Watched this match live in 1988. Watched after 36 years again today on RUclips... What breathtaking Tennis. Missing this quality of Tennis in Women section for last many years..
Legendary Steffi Graf on her peak in 1988, winning a golden grandslam , all 4 major open championships of France, Australia, USA and Wimbledon plus the Olympic gold medal in Seoul. A unique record, the only player in tennis to do so ever, both men and women. She is the greatest tennis player of all time. GOAT
back when Wimbledon courts were really fast grasscourts . Graf was mainly baseline player , but in Wimbledon she rushed to the net often, she had to . And she was pretty good in it too . Her forehand was killer in womens tennis, she often ran around ball to hit forehand because she was sure it does not coming back . Same year Stefan Edberg won mens singles , defeated Boris Becker in 4 sets . What a great year this was . I miss this golden era of beautiful tennis.
Keep in mind that Martina played with different racquets throughout her career before the carbon fiber came out fo the power games. She definitely would have been capable of smacking forehands hard like Graf.
@@Mollikar She pretty much was at the peak of her career, she dominated Chris Evert in the second half of their rivalry and Evert is one of the GOAT's of Women's Tennis.
@@azenith9589 boring years of tennis is from 2013 till end of this sport in this universe or till the end of this universe ( only cowards' game play from 2013- base line games, standing so much back like a coward, not attacking and aggresively coming to the net , not showing varieties at all- nowadays everything is slow moving, no varieties at all, dull movement , no quickness/alertness at all
Graf had a magical mix of power, speed and court sense. As did Martina. The result is multiple majors. As a hacker for many years, I ask what planet are they from? It’s never boring watching Steffi and Martina.
They were both so, so, so good. This video is amazing. As I said elsewhere, either of them in this video, with their 1988 equipment, would still win Wimbledon today. They would laugh at Rybakina or Barty, or anyone else in the current WTA.
@@arunaaruna7941 Both Serena and Djokovic were positioned to win all 4 Majors in the same year, and neither could get over the finish line...shows how difficult that feat is to achieve since it's been over 30 years since Graf pulled it off, adding Olympic Gold in 1988 to boot.
@@broncoguy4862 In fairness to Djokovic, nobody was beating a prime Rafa Nadal on his best surface. Destiny though alluded Serena, as if fate decided beforehand she won't ever unequivocably surpass Graf.
Amazing how good Martina was able to keep up with the youngens, she was in her 30s and had come up playing in the wooden racquet era. The flat angles are brilliant. Graf was too good that year.
For me these matches between Graf and Navratilova in 1987 and 1988 are the best matches ever played between two women. Variety, touch and athleticism at its best.
Graf was the ultimate tennis athlete. She combined speed & agility like no other. Her game had no world class weakness. She is the only woman to accomplish any of the following: win all 4 slam events at least 4 times each; win 3 slam events in a year 5 times & reach every final attempt; reach all 4 slam finals in 3 different years; reach 13 consecutive slam finals; twice win 5 consecutive attempts in slam events (incl. 1 of each). And, she did it all by age 27. Graf was the greatest player in women's tennis history.
Steffi said ever since she lost the 87 Wimbledon final to Martina, she knew she had to work on her backhand return of serve. Her dad repeatedly told her unless she worked on her backhand she would never win Wimbledon. That's how Martina won the 87 final, every time she was in trouble she'd throw in a hard serve to Steffi's backhand. On the eve of their 88 rematch Steffi told reporters she was ready, she'd been working on her backhand and return of serve for almost a year. And you can tell as this rematch progressed Steffi became more confident in her backhand and started firing off winners. That backhand return of serve on match point says it all
@@Jdman5000 in my opinion no. If both played with same racquet, have same training facilities & equipment then I give the edge to Steffi because she was mentally more stronger than Serena. In hypothetical scenario in a best of 20 matches Steffi would have 12-8 h2h against her. In my humble opinion peak LeBron would beat peak MJ but that's doesn't mean he is better than MJ. That's wrong to compare one another. Graf & Martina in their time were much more dominate than Serena ever was.
@@rajusaha855 that’s interesting. Graf is my favorite player but being mentally strong is what Serena is known for. I don’t think Serena is naturally the most talented player but she is the most determined and hated losing so much she would fight and fight. When they last played each other neither player was at their best. Steffi was about to retire and Serena hadn’t reached her prime. The fact Serena won that meeting shows me that she would have found a way to beat Graf consistently even if Graf had much more natural talent. To me the fact that Serena could find a way to consistently beat her sister (a naturally much more gifted player in my opinion) shows me that she would be able to find a way to beat Graf.
@@Jdman5000 I think if Steffi and Serena both in their prime Steffi would prevail as she is not only more talented but also more athletic and Serena may have stronger body built and determined yet graff was gaining experience faster than her age playing at age of 20 you would think she have been professional for more than decade I enjoy graff tennis more than any other player till now
Like Navratilova was not... They are both legends, but the edge for me is Martina for her doubles and mixed-doubles equsl respectively to her single's titles.
