Man, this backhand slice must have driven so many players crazy for more then 10 years. She could play this 100 times in a row and wait for the right moment.
Seles is the biggest WHAT IF in sports history. People forget she was only 19 when the attack ended her career. Afterwards she never was as good as before.
The biggest WHAT IF is what Steffi could have won without the Graf Blackmail Scandal. She had won the Golden Slam as a teenager and was still improving! Afterwards she rarely was as good as before (maybe only in 1996). Seles was always a worse player than Navratilova, Graf, Hingis.
@@noalias she could have won more..her main enemy was not Graf, but Butter. If she was truly great as you suggest she could have come back in better shape and beat every playing style. The truth is she would always lose to Hingis, and the WS wouldn't let her touch 1 slam. Her game is one dimensional and was exposed later on. Serena and venus hit just as hard but move way better.
I would say Maureen Connolly was right up there with the greatest WHAT IF in sports history! She won more slams than Seles at the same age and in a row than Seles and had to retire at 19/20.
I think Steffi's slice backhand got better in the mid to late 90s, which is one reason she was able to keep winning GS. Players had caught up with her on big forehands. The slice/forehand combo won her the final versus Hingis.
@@antinotis exactly. Her forehand alone, though still a very good shot, wouldn't ve made the big difference in the mid to late 1990s anymore, not the way it did when she came up in the 1980s. Her most effektive shot by then was the low bouncing slice backhand. She hit it effortlessly and with low error rate, virtually hundreds of them in a single match. A) they gave little margin for power shots by the opponent cos they stayed so low. B) they would induce the adversary to hit a short ball that could be exploited by hitting a forehand and c) most importsntly these continuous slice backhand chipped away at opponent's energy tanks and slowly wore them down for having to dig extra deep each time they had to return Grafs slice.
Thank you Steffi Graf for being the inspiration. Thank you so much from everyone. With Great Honour, With Great Gratitude, With Great Blessings. From India.
My 2 favourite players of all time! I was one of the rare tennis fans who loved both Graf and Seles! And my 3rd favourite was Hingis who went on to meet Steffi in the final - one of the most exciting finals ever for controversial reasons! The 1999 Roland Garros was one of the best RGs in my memory for the women - so many legends playing that year. The WTA is now a shadow of what it once was.
the interview of Hingis before the Graf-Seles match: commentator says Hingis was "so poised and so mature..." hah!!! he spoke too soon...and this grand slam Hingis has NEVER won at all...
Steffi beat all the top players at a Grand Slam tournament at the age of 30. That was extraordinary especially after coming back from all these injuries. A true legend!
The fact is that Graf has always been H2H ahead of the younger 'queen' players (Hingis, Davenport, Williams sisters, Klijsters) whereas Seles lost H2H against them
@@user-be5qg7mr1s Her fastest serve was 112 mph. Which is sensational considering her old racket equipment. She would be among the fastest servers even today, playing with a modern racket.
I remember this match very well. Monica had very powerful shots here, as usual. But eventually Steffi had developed the right strategy to beat Monica using her short crossed slice backhand very successfully (except on rebound ace surface where Monica's game was much more efficient) If Steffi could have served even harder and used her top spin backhand down the line more often - like Roger Federer does-, very few players would have beaten her.
this was the game that Graf needed most, after losing to Seles on the quarterfinals at the AO, and the 1992 grandslam, , and meeting Hingis on the finals.
Very sentimental handshake from Graf? If you look she kept a hold of Monica's hand for longer. Maybe because she knew it was their last match at Roland Garros together
The problem is she needed to beat her to prove that her slam wins the last few years weren’t won due to Graf’s absence (she didn’t have to play Graf in any of them). Hingis never beat Graf at a slam. She knew if she won in this final the score would be settled and this put a lot of pressure on herself. She mentioned as much in the interviews after losing.
When Seles was at her best she almost looked like she was in a trance and seemed quite relaxed. Here the tension is written on her face even between points. that and her movement were the big differences here
Graf, now 29, has kept her weight at 132 lbs according to the data shown here. She still looks the perfect athlete, bouncing, leaping, lunging, dashing. Meanwhile, Seles, still only 25 years old, has not managed to retain her wonderful skinny and wiry figure of her 19 years, with her weight shown here at 155 lbs. Her strokes are still powerful and reach the farthest corners. But with her bent figure, little steps, lack of dash, and limited mobility, she does not project an air of youthful fitness, and at times, with her poor athleticism, she appears to be moving like an aging lady. So immensely sad, for a former top champion who had seemed practically invincible. There's no guarantee that the weight shown here was the actual figure. In her second book, “GETTING A GRIP”, Seles says that in July 1999, that is one month after this Roland Garros semi-final (June 5, 1999), she was fluctuating between 25 to 30 lbs overweight - which could well suggest around 160 lbs - and was mournfully reflecting on her sad future when "I would be wearing those formless size fourteens for the rest of my life", a thought suicidal enough. One of her pictures, that of a buffet in Orlando in 1998, shows her in her Isadora Duncan-like floating white dress, triumphantly carrying, not a tournament gleaming trophy, but a loaded dessert plate! Considering the very likely embellishment about what her "normal" weight might be (130 to 140 lbs), we could reasonably suppose a heavier figure, say between 160 and 170 lbs. Seles had previously revealed that, at some point around Wimbledon in 1997 she had even reached "my heaviest", 174 lbs. For those of us who fell passionately in love with her as a teenage tennis prodigy - when she miraculously defeated Chris Evert in Houston (April 1989) at age 15, a gangling adolescent of 99 lbs, with her huge dark mane waving on top of a flamboyant red shirt too large for her sylph-like figure - and couldn't forget the extraordinary excitement of those days, it was an immense disappointment to watch her in a phase of slowly fading fitness and uncontrolled overweight. Only 25, and already past her prime for good. The only authentic feeling fully justified to us is REGRET - immense regret - a feeling of the tragic irreplaceable loss we, her distant lovers, all endured at being deprived of all those great matches she potentially could have delivered in her 20s and 30s. Well, that's for another life. The Fates had spoken and cut off the thread. And that is why, from our own outsiders viewpoint only concerned about tennis realities, Monica Seles's life was and remains, in the pure Ancient Greek meaning, a sheer tragedy. Not from Monica Seles’s personal psychological viewpoint, of course, since she de facto soon gave up about tennis performance as her "raison de vivre" for another personal goal: to focus mainly on her obsessive food hangup, and the untiring search for her lost figure. "I wanted to look like the other girls", meaning normal tennis players like Gabriela Sabatini, Steffi Graf or Venus Williams. She fought hard and long and, at long last, miraculously succeeded in getting that elusive grip on her junk food addiction. Her first book, “MONICA - FROM FEAR TO VICTORY" (1996), showed her as a widely inflated, happy, chubby tennis champion during her win at the Feb. 1996 Australian Open, her 9th and last Grand Slam, when she incredibly was only 22. Her second book, 13 years later, "GETTING A GRIP on my Body, my Mind, my Self" (2009), pictures her, at 35 years of age, as a svelte, elegant, very attractive, faintly smiling, society lady. Which became for her the supreme prize from her ultimate, very private, victory, winning over herself as her own opponent - way outside the tennis universe that we, her old-time lovers, still inhabit.
