Steffi Graf's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Steffi Graf.

Steffi Graf is a German former professional tennis player widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. She held the world No. 1 ranking for a record 377 weeks and finished the year as No. 1 a record eight times. Graf won 107 WTA singles titles, including 22 major singles titles, the second-most in the Open Era. Notably, she is the only tennis player to achieve a quadruple career Grand Slam, winning each major tournament at least four times.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1982: European Championships Win

In 1982, Steffi Graf won the European Championships in both the 12s and 18s categories, showcasing her early talent and dominance in junior tournaments.

1984: International Attention and Olympic Win

In 1984, Steffi Graf gained international attention at Wimbledon and, representing West Germany, won the tennis demonstration event at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles as a 15-year-old, although no medals were awarded.

April 1986: First WTA Tournament Win

On April 13, 1986, Steffi Graf won her first WTA tournament at the Family Circle Cup in Hilton Head, South Carolina, marking her first victory over Chris Evert.

1986: German Sportsperson of the Year Award

In 1986, Steffi Graf was elected as the German Sportsperson of the Year.

August 1987: Ranked World No. 1

In August 1987, Steffi Graf was ranked world No. 1 for 186 consecutive weeks

1987: Grand Slam Breakthrough

In 1987, Steffi Graf had a strong start to the year with six tournament victories. She later defeated Martina Navratilova in the French Open final, securing her Grand Slam breakthrough.

1987: Winning Percentage and No. 1 Ranking

In 1987, Steffi Graf had a win-loss record of 75-2. On August 17, after defeating Evert, Graf became the world No. 1 for the first time, holding the ranking for 186 consecutive weeks.

1987: First Major Win

In 1987, Steffi Graf secured her first major title at the French Open, signaling the end of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova's dominance.

1987: Awards

In 1987, Steffi Graf was voted the ITF World Champion and WTA Player of the Year.

1988: First French Open Title Since 1988

Graf won her first French Open title since 1988 with a three-set victory over Mary Joe Fernández. Graf also became only the second tennis player in history to win a Slam on hardcourt, clay, and grass all in the same season.

1988: Golden Slam Achievement

In 1988, Graf achieved the Golden Slam by winning all four major titles and an Olympic gold medal in the same year, marking a period of dominance.

1988: Won slam on hardcourt, clay, and grass

In 1988, Graf became only the second tennis player in history to win a Slam on hardcourt, clay, and grass all in the same season.

1988: Wimbledon Doubles Championship

In 1988, Steffi Graf and Gabriela Sabatini won the Wimbledon Championships together in doubles.

1988: Australian Open Win

In 1988, Steffi Graf started the year by winning the Australian Open, defeating Chris Evert in the final without losing a single set during the entire tournament.

1988: Virginia Slims Championships Loss and Award

In 1988, Steffi Graf was upset by Pam Shriver at the year-ending Virginia Slims Championships, preventing her from achieving the Golden Super Slam. She was named the 1988 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year.

1988: Awards

In 1988, Steffi Graf was voted the ITF World Champion and WTA Player of the Year and was elected as the German Sportsperson of the Year.

1988: US Open Victory and Grand Slam

In 1988, Steffi Graf won the US Open by defeating Sabatini in the final, completing the Grand Slam. This Grand Slam remains the only one completed on three surfaces.

1989: Won Virginia Slims Championships

In 1989, Graf finished her year by winning her first Virginia Slims Championships since 1989, defeating Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the final despite needing painkillers for a back injury.

1989: Winning Streak

In 1989, Graf's winning streak continued until the French Open loss. She survived a close match with Helena Sukova in the Australian Open semis, winning 6-4 in the third set.

1989: End of Year Success

In 1989, Steffi Graf cemented her top-ranked status by beating Navratilova in the Virginia Slims Championships final. She ended the year with an 86-2 match record and the loss of only 12 sets.

1989: Australian Open Victory

In 1989, Steffi Graf extended her Grand Slam tournament winning streak to five events at the Australian Open, where she defeated Helena Suková in the final.

1989: Awards

In 1989, Steffi Graf was voted the ITF World Champion and WTA Player of the Year and was elected as the German Sportsperson of the Year.

1990: Awards

In 1990, Steffi Graf was voted the ITF World Champion and WTA Player of the Year.

March 1991: Ranked World No. 1

In March 1991, Steffi Graf was ranked world No. 1 for 186 consecutive weeks

1991: Steffi Graf Youth Tennis Center Dedication

In 1991, the Steffi Graf Youth Tennis Center in Leipzig was dedicated to her.

1993: Won slam on hardcourt, clay, and grass

In 1993, Graf became only the second tennis player in history to win a Slam on hardcourt, clay, and grass all in the same season.

1993: Losses and Title at German Open

In 1993, Graf started with four losses but secured her seventh title at the German Open in Berlin, overcoming Sabine Hack, Mary Joe Fernández, and Sabatini.

1994: Victories and Injury

In 1994, Graf won the Australian Open and her next four tournaments, but later faced her first loss of the year in Hamburg. She aggravated a back injury at San Diego, and developed a bone spur. She still managed to reach the US Open final before the back injury took its toll.

1994: WTA Player of the Year Award

In 1994, Steffi Graf was voted the WTA Player of the Year.

1995: French Open and Wimbledon Victories

In 1995, Graf won the French Open and Wimbledon, defeating Sánchez Vicario in both finals. She also secured a win against Monica Seles at the US Open final.

1995: Awards

In 1995, Steffi Graf was voted the ITF World Champion and WTA Player of the Year.

1996: Won slam on hardcourt, clay, and grass

In 1996, Graf became only the second tennis player in history to win a Slam on hardcourt, clay, and grass all in the same season.

1996: Awards

In 1996, Steffi Graf was voted the ITF World Champion and WTA Player of the Year.

December 1999: Greatest Female Tennis Player of the 20th Century

In December 1999, Steffi Graf was named the greatest female tennis player of the 20th century by a panel of experts assembled by the Associated Press.

1999: German Sportsperson of the Year Award

In 1999, Steffi Graf was elected as the German Sportsperson of the Year.

1999: Final Major Title and Retirement

In 1999, Steffi Graf won her 22nd and final major title at the French Open, reached the Wimbledon final, and subsequently retired from the sport at the age of 30 while ranked world No. 3.

2004: International Tennis Hall of Fame Induction

In 2004, Steffi Graf was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

2004: Induction into Tennis Hall of Fame

In 2004, Steffi Graf was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame, solidifying her legacy in the sport.

2004: Renaming of Berliner Tennis-Arena

In 2004, the Berliner Tennis-Arena was renamed Steffi-Graf-Stadion in honor of Steffi Graf.

2008: German Sports Hall of Fame Induction

In 2008, Steffi Graf was inducted into the German Sports Hall of Fame.

March 2012: Greatest Female Tennis Player Ever

In March 2012, Tennis Channel picked Steffi Graf as the greatest female tennis player ever in their list of 100 greatest tennis players of all time.

2015: Jean Borotra Sportsmanship Award

In 2015, Steffi Graf was the recipient of the International Club's Jean Borotra Sportsmanship Award.

November 2018: Greatest Women's Tennis Player

In November 2018, Tennis.com polled its readers to choose the greatest women's tennis player of all time and Steffi Graf came in first.

July 2020: Greatest Female Tennis Player

In July 2020, The Guardian polled its readers to determine the greatest female tennis player of the past 50 years, and Steffi Graf was the clear favorite.