This WAS tennis! The good old days of serve and volley, slice, no grunting and tennis nous on all shots! For me two of the greatest of all time. Today’s tennis players play one dimensional tennis which is boring in my view. I miss the fast courts of Wimbledon and tennis players had personalities rather than the baseliner’s they are churning out year after year. Thank God for RUclips. A great upload btw considering it’s over 30 years old. 😊
You are totally right. Today's WTA players are one dimensional and boring. All they do is bash the ball and pray it goes in. Martina and Steffi would dominate them.
It was great watching this again I can remember watching this in 1988 Steffi wins in 1989 and Martina wins her 9th and last Title in 1990 Tennis was really good back then
One of the better matches of the late 80s...what a COMEBACK from Steffi!! Martina ruled Wimbledon through out most of the decade, then this strong, quick, fearless young German girl with nerves of steel dethrones the queen! What an amazing display of power, strategy, and ass whooping in the 3rd set!!
@@raygordonteacheschess5501 lol!!!! Or grandma! I love the 1999 French open final, Graf vs Hingis! So good! That's like watching a spoiled brat get their ass spanked!
As a teenager I went to watch live in White City (Sydney) in 1979. It was a lead up tournament to Australian Open. In the second day it was raining I stood under shades taking shelter. Martina was standing next to me, she was a tall woman. Watching her played in the centre court was quite amazing. On that day also saw Vilas played, as well as Austin.
I loved Navratilova and wanted her to win this match but later Graf became my favourite tennis player. People may disagree with me but I think she is the greatest player ever. I know Serena won 23 grand slam tournaments and Graf won 22. Steffi won the Golden Grand Slam, which means she won the Australian open, French open, Wimbledon, US open and Olympic Gold medal in the same year. I also think that Steffi had more difficult opponents like Navratilova, Chris Evert, Sanchez Vicario, Sabatini, Seles, Hingis, Novotna, even Serena herself.
It’s like watching a completely different sport compared to today. The variety of the shots, the use of all the angles of the court. Actually much more interesting to watch than most of today’s players.
Exactly. And seeing it in this quality, you realize that they would probably dominate the current WTA tour with easy. None of the WTA players can do half of these things.
@@robertorolfo I always wonder. On the one hand current players have no clue how to deal with S&V and will probably struggle with the slice (Iga did against Barty! Well I guess everyone did since she was no. 1 for a while) but on the other hand current players hit the ball really hard and have strong backhands so coming in won’t be that easy. We are currently seeing what happens to a player like Cressy on the ATP side although, of course, he’s not as good as these two ladies.
100%. Now the women all look like they are on steroids and just sit on the baseline and pound the ball back and forth. No variety at all. Graf or Navratilova would dismantle today’s players.
When Wimbledon was actually played on real grass, not this artificial stuff now which slows the court down considerably. Great to see. Thanks for the upload. Became a new subscriber
Graf war einmalig, ein Natur Phänomen, eine natürliche Spitzensportlerin. Eindeutig der größte deutsche Sportler aller Zeiten, gilt für beide Geschlechter.
She's got eyes like diamonds, Hair like twisted gold, When she looks up at me, I feel my blood run cold, No I don't care if people laugh, Ha ha! I'm in love with Steffi Graf... 😂 Thank you Hugh...just Thank you.
It's not just you at all. I've already made this comment 5 times, but both Steffi and Martina, using their 1988 racquets from this video, would EASILY win Wimbledon 2023. None of the current WTA players have anywhere near these skills. They would walk through the field with the type of play we see in the video. Serena wouldn't have been as easy to beat, but they both would have dominated her as well.
@@robertorolfo I just watched again to "pinch" myself. They are *definitely* head-and-shoulders better than today's WTA. No question. The shot variance, net play, slices, everything is better, other than power. Put a modern racquet in their hand, and that difference likely disappears too. Maybe they'd see some trouble from the eastern bloc ladies that are 6' 2'' and perhaps doping, but even then, I think Martina and Steffi win.
This was the norm in women's tennis for a long time. In practice, people did it just so they could get on quickly to the second serve if they faulted on the first. Also, tho, since women had, for some reason, to wear SKIRTS, there were no pockets to put the second ball in. Evert may have been the first to simply turn and ask for a second ball if she faulted. Then others followed. Watch BJ King, Virginia Wade and others and you'll see it.
Ah the great tennis no screaming and wonderful serve and volley now we have boring long base line matches in both women’s and men’s tennis I miss Roger with his brilliant playing always a thinker and a master class whenever he played
Wow! What awesome tennis! Superb athleticism and technique, ruthless attacks, sophisticated strategy, all-out risk taking. So much fun to watch! Also, the quality of the video is excellent. so many of the older videos are fuzzy. This one looks almost like HD.