At 33:15, Tracy Austin says Graft with the Continental forehand grip having a tough time get under the low ball compared to Western grip. She must be misspoke, bc western forehand is tough to get under low ball.
I can remember watching this match. Monica just looked like she didn’t want to be there. Seemed completely absent emotionally which really wasn’t like her especially for such a close match that could’ve gone either way. Makes you wonder how bad she was still suffering off the court.
Seles was one of the smartest players I ever saw...and I mean, she's up there with the 'usual suspects' that tenis geeks like me, talk about a lot. Smart players know their strengths...and they especially know their weaknesses, better than anyone else. And as she aged, I always felt there were players that she wanted nothing to do with, because she was aware of how good they were at exposing her weaknesses. And the big glaring weakness, again, as she aged...was her speed/footwork. She was fascinating as a much younger player, because that two handed appraoch on both sides was something she perfected with a TON of power and very underrated footwork. But as an older player, I found myself thinking more and more about how much longer she could've played, if she had taken one hand off the forehand and refined that one handed shot.
If Monica Seles go to the finals, that is what Martina Hingis hopes for and Martina Hingis will win the French Open trophy to complete her grandslam title.
Now compare Graf's reaction after this match and her reaction after AO 1999 when Monica beat her. And then compare Monica's reactions after both the matches.
CURRENT :JUNE 2023 ONLY NOW THAT I HEAR FIND OUT (AFTER MORE THAN A TWO DECADE) THAT HINGIS PREPARE TO FACE GRAF OVER SELES IN THE FINAL. 😊 BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR, I GUESS. SOLID STEFFI GRAF HERE 🖐
Hingis was flat-out lying. She was afraid as hell to play Steffi in the final, the old veteran she had written off prematurely (""It's a faster, more athletic game. She is old now. ... Her time has passed.") She knew very well what people would say if she were to lose against that Steffi. That mental state also explains why she reacted so crazy over a very inconsequential call at the beginning of the second set. To remind people - it was the FIRST point of the set's third game, Hingis being 64 20 in the lead. And in case the umpire had overturned the lineswoman's controversial call Hingis would not have been awarded the point. The point would have been repeated since Steffi got to the ball. So why getting so excited? Martina was shitting her pants during the whole match.
I believe Steffi Graf and Seles are a lot like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. If Monica’s fate were different, I think their rivalry and grand slam count would be similar to Roger and Rafa’s. If we had to only consider Monica’s years of absence, who would you think would win those GS if Monica was still competing? 🤔 Please be thoughtful in your reply and consider the other competitors who won those Slams were either their shining moment, stronger on that tennis surface, etc. No matter how great a tennis player was, it’s impossible to stay and maintain their peak for a prolonged period of time. I am a Steffi Graf fan and I believe she is the Greatest of All Time but I do like to understand other tennis fans perspectives. What are your thoughts? 1993 French Open - Steffi Graf 1993 Wimbledon - Steffi Graf 1993 US Open - Steffi Graf 1994 Australian Open - Steffi Graf 1994 French Open - Mary Pierce 1994 Wimbledon - Conchita Martinez 1994 US Open - Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 1995 Australian Open - Mary Pierce 1995 French Open - Steffi Graf 1995 Wimbledon - Steffi Graf
@broncoguy4862 well hello now, butter is a natural organic food, whereas Margarine is a highly processed substitute, made from Canola oil, and/or other synthetic trans fats/oils.
Seles had an eating problem before the stabbing but as she was a teen her system was able to burn the calories, later not so much. Seles was going to lose the No1 ranking at any rate but with the stabbing she seemed to have a good excuse for it
Definitely slower than Graf, but Seles was never in great shape. I know she blamed her eating disorder on the attack. But it was well known that she did almost no fitness training before her hiatus. She even told Mary Carillo that she liked to put butter on everything. The attack could have made her bad habits worse, but she had those habits long before. Also, Tracy did NOT think that Monica was completely out of shape. She comments here --- @1:12:22
@@whfan007 Monica was never super fast. LOL. Her movement was described as crab-like and ungainly. Have you Seles fans completely forgotten the 92 Wimbledon final? I can see why you would want to forget. But no one who is "super fast" would look that bad on slick grass. As to Seles's fitness, it appears you don't read. Here's an excerpt from Ladies of the Court, a book on the WTA Tour published before the 1993 attack" "Seles suffered from what Curry Kirkpatrick of Sports Illustrated called 'a widening caboose.' She ate butter on everything - meat, French fries, even pizza. 'Ugh. Gross, totally grody,' she admitted. 'But I can't help it. I must be addicted to butter. I just can't eat any food without it. I know it all goes down to fat down there.' She gestured to her hips, thighs, and behind. 'I know I've got to switch my diet habits.'" Seles made the same comment to Mary Carillo. Carillo reported the comment in an intro to one of Seles's US Open matches in 92. So, there are at least two sources for the comment and the observation that Seles was NOT 100% fit before the attack.
