graf in game two after a forehand error from the German and building a 3-0 advantage to control the scoreboard. I. Both matches went to three sets. Serena Williams and Steffi Graf played twice in 1999. Graf was fiercely dedicated to her mission, the mission of winning. Novak Djokovic US$220 million His career total prize money is now over US$150 million, making him the highest-earning tennis player of all time on court. Are 'fluffier' tennis balls causing longer matches at the Australian Open? Steffi Graf vs Martina Navratilova. The German former player said: "The tour constantly evolves. Go fuq yourself! He was number 1 for a straight 209 weeks. ET following the match between Roger Federer and Adrian Mannarino, which is due to start at 9:45 a.m. 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 . White American hate? Steffi is the best all-around player of all time, regardless of the surface.. Your email address will not be published. Williams, in contrast, is one of the most fined women in tennis. What is this? I hope you all enjoyed reading this one and learned something about the history of Tennis. In September 2022, Federer announced that he was retiring from the sport after more than two decades of dominance and winning 20 Grand Slam titles. Jaiye Iway Feb 15, 2021 at 7:20 pm. 1988 is it!! In comparison, she is the heir apparent to the throne. Harriet Dart believes Indian Wells run is career turning point, Indian Wells: Billie Jean King rallies with old foe Martina Navratilova, Naomi Osaka, Aryna Sabalenka: The top 5 Indian Wells upsets so far, UFC 285: Valentina Shevchenko vs Alexa Grasso set for co-main event, Rafael Nadal's wife cries as tennis legend crashes out of Australian Open, Cesar Azpilicueta and male stars can normalise LGBTQ+ players in football, BBC sex noise prank: Ally McCoist and Laura Woods' comical reaction, F1: Jamie Chadwick to continue with Williams Driver Academy, Australian Open: Maria Sakkari fuming over opponent 'screaming in her face'. 6-2 3-6 7-5. THERE HAS BEEN NO ELITE CHALLENGE TO SERENA IN THE WORLD BECAUSE SHE IS THAT GOOD. 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 . Steffi Graf and her husband have many joint ventures after their tennis career. Serena has shone both on the singles and doubles court, winning 14 grand slam doubles titles (all of which were alongside her sister Venus). Also Read: Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal Head to Head and Stats Comparison. Williams was unseeded in the draw, but had started to emerge as a player tipped for big things. He won 60 career titles on the ATP Tour and has 10 grand slam victories to his name. Graf was emotionless on the court, often aloof off it. Court Number. Harsh Chopra January 19th 2023, 1:19:24 am 337 Reads. Recently, Djokovics quest for a Golden Slam came to and end. Probably not. Steffi Graf and Serena Williams played each other twice, and walked away with a win each. Did venus Williams ever play Steffi Graf? How do I get a copy of my Nebraska birth certificate? For the lack of a better word, Grafs 1988 season was perfect. You're talking about arguably the greatest female athletes of the 20th century against the best of the 21st century. and she is considered the greatest player of all time and she has a strong case for it as well. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site! Although Graf retired in 1999, her legacy lives on. Harsh Chopra January 19th 2023, 1:19:24 am 1714 Reads. To add a few more In the department of sportsmanship and conduct on court, Steffi is way above Serena. Though being a die hard fan of Steffi and tennis, I would like to see Steffi and Serena differently. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Steffi was a phenomenon, by virtue of how she won, but Serena IS a force of nature by virtue of her passion for the game. Tennis News. On any kind of faster court, it's still a great matchup of offense and movement, but with all that power from Serena, especially on the serve, she's a favorite. But when it comes to winning grand slams, Graf is rooting for Williams to break her Open era record of 22 . Tennis . 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. 1 spot. Harsh Chopra January 19th 2023, 1:19:24 am 643 Reads, Top 5 Doubles Performances of Martina Navratilova. Tom Taylor Dec 25, 2020 at 12:48 am, STEFFI GRAFS ONLY COMPETITOR WAS ESSENTIALLY MONICA SELES. Jake Evans Mar 3, 2021 at 2:04 am. 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. He said he realized why he played and that was to prove to himself what he could do. Williamss serve speed often exceeded that of her male counterparts. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. was a left handed player and she made the most of it. 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