God I loved steffi growing up. I was 14 when this final was played and I absolutely adored her. She had a devastating forehand and when she developed her topspin backhand she really started to dominate. She and Navratilova always had epic matches. Always very tense. She is the best women’s player ever with Navratilova second. The stats don’t lie.
Navratilova started the first set playing brilliant attacking tennis but could not maintain that level. A slew of errors from Graf late in the set handed it to Martina. Then Graf's court speed and power on the serve and forehand proved too much for Martina. Steffi also hit quite a few brilliant lob winners.
This match happened a good 10 years before I even started watching tennis. But as I watch this match summary in 2023, it seems that in relative terms, technically and tactically both, players were head and shoulders above today's top players on the WTA.
By her mid career onwards , Nateratlova was by far the best attacking net player in womens tennis ; and Graf had the quickest best foot speed up to that point the womans game had seen. What an awesome show from both in this match 😊
if you see 1991 US open semifinal, you see navratiova playing a diffent game. here she plays like against evert, a few years before .most of all attaching slow to have time to get to the net. anchient style. then she tried to attack sharp and be quicker to get to the net. i really find it interesting that navratilova played slighly a different game in 20 years, but still different from what was going on. evert, graf, seles. the game had changed many times. very interesting. she always played peculiar.
I was never a fan of Steffi Graf, but I unintentionally followed her career, until I saw some interviews, how she reacted, I miss her and look back at her games , how a great tennis player she was!
First off, she was a class act. Second, just look at how well she is hitting in this high quality video. This 1988 Graf, with her 1988 racquet, would easily win Wimbledon 2023.
Most people don't remember that in the GOAT debate, but at that time with an emerging Steffi Graf, ""Navratilova" was a name that gave absolute horror to her opponents
Fascinating game. Navratilova seemed to have that edge and guile over the first set, not simply charging the net at every opportunity. Then came the Graf juggernaut - finding all the gaps. I remember being a huge Graf fan at the time. Finally a young player to break the Navratilova - Evert duopoly. And yes that was a Graf top spin backhand 3 points in 😉
The Legendary Steffi 🧡 Is there any tennis player aside of Steffi that ever win the Golden Slam ( AUS open, French Open, Wimbledon, US open plus Olympic gold medal ) in single year ?
The year of The Golden Slam for Steffi. She doesn't receive enough credit for winning the Calendar Slam and the Olympic gold medal, all in the same year. That is a big achievement!
I love how they attack the net, something that we unfortunately don't see anymore in the women tennis. This is the era that made Federer and his elegant style.
Boy,Steffi was so pretty as a teen!A real beauty with these blonde curly hair!Wath a match!Two real tennis legends!One coming towards retirement,the other becoming a real force,a true tennis Queen...
@@robertorolfo Here she is at 52, a photo spread for German Vogue in spring 2022: media.vogue.de/photos/628e3ba37ed1fe0aecc9771a/master/w_1600%2Cc_limit/Steffi_3_RGB.jpg
I don’t know - have you seen how many errors today’s players make? Make they come out big them in regards to power; but they don’t possess the level of deft skill and touch that these ladies or others from this era had.
@@sharonmarlowe2313 You idyot again! Steffi made only 20 UEs, Martina even only 11! 31 UEs in 27 games. Vondrousova and Jabeur made a combined 45 UEs in 20 games in the 2023 final. Rybakina and Jabeur 61 (!) in 25 games in 2022. Barty and Pliskova 50 in 31 games in 2021. And so on....
@@sharonmarlowe2313 Remember Kimiko Date? In her heyday in the early/mid-90s she was mostly ranked around #10. She retired in 1996 at age 26. But she returned 13 years later in 2009. In 2010 she beat Sharapova, Stosur, Li. And in 2014 - as a 43-year-old - she beat Pennetta and Muguruza. These 5 players won many slams in the early/mid-10s. So imagine what damage a YOUNG Kimiko would have done in the 2010s. Or - gasp - how peak Steffi Graf would have destroyed all these pretenders.
She never faced anything quite like Graf in those years. Frankly Chris Evert had great mentality but never had that quite athleticism,power & physicality of Graf.
Watched this match live in 1988. Watched after 36 years again today on RUclips... What breathtaking Tennis. Missing this quality of Tennis in Women section for last many years..
Legendary Steffi Graf on her peak in 1988, winning a golden grandslam , all 4 major open championships of France, Australia, USA and Wimbledon plus the Olympic gold medal in Seoul. A unique record, the only player in tennis to do so ever, both men and women. She is the greatest tennis player of all time. GOAT
How beautiful this is to watch ! And this silence during play ! I miss this golden age.
Two great champions who don't need to scream on each point and had one-handed backhand, love them both.