@@LDVTennis You can eat butter but be dedicated to fitness and be completely thin like Monica was before the stabbing. Tons of athletes even promoted Coca-Cola drinks but were still able to stay fit due to their hard training. As for the 1992 Wimbledon final obviously she was bothered by the grunting issue but also the fact that she has two hands off both sides and also the slice going very low on grass is what hurt her, not her fitness or speed. Also she did beat Navratilova the round before. 🙄 Today Monica still looks thin so she never had a problem with the “widening caboose” until after the stabbing and being depressed and not being dedicated like before. She came back with a smile that she was just happy to be back playing but deep down she never got over the stabbing and that’s why she refused to play in Germany for the rest of her career. Either way the fact that you insist that Seles was slow even before the stabbing shows how she was much superior tennis player because if you gave her the speed of Graf she would have been even more dominant. The fact that you insist that she was so slow and was still was able to be number one and dominate women’s tennis shows how Graf sucks and how Monica was a much better and talented ball striker in order to compensate for her “slowness”. 🙄
Tracy keeps saying Steffi has a Continental grip forehand. I always hear others say she Sampras and Fed used eastern. Looks like an Eastern to me. Even one point early she said Graf couldn't get a low ball because of her full Continental grip. Those grips were developed for low balls on grass.
Seles was far more talented and she had every shot in the book. Graf was an exceptional athlete but was very limited as a tennis player. Once players like Davenport, Hingis, Venus and Serena began to realise their potential, Graf knew that the exit door was the only place to go.
Yes Graf was so limited compared to Hingis that a post prime Graf won most of her matches with peak Hingis in late 98/99, LOL! And the great Venus Williams who won 0 Australian Opens and 0 French Opens.
Truly amazing to see this match going to the limits with Monica looking so unfit. She never really rededicated herself after the stabbing it changed her whole outlook on life and approach to her career, but to me she will always be the greatest.
@@GottdieEhre It's just an observation that neither player was anywhere near their best. Both players are legends and I'm a fan of both of them. But the level of tennis here was not at the level of what they were capable of. But of course, understandably so when you consider where they were in their careers/lives at that time.
Imagine , Seles was beating Graf at most tournaments except 93 Wimbledon where Graf decided after 3 years of be beaten by Seles , to complain in the finals about Seles's grunt. When Seles changed her breathing to not grunt ,she immediately lost herself and the match . Then while playing in a German tournament a German man stabbed the teenage #1 Monica Seles in the back with a 9 inch knife and tried again but was pulled own by spectators. He said he didn't think Graf would be able to beat Seles so he did what was necessary. The German authorities let the stabber walk away with no jail time . He was given 2 years suspended sentence . If he had stabbed the German player Graf , you know that the stabber would have been locked up ! Seles would physically heal , but her trauma would rule her . She developed an eating disorder and gained weight . It was how she coped with her anxiety from the murder attempt. She gained weight and never played the same . Steffi Graf went on to be the most wining player of both men and women and took more titles than anyone as well . The stabber really changed both Monica's and Steffi's lives . Without Seles Graf was able to be the best !
Your facts are all wrong. First of all it was the 1992 Wimbledon final, secondly Graf never complained about the grunts, Navratilova and Tauziat complained in the quarters and semis. And finally, Seles was by all means NOT beating Graf “at most tournaments” like you claim, out of the 5 matches they played during the time that Seles was ranked number 1, Graf won 3 and Seles 2, plus at the time of the attack their head to head was 6-4 in favor of Graf.
@@franciscolaprida2133 It's actually unbelievable: After 30 years (!!!) there are still some Seles fans under EVERY Seles-Graf video to spread hate and agitation. They like to lie and speculate, which you can see here again. This is all so creepy, haha! After 30 years!!! How can you be so bitter. All live their lives, but these Seles fans still run full of hate through the world, and write hate comments under videos. If it wasn't so sad, you would have to laugh about it!
Another nutty Seles fan with their delusions pops up again, like herpes. For your info, Seles was despised on tour for her grunting, not only by fellow players but also fans and officials, being seen as trying to distract her opponent...some called it cheating...she even made jokes about it, promising to stop it..right. Then that 1992 Wimbledon where she proved to the world that she could turn it on and off as easily as flipping a switch. What a cheater. BTW, the Graf-Seles H2H is and will always be 10-5 Graf..in 15 attempts, Seles was only able to get the win 5 times. Graf is clearly the better, more accomplished player. And she didn't milk her injury for over 2 years like Seles did.
Seles sucked on grass, and her making the Wimbledon final at all was a fluke. Not grunting was a built in excuse for losing which she knew she would. It is also why she skipped Wimbledon 91 with a fake injury and was fined by the WTA for both not being injured, and taking 6 weeks to submit a fake injury explanation.