You mean you don't miss Sharapova and Serena 😂 😂
Just graceful playing, no grunting or screeching. Those were the times.
back when Wimbledon courts were really fast grasscourts . Graf was mainly baseline player , but in Wimbledon she rushed to the net often, she had to . And she was pretty good in it too . Her forehand was killer in womens tennis, she often ran around ball to hit forehand because she was sure it does not coming back .
Same year Stefan Edberg won mens singles , defeated Boris Becker in 4 sets .
What a great year this was .
I miss this golden era of beautiful tennis.
❤
Steffi hit 19 return winners.
That must be world record!
This is by far the best clear quality I’ve seen of this match!😊
Graff was the and sti.l the best
Yep, the quality of this video is insanely good. And it makes you realize/appreciate how good both of them were.
Ie war und bleibt die beste😊
Real grass court tennis. In my opinion, way better than the Wimbledon matches, today.
Weder davor noch danach gab es eine Sportlerin im Tennis, die ihr gleich kommt, was für ein Mensch, eine Super Sportlerin,sie hat uns viel gegeben.
Ihre Eleganz und Anmut bei gleichzeitig ungeheurer Dynamik war und ist einmalig.
Und sie blieb stets natürlich und bescheiden.
Great Quality! Thanks! These are arguably the best two women to ever play the game!
Yes, the two best ever.
Wow this is very good quality! I have seen this a gazillion times but never at this quality! thannks so much!
Was thinking exactly the same. What an amazing thing to have surfaced.
What a match!👏 This was the point when I became a Steffi Graf fan as a little child. Memories...🤔🤩👍
Me too... i felt this excitement , someone so so brilliant..
Same here!
Steffi was scary good in this. Absolutely dominated Martina in the last two sets. Was 10 years old when I watched this. Became a fan for life
Hah I was ten years old to, Martina looked soo intimidating to me I thought she was cool like a Tennis Darth Vader.
Keep in mind that Martina played with different racquets throughout her career before the carbon fiber came out fo the power games. She definitely would have been capable of smacking forehands hard like Graf.
@@Mollikar She pretty much was at the peak of her career, she dominated Chris Evert in the second half of their rivalry and Evert is one of the GOAT's of Women's Tennis.
Amazing to see players serve and volley, and play with touch... These were the good old days...
Its certainly a lost art in todays modern womens game ; even many in doubles competition s dont volley thst well or much at all at times
You mean the boring years of tennis !?
@@azenith9589 boring years of tennis is from 2013 till end of this sport in this universe or till the end of this universe ( only cowards' game play from 2013- base line games, standing so much back like a coward, not attacking and aggresively coming to the net , not showing varieties at all- nowadays everything is slow moving, no varieties at all, dull movement , no quickness/alertness at all
@@mahalakshmid8613 you must be from the ancient century artifacts ., wondering your still alive 😅😂
if you think that today players do not have touch you are just an incompetent
Steffi the supreme champion. So feminine graceful and athletic. Thanks for the video.
👑👑👑👑👑👑👑
Graf had a magical mix of power, speed and court sense. As did Martina. The result is multiple majors. As a hacker for many years, I ask what planet are they from? It’s never boring watching Steffi and Martina.
They’re from a planet called Europe, I suppose.
Great contrast in styles. Martina had such quick hands at the net. Steffi had such power off the forehand. Both players had excellent footwork.
They were both so, so, so good. This video is amazing. As I said elsewhere, either of them in this video, with their 1988 equipment, would still win Wimbledon today. They would laugh at Rybakina or Barty, or anyone else in the current WTA.
Who is here during Wimbledon 2024 championships? Steffi Graf v.s Martina Navratilova were the best days on center court. Real legends
In 1988 Graf made the golden slam (four grand slam and a golden medal olympics). Amazing achievement !!!👋👋👋
Golden Slam still any players not achieved except Steffi
@@arunaaruna7941 Both Serena and Djokovic were positioned to win all 4 Majors in the same year, and neither could get over the finish line...shows how difficult that feat is to achieve since it's been over 30 years since Graf pulled it off, adding Olympic Gold in 1988 to boot.
@@broncoguy4862 In fairness to Djokovic, nobody was beating a prime Rafa Nadal on his best surface. Destiny though alluded Serena, as if fate decided beforehand she won't ever unequivocably surpass Graf.
Amazing how good Martina was able to keep up with the youngens, she was in her 30s and had come up playing in the wooden racquet era. The flat angles are brilliant. Graf was too good that year.
For me these matches between Graf and Navratilova in 1987 and 1988 are the best matches ever played between two women. Variety, touch and athleticism at its best.
So true. Take any modern WTA player (including Serena), and they only make 20% of the volleys that Martina makes here.
Add to that their great 1989 finals - Wimbledon, USO and YEC.
Did anyone ever move like Graf. Just wow.
Graf was the ultimate tennis athlete. She combined speed & agility like no other. Her game had no world class weakness. She is the only woman to accomplish any of the following: win all 4 slam events at least 4 times each; win 3 slam events in a year 5 times & reach every final attempt; reach all 4 slam finals in 3 different years; reach 13 consecutive slam finals; twice win 5 consecutive attempts in slam events (incl. 1 of each). And, she did it all by age 27. Graf was the greatest player in women's tennis history.
Great summary! TRUE.
This is a perfect analysis of Steffi well written.
@@keithcampbell6806 he missed the bit about Seles getting stabbed. Smh.
@@gary8306 Which slam would Steffi not have won, lol?
Plus olympics singles
Steffi said ever since she lost the 87 Wimbledon final to Martina, she knew she had to work on her backhand return of serve.
Her dad repeatedly told her unless she worked on her backhand she would never win Wimbledon.
That's how Martina won the 87 final, every time she was in trouble she'd throw in a hard serve to Steffi's backhand.
On the eve of their 88 rematch Steffi told reporters she was ready, she'd been working on her backhand and return of serve for almost a year.
And you can tell as this rematch progressed Steffi became more confident in her backhand and started firing off winners.
That backhand return of serve on match point says it all
Two of the greatest female tennis player of all time with Graf being the GOAT. Quality of the video is quite good.
Best athlete ever, incredible standard
Graf greater than Serena. I’m a Graf fan but let’s be honest Serena would have likely beaten her more than vice versa
@@Jdman5000 in my opinion no. If both played with same racquet, have same training facilities & equipment then I give the edge to Steffi because she was mentally more stronger than Serena. In hypothetical scenario in a best of 20 matches Steffi would have 12-8 h2h against her. In my humble opinion peak LeBron would beat peak MJ but that's doesn't mean he is better than MJ. That's wrong to compare one another. Graf & Martina in their time were much more dominate than Serena ever was.
@@rajusaha855 that’s interesting. Graf is my favorite player but being mentally strong is what Serena is known for.
I don’t think Serena is naturally the most talented player but she is the most determined and hated losing so much she would fight and fight. When they last played each other neither player was at their best.
Steffi was about to retire and Serena hadn’t reached her prime. The fact Serena won that meeting shows me that she would have found a way to beat Graf consistently even if Graf had much more natural talent.
To me the fact that Serena could find a way to consistently beat her sister (a naturally much more gifted player in my opinion) shows me that she would be able to find a way to beat Graf.
@@Jdman5000 I think if Steffi and Serena both in their prime Steffi would prevail as she is not only more talented but also more athletic and Serena may have stronger body built and determined yet graff was gaining experience faster than her age playing at age of 20 you would think she have been professional for more than decade I enjoy graff tennis more than any other player till now
Graf was such a ridiculously great athlete, the way she moved around the court with such ease
Like Navratilova was not...
They are both legends, but the edge for me is Martina for her doubles and mixed-doubles equsl respectively to her single's titles.
This WAS tennis! The good old days of serve and volley, slice, no grunting and tennis nous on all shots! For me two of the greatest of all time. Today’s tennis players play one dimensional tennis which is boring in my view. I miss the fast courts of Wimbledon and tennis players had personalities rather than the baseliner’s they are churning out year after year. Thank God for RUclips. A great upload btw considering it’s over 30 years old. 😊
some players still do that. calm down.
@@TremblingQualifier On the WTA tour? Name one? Barty did hit slice backhands, yes, but that's about it. She never came to the net consistently.
You are totally right. Today's WTA players are one dimensional and boring. All they do is bash the ball and pray it goes in. Martina and Steffi would dominate them.
Today's players like Sabalenka, Alcaraz and Azarenka grunt way too much and too loud, it takes away any enjoyment watching the game
I cannot agree more
Steffi won Wimbledon in Singles & Doubles in 1988 as well as winning the Golden Calender Grand Slam
I doubt this feat will ever be repeated!!!
It was great watching this again I can remember watching this in 1988 Steffi wins in 1989 and Martina wins her 9th and last Title in 1990 Tennis was really good back then
After losing the first set, Graf got her rhythm back and dominated. Both players are legends of their own right.
Navratilova 32, Steffi 19, it could explain.
@@Methilde Martina was very much still at the peak of her abilities when she turned 30. She had remarkable longevity.
Superb quality!!! Ultra HD! ✨💯
What a fantastic match, beautiful tennis. The golden age!
One of the better matches of the late 80s...what a COMEBACK from Steffi!! Martina ruled Wimbledon through out most of the decade, then this strong, quick, fearless young German girl with nerves of steel dethrones the queen! What an amazing display of power, strategy, and ass whooping in the 3rd set!!
Graf ate her alive. I saw this. It was like watching my aunt die.
@@raygordonteacheschess5501 lol!!!! Or grandma! I love the 1999 French open final, Graf vs Hingis! So good! That's like watching a spoiled brat get their ass spanked!
“One of the better matches of the late 80s“?