What a liar you are! Steffi never ever complained about the grounting of Monica. Never 😂 it's ridiculous. I know a few girls or Ladies did but never Steff did. Stop lying 😡 and also the h2h of what U trying to tell us is also not true. Just get yourself informed before U spread out wrong informations. And btw: Monica was a wonderful player and one of the best components Steffi ever had, they both brought the best Tennis out of each other (Original sentence of Monica) and I also liked her very much, but stop telling shit about things that never happened, like Monica won everything except 1 tournament in 1993😂
Graf is not the GOAT. In fact, it’s shocking how few records in the WTA world record book that she actually holds. Graf has the golden grand slam and most weeks at number one, but that’s about it. She has a shocking amount of losing head-to-head records at 13. Evert, by comparison has a losing record against 4 players. Navratilova has 7. Graf has a winning record against 3 of the open era top 10 players. Evert and Navratilova hold the record with winning H2Hs against 4 of the open era top ten. Graf does not have the most titles at the Austrian, French, Wimbledon, or the US Open. Those records belong to Williams, Evert, and Navratilova. She does not have the most GS titles on the various surfaces- hardcourts, clay, or grass. Those records again belong to Williams, Evert, and Navratilova. She does not have the highest career winning percentage on hard, clay, grass, or carpet. Those records belong to Evert, Evert, Navratilova, and Navratilova. She’s not the best at any grand slam or on any surface. She doesn’t have the highest winning percentage all time or at the grand slams...those records belong to Court. So how again is she the GOAT? She isn’t. It’s pretty simple. Here are some of the major Open Era (not amateur) records in women's tennis and the person who holds the record: Most grand slam titles= Williams Most tournament titles= Navratilova Most titles in a single season= Court Most consecutive singles titles= Navratilova Most titles on hard: Williams Most titles on clay: Evert Most titles on grass: Court Most titles on carpet: Navratilova Most AO titles= Williams Most FO titles= Evert Most Wimbledon titles= Navratilova Most USO titles= tie Evert & Williams Most Olympic Gold Singles= (No repeat winners) Graf, Capriati, Davenport, V. Williams, Henin, Dementieva, S. Williams, Puig Most GS finals= Evert Most GS semis= Evert Most weeks at No 1= Graf Most consecutive weeks at No 1= tie Williams & Graf Most year-end No 1= Graf Youngest no 1= Hingis Oldest no 1= Williams Most weeks ranked no 1 in singles and doubles simultaneously= Navratilova Most season ending championships= Navratilova Most years in the top 10= Navratilova Most matches played= Navratilova Most matches won= Navratilova Most consecutive years with at least 1 GS title= Evert Most consecutive years with at least 1 tournament title= Navratilova Most consecutive finals= Navratilova Most consecutive titles= Navratilova Longest winning streak all surfaces= Navratilova Longest winning streak on a single surface= Evert Highest career winning percentage= Evert Highest single season winning percentage= Navratilova Highest grand slam match winning percentage= Court Calendar year GS= Court & Graf Golden calendar year GS= Graf Career grand slam= Court, King, Evert, Navratilova, Graf, Williams, Sharapova Doubles & mixed GS titles= Navratilova Doubles titles overall= Navratilova Most wins over the no 1 player= Navratilova Players to defeat the number 1, 2, & 3 players at the same event= Graf, S. Williams, V. Williams *source= WTA record book 2020
Meh. ... I stopped reading at Graf has the Golden Slam. That's all she needs to be in the conversation for GOAT. It's only a conversation. There is no definitive answer.
@@LDVTennis Of course she's in the conversation. All of the top10 grand slam title holders of the open era are in the conversation. That's out of basic respect for their accomplishments. I would even throw Sharapova in the mix. Anyone with a career slam deserves to be considered as well, even if you don't like the person.
@@jm7804 Basic respect for their accomplishments? If you respected accomplishments, you would realize how rare a calendar slam is and how that achievement alone makes a case for Steffi being the GOAT. What makes Steffi's calendar slam even rarer is that by 1988 all the majors were truly international events. (In 1970, Court again benefited from an AO that was by the Quarters more or less an all-Australian tournament.) Just this year, we've seen how hard it is to achieve. However great Djokovic is on all surfaces, he could not do it. He broke down physically and mentally. On that note, it appears you missed the whole conversation around Djokovic's quest for the calendar slam. The consensus coming from that conversation was that if Djokovic achieved the calendar slam it would confirm his greatness over Nadal and Federer, no matter how close the major count. Why should it be any different for Steffi? The calendar slam is that significant. It's NOT at all on the same level as a career slam as you try to suggest by including Sharapova in the conversation. In the aftermath of Djokovic's quest for the golden slam, this much is also clear. The more years pass between the last calendar slam and the next one, the more significant it becomes. The more years pass between the last golden slam and the next one, the more significant it becomes. In which case, Steffi's case for being the GOAT is only going to get more convincing. Since the last and only golden slam, it's now 33 years and counting.
@@LDVTennis Steffi's big problem...her biggest peer rival got stabbed. That's not going away folks, no matter how much you want it to. The golden slam is a big deal, of course. But Serena has 3 career golden slams...1 in singles, 2 in doubles. That's not nothing. You're not being honest if you say it should be dismissed. Only Steffi, Serena, Andre, and Rafa hold that title. Serena has 3, Rafa, Andre, and Steffi 1. Steffi's bigger problem is that, even with the stabbing, here's her final tally: Most AO titles= no Most FO titles= no Most Wimb titles= no Most USO titles= no Most overall GS titles= no Most overall tournament titles= no Most titles on hard= no Most titles on grass= no Most titles on clay= no Most titles on carpet= no Most titles indoors= no Most titles outdoors= no Most year-end championships= no Longest winning streak= no Longest winning streak on a single surface= no Highest career winning percentage= no Highest winning percentage in a single season= no Most matches played against the other GOATs= no Most match wins against the other GOATs= no Highest winning percentage against the other GOATs= no
@@jm7804 Doubles career slam? That's funny. Is there also a mixed-doubles career slam? Fans of lesser players are always quite clever. There's only one slam that really matters. It's the calendar slam. If you have to make up "slams" to elevate the status of a player, it can only mean one thing --- DID NOT ACCOMPLISH A CALENDAR SLAM. The argument that "the stabbing of a rival" is a permanent asterisk on Steffi's record was always absurd. In any other sport, when a "rival" gets injured or takes a break from the sport, it does not change a thing. If women's tennis were a real sport to you and not some soap opera, you would realize how silly the "stabbing" argument is. As to your final tally, there seems no end to your cleverness. If there were a GOAT in women's tennis, she would be the answer to the following three questions: (1) Which woman had the most dominant year on the tour, as measured by major titles? There are three women with this distinction: Connolly, Court, and Graf. All completed the calendar grand slam. (2) Considering that not all women play past the age of 30 (all eras), which woman won the most major titles in singles by the age of 30? Graf (3) Of the players with the most majors by the age of 30, which one was the most well-rounded, that is most singles titles at EACH and EVERY major? Graf is the only player with at least 4 titles at each major. QED
I think it’s bad manners to jump and get excited like steffi did here. Considering the woman u beat got stabbed by one of your fans to make you better. Graf does not show humility. She did that at the 95 us open too and that was right after Monica’s comeback. She ran to the sidelines to see daddy before seeing Monica at the net sheesh
Tjordful I think its bad manners as well to jump on conclusion without trying to put perspective on Steffi’s shoes. 99 reactions are pure joy of relieved after so many injuries on and off again finally she reach a slam final. On 95 she didnt run into her daddy because her daddy are in jail. 95 is tough year for her especially during the us open time. Thats why the reaction is pure emotional and disbelief after Monica netted the forehand because she try to win it not for her self but for others people too especially to her family. I think Steffi’s respond at the net to Monica is quite warm during 1995 US Open and 1999 French Open. At the open after she hugged her coach and entourage she quickly ran to hug Monica same as 99 French Open after quick hop she ran to Monica’s at the net.