Are you for real, dude?
@@raygordonteacheschess5501the German daughter of Nazis
Steffi as a child i have started watching Tennis because of You❤for Steffi
As a teenager I went to watch live in White City (Sydney) in 1979. It was a lead up tournament to Australian Open. In the second day it was raining I stood under shades taking shelter. Martina was standing next to me, she was a tall woman. Watching her played in the centre court was quite amazing. On that day also saw Vilas played, as well as Austin.
Watching this match again, you can only marvel at Graf's footwork and foot speed
I loved Navratilova and wanted her to win this match but later Graf became my favourite tennis player. People may disagree with me but I think she is the greatest player ever. I know Serena won 23 grand slam tournaments and Graf won 22. Steffi won the Golden Grand Slam, which means she won the Australian open, French open, Wimbledon, US open and Olympic Gold medal in the same year.
I also think that Steffi had more difficult opponents like Navratilova, Chris Evert, Sanchez Vicario, Sabatini, Seles, Hingis, Novotna, even Serena herself.
It’s great to see this match after 35 years!
Ya i remember this match, very young n beautiful Steffi ❤❤❤❤
Thank you sooo much ! The video quality equals the crazy level of this match.
Absolutely brillant tennis ! Winners everywhere
It’s like watching a completely different sport compared to today. The variety of the shots, the use of all the angles of the court. Actually much more interesting to watch than most of today’s players.
Exactly. And seeing it in this quality, you realize that they would probably dominate the current WTA tour with easy. None of the WTA players can do half of these things.
@@robertorolfo I always wonder. On the one hand current players have no clue how to deal with S&V and will probably struggle with the slice (Iga did against Barty! Well I guess everyone did since she was no. 1 for a while) but on the other hand current players hit the ball really hard and have strong backhands so coming in won’t be that easy. We are currently seeing what happens to a player like Cressy on the ATP side although, of course, he’s not as good as these two ladies.
100%. Now the women all look like they are on steroids and just sit on the baseline and pound the ball back and forth. No variety at all. Graf or Navratilova would dismantle today’s players.
Steffi has undoubtedly the best placements in the history of women tennis.
When Wimbledon was actually played on real grass, not this artificial stuff now which slows the court down considerably. Great to see. Thanks for the upload. Became a new subscriber
STEFFI & ANDRE - 2 GOATS ! AND A LOVEL LOVELY COUPLE - BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE GREETINGS FROM IRELAND
True and really a Fantastic Pair. Very Downearth People love them both ❤❤❤
Graf war einmalig, ein Natur Phänomen, eine natürliche Spitzensportlerin. Eindeutig der größte deutsche Sportler aller Zeiten, gilt für beide Geschlechter.
Steffi is one of the greatest athlete of all time both genders combined in all of sports irrespective of nationality.
Großartige Spielerinnen, sowie Steffi so auch Martina,danke für alles❤❤❤
She's got eyes like diamonds,
Hair like twisted gold,
When she looks up at me,
I feel my blood run cold,
No I don't care if people laugh,
Ha ha!
I'm in love with Steffi Graf...
😂 Thank you Hugh...just Thank you.
It's about tenis, calm down.
@@Methilde Let him Dream Mouse.. Andre Agassi won Steffi´s Heart so what.
And so, you?
Amazing quality.. this match is a true classic… now if you get the semi with Chris Evert, that would be epic 🥂
It is improved by AI technology!
Such a quality recording, thank you. What magnificent players they were. Such quick play, plenty of fast points and cat and mouse rallies.
Steffi playing with a ball in her hand when the first serve lands in.... iconic!
Every point was fun to watch thanks to editing and going straight to the serves. Thank you for uploading!
The video quality very good. This is a change of guard moment. It confirmed Steffi took over women tennis she dominated Martina.
Is it just me, or are these two better than anyone in the WTA today?
way more varieties for sure. and remember back then the racket technology was not as good as it is today!
It’s probably just you 😉
It's not just you at all. I've already made this comment 5 times, but both Steffi and Martina, using their 1988 racquets from this video, would EASILY win Wimbledon 2023. None of the current WTA players have anywhere near these skills. They would walk through the field with the type of play we see in the video. Serena wouldn't have been as easy to beat, but they both would have dominated her as well.
@@robertorolfo I just watched again to "pinch" myself. They are *definitely* head-and-shoulders better than today's WTA. No question. The shot variance, net play, slices, everything is better, other than power. Put a modern racquet in their hand, and that difference likely disappears too. Maybe they'd see some trouble from the eastern bloc ladies that are 6' 2'' and perhaps doping, but even then, I think Martina and Steffi win.
Steffi Graf held the other tennis ball in her left hand when she served. I have never seen someone play a match like that. Incredible
I thought the same. Never seen a tennis player holding the second ball in the hand during the game.