Why try and twist things to put Graf in a bad light? She had been out of the game for almost a year with a career threatening knee injury and was so happy to make a grand slam final after 3 years, she respected Seles and it meant alot to win.
Jeb Clem I feel sorry for someone like you. What happened to Monica is sad. Its a tragedy. Why can’t you enjoy and appreciate that she finally came back and play tennis again? Im borrowing Serena Williams quote “YOU’RE A HATER! AND BLACK HEART INSIDE!”
Tjordful Graf has good manners and always show humility. Graf won here so be happy for her. Don’t bitch around because Seles lost here. It’s better you make up an excuse that Seles lost here because she became fat. Seles got stabbed in April ‘93 and you’re watching a tennis match in ‘99. Six years after Seles had the minor injury and you’re still bringing up the same excuse. 😂
Man, this backhand slice must have driven so many players crazy for more then 10 years. She could play this 100 times in a row and wait for the right moment.
Seles is the biggest WHAT IF in sports history. People forget she was only 19 when the attack ended her career. Afterwards she never was as good as before.
The biggest WHAT IF is what Steffi could have won without the Graf Blackmail Scandal.
She had won the Golden Slam as a teenager and was still improving!
Afterwards she rarely was as good as before (maybe only in 1996).
Seles was always a worse player than Navratilova, Graf, Hingis.
it didn't end her career. She still won a slam after the stabbing and made a FO final
@@dropshot118 which is nothing compared to what she achieved before in only 2.5 years
@@noalias she could have won more..her main enemy was not Graf, but Butter. If she was truly great as you suggest she could have come back in better shape and beat every playing style. The truth is she would always lose to Hingis, and the WS wouldn't let her touch 1 slam. Her game is one dimensional and was exposed later on. Serena and venus hit just as hard but move way better.
I would say Maureen Connolly was right up there with the greatest WHAT IF in sports history! She won more slams than Seles at the same age and in a row than Seles and had to retire at 19/20.
Graf's sliced backhand: one of the greatest shots in history.
The low camera angle really shows how the slice would stay so low, such an effective shot
I think Steffi's slice backhand got better in the mid to late 90s, which is one reason she was able to keep winning GS. Players had caught up with her on big forehands. The slice/forehand combo won her the final versus Hingis.
@@antinotis exactly. Her forehand alone, though still a very good shot, wouldn't ve made the big difference in the mid to late 1990s anymore, not the way it did when she came up in the 1980s. Her most effektive shot by then was the low bouncing slice backhand. She hit it effortlessly and with low error rate, virtually hundreds of them in a single match. A) they gave little margin for power shots by the opponent cos they stayed so low. B) they would induce the adversary to hit a short ball that could be exploited by hitting a forehand and c) most importsntly these continuous slice backhand chipped away at opponent's energy tanks and slowly wore them down for having to dig extra deep each time they had to return Grafs slice.
lol it was a big weakness
Bravo Steffi Graf!!! Campeonisima
Thank you Steffi Graf for being the inspiration.
Thank you so much from everyone.
With Great Honour, With Great Gratitude, With Great Blessings.
From India.
In the 2nd and 3rd sets, Graf used more drop shots to draw Seles into the net where she less comfortable. Always calm under pressure.
My 2 favourite players of all time! I was one of the rare tennis fans who loved both Graf and Seles! And my 3rd favourite was Hingis who went on to meet Steffi in the final - one of the most exciting finals ever for controversial reasons! The 1999 Roland Garros was one of the best RGs in my memory for the women - so many legends playing that year. The WTA is now a shadow of what it once was.
the interview of Hingis before the Graf-Seles match: commentator says Hingis was "so poised and so mature..." hah!!! he spoke too soon...and this grand slam Hingis has NEVER won at all...
ヒンギス、全仏だけは優勝出来なかったが、全仏準優勝2回、イタリア国際も優勝しているからクレーコートの成績が決して悪い訳ではない。
@@kamint2258 that she did not win even ONE Roland Garros is the point, not that she could not win on clay...
Steffi beat all the top players at a Grand Slam tournament at the age of 30. That was extraordinary especially after coming back from all these injuries. A true legend!
Coz Seles stabbed
She was 29 here
@@yussepig6629 Don't you clowns ever get bored. I sure would if I were you, but hey if you have no life go for it.
Thanks for the Video😍😍
The fact is that Graf has always been H2H ahead of the younger 'queen' players (Hingis, Davenport, Williams sisters, Klijsters) whereas Seles lost H2H against them
her game is timeless. Even for her time, she served over 100mph
@@user-be5qg7mr1s Her fastest serve was 112 mph. Which is sensational considering her old racket equipment. She would be among the fastest servers even today, playing with a modern racket.
I remember this match very well. Monica had very powerful shots here, as usual. But eventually Steffi had developed the right strategy to beat Monica using her short crossed slice backhand very successfully (except on rebound ace surface where Monica's game was much more efficient)
If Steffi could have served even harder and used her top spin backhand down the line more often - like Roger Federer does-, very few players would have beaten her.
Eventually Steffi had developed the right strategy against Seles??
She had won 6 of the previous 9 matches against Monica!
this was the game that Graf needed most, after losing to Seles on the quarterfinals at the AO, and the 1992 grandslam, , and meeting Hingis on the finals.
Very sentimental handshake from Graf? If you look she kept a hold of Monica's hand for longer. Maybe because she knew it was their last match at Roland Garros together
Hip hip hurray , Steffi Graf The Great✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️💎💎💎
Still great quality/competitive match considering the blustery conditions
Maybe Martina should have wanted to play Seles instead!!big mistake underestimating Graf, Huge!! 🐐 ❤️
hingis has a losing h2h to graf so naturally she wanted seles to win
@@user-be5qg7mr1s she said in the press conference that she wanted to play Graf because Seles had beaten her so easily they year before!