This was the norm in women's tennis for a long time. In practice, people did it just so they could get on quickly to the second serve if they faulted on the first. Also, tho, since women had, for some reason, to wear SKIRTS, there were no pockets to put the second ball in. Evert may have been the first to simply turn and ask for a second ball if she faulted. Then others followed.
Watch BJ King, Virginia Wade and others and you'll see it.
Ah the great tennis no screaming and wonderful serve and volley now we have boring long base line matches in both women’s and men’s tennis I miss Roger with his brilliant playing always a thinker and a master class whenever he played
Watching Steffi here I was thinking of Roger, they both had the ability to hit sharp angled forehands with tons of pace.
Also a fun aspect of this match, to your point, is that you watch Steffi figure out how to beat Martina, you SEE her learning, adapting her strategy.
@@hd-xc2lz Yes, something you almost NEVER see in the current WTA. None of them think or adapt.
Incredible quality!!! Superb work, my friend.
Great match and rivalry. The real golden age of tennis!!!
Steffi way better. And didn't cheat
@@63002 You are hereby crowned the King of Absurdity. Steffi was mesmerizing but saying she was “way better” than Martina is just kind of dopey.
Wow! What awesome tennis! Superb athleticism and technique, ruthless attacks, sophisticated strategy, all-out risk taking. So much fun to watch! Also, the quality of the video is excellent. so many of the older videos are fuzzy. This one looks almost like HD.
God I loved steffi growing up. I was 14 when this final was played and I absolutely adored her. She had a devastating forehand and when she developed her topspin backhand she really started to dominate. She and Navratilova always had epic matches. Always very tense. She is the best women’s player ever with Navratilova second. The stats don’t lie.
so fun to watch this match in such great quality!! thank you!
Navratilova started the first set playing brilliant attacking tennis but could not maintain that level. A slew of errors from Graf late in the set handed it to Martina. Then Graf's court speed and power on the serve and forehand proved too much for Martina. Steffi also hit quite a few brilliant lob winners.
This match happened a good 10 years before I even started watching tennis. But as I watch this match summary in 2023, it seems that in relative terms, technically and tactically both, players were head and shoulders above today's top players on the WTA.
Well, yeah, both players here can make a strong claim to be the best of all time
By her mid career onwards , Nateratlova was by far the best attacking net player in womens tennis ; and Graf had the quickest best foot speed up to that point the womans game had seen.
What an awesome show from both in this match 😊
Thank you very much for the great quality upload . Makes it even easier to truly appreciate the great play x
You can really see how Graf improved from a young 15 year old 1984 until a 19 year old here in 1988. Her game went up to another level!
Wonderful Martina my absolute favourite
And after 1988, her game kept improving especially her backhand.
Wow I was in 8 th grade when I watched this match.I love tennis
Graf playing with the second ball in her off-hand is amazing to see.
Absolutely terrifying to think this was over 30 years ago. Literally last century.
Great match. But also brilliant editing and surprisingly high quality. Thank you.
Exactly what I was thinking. This is how historical tennis matches should be shown on YT
I was born that year, so i missed her first years, but i became Fan six years later ;)
With this video quality you can see all the spin Martina puts on the ball. not to mention that violent forehand of STeffi
Violent, love it
no kidding, I never realized Martina's serve had such crazy action on it.
@@StewNWT its a brilliant match... what standard!... womens tennis has gone to the dogs...
@@StewNWT wicked slice serves!
Stefi’s brutal forehand
Steffi Graf was the best in her time. One of the greatest purest tennis players we have seen.
if you see 1991 US open semifinal, you see navratiova playing a diffent game. here she plays like against evert, a few years before .most of all attaching slow to have time to get to the net. anchient style. then she tried to attack sharp and be quicker to get to the net. i really find it interesting that navratilova played slighly a different game in 20 years, but still different from what was going on. evert, graf, seles. the game had changed many times. very interesting. she always played peculiar.
Two supremely fitted women's tennis player all time.
Both are true legends of their own way.
Respect to both of the players, much more better than nowadays and without moaning....
I was never a fan of Steffi Graf, but I unintentionally followed her career, until I saw some interviews, how she reacted, I miss her and look back at her games , how a great tennis player she was!
First off, she was a class act. Second, just look at how well she is hitting in this high quality video. This 1988 Graf, with her 1988 racquet, would easily win Wimbledon 2023.
She is all time best female player
No one can be better than Martina as a serve and volley player since then.
Beautiful tennis!
yes, volley, smash, style...
This match is proof that Graf’s backhand was more than her usual slice, she hits some solid topspin shots here, especially on the return
indeed very seldom to see her topspinning backhand
Most of her top spin backhands were either into the net or long in this match. It was her weakness. Probably that's why she used it sparingly.
Great quality, thank you!
The speed was incredible for that times. And there it was 06:48 - A _topspin_ backhand winner from Graf!