The problem is she needed to beat her to prove that her slam wins the last few years weren’t won due to Graf’s absence (she didn’t have to play Graf in any of them). Hingis never beat Graf at a slam. She knew if she won in this final the score would be settled and this put a lot of pressure on herself. She mentioned as much in the interviews after losing.
1:12:53 Did she hit the moon ball on purpose? I remember she hit a lot of those when she was in her teen.
Remember when she moonballed Evert, almost to death, at the '89 US Open?
Steffi the great beat the#1, #2, 3 to win the RG😍😍😍😍
Steffi beat the top three seeds in a major, very impressive.
When Seles was at her best she almost looked like she was in a trance and seemed quite relaxed. Here the tension is written on her face even between points. that and her movement were the big differences here
準々決勝ダベンポート、準決勝セレシュ、決勝戦ヒンギスとシードNo.1～No.3全部破って優勝しちゃった信じられないグラフ😂
グラフが長年世界ランク1位に君臨していたとはいえ、ピークは1995年と1996年まで。😅
ヒンギスに優勝して欲しかった😢
Graf, now 29, has kept her weight at 132 lbs according to the data shown here. She still looks the perfect athlete, bouncing, leaping, lunging, dashing. Meanwhile, Seles, still only 25 years old, has not managed to retain her wonderful skinny and wiry figure of her 19 years, with her weight shown here at 155 lbs. Her strokes are still powerful and reach the farthest corners. But with her bent figure, little steps, lack of dash, and limited mobility, she does not project an air of youthful fitness, and at times, with her poor athleticism, she appears to be moving like an aging lady. So immensely sad, for a former top champion who had seemed practically invincible.
There's no guarantee that the weight shown here was the actual figure. In her second book, “GETTING A GRIP”, Seles says that in July 1999, that is one month after this Roland Garros semi-final (June 5, 1999), she was fluctuating between 25 to 30 lbs overweight - which could well suggest around 160 lbs - and was mournfully reflecting on her sad future when "I would be wearing those formless size fourteens for the rest of my life", a thought suicidal enough. One of her pictures, that of a buffet in Orlando in 1998, shows her in her Isadora Duncan-like floating white dress, triumphantly carrying, not a tournament gleaming trophy, but a loaded dessert plate! Considering the very likely embellishment about what her "normal" weight might be (130 to 140 lbs), we could reasonably suppose a heavier figure, say between 160 and 170 lbs. Seles had previously revealed that, at some point around Wimbledon in 1997 she had even reached "my heaviest", 174 lbs.
For those of us who fell passionately in love with her as a teenage tennis prodigy - when she miraculously defeated Chris Evert in Houston (April 1989) at age 15, a gangling adolescent of 99 lbs, with her huge dark mane waving on top of a flamboyant red shirt too large for her sylph-like figure - and couldn't forget the extraordinary excitement of those days, it was an immense disappointment to watch her in a phase of slowly fading fitness and uncontrolled overweight. Only 25, and already past her prime for good. The only authentic feeling fully justified to us is REGRET - immense regret - a feeling of the tragic irreplaceable loss we, her distant lovers, all endured at being deprived of all those great matches she potentially could have delivered in her 20s and 30s. Well, that's for another life. The Fates had spoken and cut off the thread. And that is why, from our own outsiders viewpoint only concerned about tennis realities, Monica Seles's life was and remains, in the pure Ancient Greek meaning, a sheer tragedy.
Not from Monica Seles’s personal psychological viewpoint, of course, since she de facto soon gave up about tennis performance as her "raison de vivre" for another personal goal: to focus mainly on her obsessive food hangup, and the untiring search for her lost figure. "I wanted to look like the other girls", meaning normal tennis players like Gabriela Sabatini, Steffi Graf or Venus Williams. She fought hard and long and, at long last, miraculously succeeded in getting that elusive grip on her junk food addiction. Her first book, “MONICA - FROM FEAR TO VICTORY" (1996), showed her as a widely inflated, happy, chubby tennis champion during her win at the Feb. 1996 Australian Open, her 9th and last Grand Slam, when she incredibly was only 22. Her second book, 13 years later, "GETTING A GRIP on my Body, my Mind, my Self" (2009), pictures her, at 35 years of age, as a svelte, elegant, very attractive, faintly smiling, society lady. Which became for her the supreme prize from her ultimate, very private, victory, winning over herself as her own opponent - way outside the tennis universe that we, her old-time lovers, still inhabit.
59:58 - 1:00:35 was the best play. Holy cow... I'm not necessarily the fan of any of these players... but damn.
No..best is at 1:39:06
At 33:15, Tracy Austin says Graft with the Continental forehand grip having a tough time get under the low ball compared to Western grip. She must be misspoke, bc western forehand is tough to get under low ball.
I can remember watching this match. Monica just looked like she didn’t want to be there. Seemed completely absent emotionally which really wasn’t like her especially for such a close match that could’ve gone either way. Makes you wonder how bad she was still suffering off the court.
Seles was one of the smartest players I ever saw...and I mean, she's up there with the 'usual suspects' that tenis geeks like me, talk about a lot. Smart players know their strengths...and they especially know their weaknesses, better than anyone else. And as she aged, I always felt there were players that she wanted nothing to do with, because she was aware of how good they were at exposing her weaknesses. And the big glaring weakness, again, as she aged...was her speed/footwork. She was fascinating as a much younger player, because that two handed appraoch on both sides was something she perfected with a TON of power and very underrated footwork. But as an older player, I found myself thinking more and more about how much longer she could've played, if she had taken one hand off the forehand and refined that one handed shot.
Not 9-5...it was 10-5
If Monica Seles go to the finals, that is what Martina Hingis hopes for and Martina Hingis will win the French Open trophy to complete her grandslam title.
she cant beat graf forehand and slice that why!
Now compare Graf's reaction after this match and her reaction after AO 1999 when Monica beat her. And then compare Monica's reactions after both the matches.
CURRENT :JUNE 2023
ONLY NOW THAT I HEAR FIND OUT (AFTER MORE THAN A TWO DECADE) THAT HINGIS PREPARE TO FACE GRAF OVER SELES IN THE FINAL.
😊 BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR, I GUESS.
SOLID STEFFI GRAF HERE 🖐
Hingis was flat-out lying.
She was afraid as hell to play Steffi in the final, the old veteran she had written off prematurely (""It's a faster, more athletic game. She is old now. ... Her time has passed.") She knew very well what people would say if she were to lose against that Steffi.
That mental state also explains why she reacted so crazy over a very inconsequential call at the beginning of the second set. To remind people - it was the FIRST point of the set's third game, Hingis being 64 20 in the lead. And in case the umpire had overturned the lineswoman's controversial call Hingis would not have been awarded the point. The point would have been repeated since Steffi got to the ball. So why getting so excited?
Martina was shitting her pants during the whole match.
I believe Steffi Graf and Seles are a lot like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. If Monica’s fate were different, I think their rivalry and grand slam count would be similar to Roger and Rafa’s.
If we had to only consider Monica’s years of absence, who would you think would win those GS if Monica was still competing? 🤔 Please be thoughtful in your reply and consider the other competitors who won those Slams were either their shining moment, stronger on that tennis surface, etc. No matter how great a tennis player was, it’s impossible to stay and maintain their peak for a prolonged period of time.
I am a Steffi Graf fan and I believe she is the Greatest of All Time but I do like to understand other tennis fans perspectives. What are your thoughts?
1993 French Open - Steffi Graf
1993 Wimbledon - Steffi Graf
1993 US Open - Steffi Graf
1994 Australian Open - Steffi Graf
1994 French Open - Mary Pierce
1994 Wimbledon - Conchita Martinez
1994 US Open - Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
1995 Australian Open - Mary Pierce
1995 French Open - Steffi Graf
1995 Wimbledon - Steffi Graf
For me Graf is the GOAT
The fastest surface on which Seles ever beat Steffi was the FO's clay.
That is a fact.
Steffi claims that she has no more cartilage in one of her knees . Damn she moves well for a cripple !
Seles claimed she had a love affair with butter...and judging by her lack of fitness after her comeback, she was telling the truth.
@@broncoguy4862 Yes youth can overcome bad eating habits, but as you become an adult there is no way to stay thin eating that way.
@broncoguy4862 well hello now, butter is a natural organic food, whereas Margarine is a highly processed substitute, made from Canola oil, and/or other synthetic trans fats/oils.
@@travisstrong5389 butter has tons of calories and it went to her hips
Seles had an eating problem before the stabbing but as she was a teen her system was able to burn the calories, later not so much. Seles was going to lose the No1 ranking at any rate but with the stabbing she seemed to have a good excuse for it
Now We dt see à Two super shampion in women tennis court
Monica completely out of shape and two times slower than Steffi Graf and still went to the limits.
Definitely slower than Graf, but Seles was never in great shape. I know she blamed her eating disorder on the attack. But it was well known that she did almost no fitness training before her hiatus. She even told Mary Carillo that she liked to put butter on everything. The attack could have made her bad habits worse, but she had those habits long before.
Also, Tracy did NOT think that Monica was completely out of shape. She comments here --- @1:12:22
@@LDVTennis Monica was always 100% fit and super fast before the stabbing, stop spreading lies. She never had weight problems.
@@whfan007 Monica was never super fast. LOL. Her movement was described as crab-like and ungainly. Have you Seles fans completely forgotten the 92 Wimbledon final? I can see why you would want to forget. But no one who is "super fast" would look that bad on slick grass.
As to Seles's fitness, it appears you don't read. Here's an excerpt from Ladies of the Court, a book on the WTA Tour published before the 1993 attack"
"Seles suffered from what Curry Kirkpatrick of Sports Illustrated called 'a widening caboose.' She ate butter on everything - meat, French fries, even pizza. 'Ugh. Gross, totally grody,' she admitted. 'But I can't help it. I must be addicted to butter. I just can't eat any food without it. I know it all goes down to fat down there.' She gestured to her hips, thighs, and behind. 'I know I've got to switch my diet habits.'"
Seles made the same comment to Mary Carillo. Carillo reported the comment in an intro to one of Seles's US Open matches in 92. So, there are at least two sources for the comment and the observation that Seles was NOT 100% fit before the attack.
@@LDVTennis You can eat butter but be dedicated to fitness and be completely thin like Monica was before the stabbing. Tons of athletes even promoted Coca-Cola drinks but were still able to stay fit due to their hard training. As for the 1992 Wimbledon final obviously she was bothered by the grunting issue but also the fact that she has two hands off both sides and also the slice going very low on grass is what hurt her, not her fitness or speed. Also she did beat Navratilova the round before. 🙄 Today Monica still looks thin so she never had a problem with the “widening caboose” until after the stabbing and being depressed and not being dedicated like before. She came back with a smile that she was just happy to be back playing but deep down she never got over the stabbing and that’s why she refused to play in Germany for the rest of her career. Either way the fact that you insist that Seles was slow even before the stabbing shows how she was much superior tennis player because if you gave her the speed of Graf she would have been even more dominant. The fact that you insist that she was so slow and was still was able to be number one and dominate women’s tennis shows how Graf sucks and how Monica was a much better and talented ball striker in order to compensate for her “slowness”. 🙄
“Graf sucks”? What are you 12? LOL
Still she beat Seles most of the times they played before the attack
Footworks wins over screaming
Disrespectful to Monica... She was a great tennis player also
Tracy keeps saying Steffi has a Continental grip forehand. I always hear others say she Sampras and Fed used eastern. Looks like an Eastern to me. Even one point early she said Graf couldn't get a low ball because of her full Continental grip. Those grips were developed for low balls on grass.
i thought its eastern too...someone was saying its between conti and eastern online.
Surely eastern. See Navratilova, Edberg and Novotna for continental forehands
Seles was far more talented and she had every shot in the book.
Graf was an exceptional athlete but was very limited as a tennis player.
Once players like Davenport, Hingis, Venus and Serena began to realise their potential, Graf knew that the exit door was the only place to go.
Limited as a tennis player? She won 20 + grand slams!!
@@michaelmc5761 Seles should have won 10 French open by this time
@@jinilmosesv123 Fortunately for you she was stabbed and you can believe that crazy fantasy forever.