Most people don't remember that in the GOAT debate, but at that time with an emerging Steffi Graf, ""Navratilova" was a name that gave absolute horror to her opponents
Oh yes I definitely remember.
Many people remember
What a great player Steffi was
Fascinating game. Navratilova seemed to have that edge and guile over the first set, not simply charging the net at every opportunity. Then came the Graf juggernaut - finding all the gaps. I remember being a huge Graf fan at the time. Finally a young player to break the Navratilova - Evert duopoly. And yes that was a Graf top spin backhand 3 points in 😉
Queen Steffi 👑❤️ so many winners. I miss this era of the WTA ❤️
The Legendary Steffi 🧡 Is there any tennis player aside of Steffi that ever win the Golden Slam ( AUS open, French Open, Wimbledon, US open plus Olympic gold medal ) in single year ?
Thinking about it - no!
Nope. And not only that, we saw Novak attempt it last year, fail miserably, and end up crying hysterically during a changeover at the US Open.
I honestly think steffi is the best female player that’s ever been pure class !
Agreed
Yep, and she played with handicap: ball in the left hand :D
Fullstop!
How is the video quality so good !! I swear Wimbledon's own video from that era look much more terrible lmao
The year of The Golden Slam for Steffi. She doesn't receive enough credit for winning the Calendar Slam and the Olympic gold medal, all in the same year. That is a big achievement!
I don‘t know where you live but here in Europe still gets a lot of credit for that Golden Slam.
It is the main reason for being called the GOAT.
Steffi. The Powerhouse!
A total athlete. 👍
Yeah, she also does some heavy lifting, high jump and triathlons.
@@jansnauwaert1785
Incredible! Thanks.
Thank you for uploading!! The grace and exuberance of Steffi
Martina war die größte, dabei bleibt es, ihre Stärke war ihr Charakter.
In this year, moment for Steffi Graf got 4 grandSlam title and also olimpic Champion, the one and only
It's the little things i love about Steffi graf, like casually holding on to the ball in the left hand during the rally,
Madness !!!
Honestly, it is amazing to see. I can't believe more people aren't commenting on this. You would never see that these days.
Loved steffi back in the day, great player, was in beast mode from 1 set and 0-2 down..
I love how they attack the net, something that we unfortunately don't see anymore in the women tennis. This is the era that made Federer and his elegant style.
Quality is amazing
Boy,Steffi was so pretty as a teen!A real beauty with these blonde curly hair!Wath a match!Two real tennis legends!One coming towards retirement,the other becoming a real force,a true tennis Queen...
She always was a very attractive girl.
I don‘t think she had those millions of fans just because of her tennis.
@@carrerau7138 Exactly. She was SUPER hot in her 20's and 30's as well. Probably still is today (but you never really see her).
@@robertorolfo Here she is at 52, a photo spread for German Vogue in spring 2022: media.vogue.de/photos/628e3ba37ed1fe0aecc9771a/master/w_1600%2Cc_limit/Steffi_3_RGB.jpg
@@carrerau7138 OMG, she is still smoking hot. Thank you.
WOW! If only I could find some Sampras and Courier videos with this quality!
these are two legends right here!!!
This was the year Steffi won the golden slam
Martina speed was amazing,but Steffi speed like sprinter 60 m dash! I never see the speed like that until now,Graf is GOAT
Djokovic is GOAT.
@@thebigmonstaandy6644 is Djokovic a woman? 🤔
You don’t get tennis like this anymore - the skill from both is outstanding.
Today's players would beat them. They make too many unforced errors.
I don’t know - have you seen how many errors today’s players make? Make they come out big them in regards to power; but they don’t possess the level of deft skill and touch that these ladies or others from this era had.
@@sharonmarlowe2313 You idyot again!
Steffi made only 20 UEs, Martina even only 11!
31 UEs in 27 games.
Vondrousova and Jabeur made a combined 45 UEs in 20 games in the 2023 final.
Rybakina and Jabeur 61 (!) in 25 games in 2022.
Barty and Pliskova 50 in 31 games in 2021.
And so on....
@@carrerau7138 Today's players are thousand times better than your boring old players
@@sharonmarlowe2313 Remember Kimiko Date?
In her heyday in the early/mid-90s she was mostly ranked around #10. She retired in 1996 at age 26.
But she returned 13 years later in 2009.
In 2010 she beat Sharapova, Stosur, Li.
And in 2014 - as a 43-year-old - she beat Pennetta and Muguruza.
These 5 players won many slams in the early/mid-10s.
So imagine what damage a YOUNG Kimiko would have done in the 2010s.
Or - gasp - how peak Steffi Graf would have destroyed all these pretenders.
This match was the game changer.
Martina was simply unbeatable at Wimbledon in for about 14 years it was just she met a peak Graf for 2 years
She never faced anything quite like Graf in those years. Frankly Chris Evert had great mentality but never had that quite athleticism,power & physicality of Graf.