Yes Graf was so limited compared to Hingis that a post prime Graf won most of her matches with peak Hingis in late 98/99, LOL! And the great Venus Williams who won 0 Australian Opens and 0 French Opens.
Seles more talented than Graf? 🤔 That's a first!
Truly amazing to see this match going to the limits with Monica looking so unfit. She never really rededicated herself after the stabbing it changed her whole outlook on life and approach to her career, but to me she will always be the greatest.
Monica lost her timing and ability
Taeeeeeeh!, means feces in pilipino🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
;
Yeah, this match was far from great. Neither player anywhere near their best, especially with their mobility/movement.
@GoTeam I guess I meant great in terms of what they're capable of.
gk891: Who are you to citicize both these wonderful players? Are you a sportsman of an international level?
@@GottdieEhre It's just an observation that neither player was anywhere near their best. Both players are legends and I'm a fan of both of them. But the level of tennis here was not at the level of what they were capable of. But of course, understandably so when you consider where they were in their careers/lives at that time.
Still better and more exciting to watch them rather then Vondrousova, Raducanu, Krejcikova, Andreescu, Screamalenka or such
@@dinomijatovic3921 I would agree
Imagine , Seles was beating Graf at most tournaments except 93 Wimbledon where Graf decided after 3 years of be beaten by Seles , to complain in the finals about Seles's grunt.
When Seles changed her breathing to not grunt ,she immediately lost herself and the match .
Then while playing in a German tournament a German man stabbed the teenage #1 Monica Seles in the back with a 9 inch knife and tried again but was pulled own by spectators.
He said he didn't think Graf would be able to beat Seles so he did what was necessary.
The German authorities let the stabber walk away with no jail time .
He was given 2 years suspended sentence .
If he had stabbed the German player Graf , you know that the stabber would have been locked up !
Seles would physically heal , but her trauma would rule her . She developed an eating disorder and gained weight . It was how she coped with her anxiety from the murder attempt. She gained weight and never played the same .
Steffi Graf went on to be the most wining player of both men and women and took more titles than anyone as well .
The stabber really changed both Monica's and Steffi's lives . Without Seles Graf was able to be the best !
Your facts are all wrong.
First of all it was the 1992 Wimbledon final, secondly Graf never complained about the grunts, Navratilova and Tauziat complained in the quarters and semis.
And finally, Seles was by all means NOT beating Graf “at most tournaments” like you claim, out of the 5 matches they played during the time that Seles was ranked number 1, Graf won 3 and Seles 2, plus at the time of the attack their head to head was 6-4 in favor of Graf.
@@franciscolaprida2133 It's actually unbelievable: After 30 years (!!!) there are still some Seles fans under EVERY Seles-Graf video to spread hate and agitation. They like to lie and speculate, which you can see here again. This is all so creepy, haha! After 30 years!!! How can you be so bitter. All live their lives, but these Seles fans still run full of hate through the world, and write hate comments under videos. If it wasn't so sad, you would have to laugh about it!
Another nutty Seles fan with their delusions pops up again, like herpes. For your info, Seles was despised on tour for her grunting, not only by fellow players but also fans and officials, being seen as trying to distract her opponent...some called it cheating...she even made jokes about it, promising to stop it..right. Then that 1992 Wimbledon where she proved to the world that she could turn it on and off as easily as flipping a switch. What a cheater. BTW, the Graf-Seles H2H is and will always be 10-5 Graf..in 15 attempts, Seles was only able to get the win 5 times. Graf is clearly the better, more accomplished player. And she didn't milk her injury for over 2 years like Seles did.
Seles sucked on grass, and her making the Wimbledon final at all was a fluke. Not grunting was a built in excuse for losing which she knew she would. It is also why she skipped Wimbledon 91 with a fake injury and was fined by the WTA for both not being injured, and taking 6 weeks to submit a fake injury explanation.
What a liar you are! Steffi never ever complained about the grounting of Monica. Never 😂 it's ridiculous. I know a few girls or Ladies did but never Steff did. Stop lying 😡 and also the h2h of what U trying to tell us is also not true. Just get yourself informed before U spread out wrong informations.
And btw: Monica was a wonderful player and one of the best components Steffi ever had, they both brought the best Tennis out of each other (Original sentence of Monica) and I also liked her very much, but stop telling shit about things that never happened, like Monica won everything except 1 tournament in 1993😂
Grafs father paid for the stabbing of Seles
Cómo te atreves a decir esa barbaridad. Deja de decir estupideces.
You stupid c*nt, of course he didn't.
😂😂😂😂 moron get a life
Peter should have gotten a refund or at least a discount. Gunther didn’t do it properly.
🙄
Just the fact that it went to the limits despite Monica looking so overweight and slow shows how Monica was better.
🤣
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 finger must be in pain from replaying the 9 vids.
The fact that Seles lost despite Steffi having had reconstructive knee surgery in 1997 shows how Steffi was better.
Graf is not the GOAT. In fact, it’s shocking how few records in the WTA world record book that she actually holds. Graf has the golden grand slam and most weeks at number one, but that’s about it. She has a shocking amount of losing head-to-head records at 13. Evert, by comparison has a losing record against 4 players. Navratilova has 7. Graf has a winning record against 3 of the open era top 10 players. Evert and Navratilova hold the record with winning H2Hs against 4 of the open era top ten. Graf does not have the most titles at the Austrian, French, Wimbledon, or the US Open. Those records belong to Williams, Evert, and Navratilova. She does not have the most GS titles on the various surfaces- hardcourts, clay, or grass. Those records again belong to Williams, Evert, and Navratilova. She does not have the highest career winning percentage on hard, clay, grass, or carpet. Those records belong to Evert, Evert, Navratilova, and Navratilova. She’s not the best at any grand slam or on any surface. She doesn’t have the highest winning percentage all time or at the grand slams...those records belong to Court. So how again is she the GOAT? She isn’t. It’s pretty simple.
Here are some of the major Open Era (not amateur) records in women's tennis and the person who holds the record:
Most grand slam titles= Williams
Most tournament titles= Navratilova
Most titles in a single season= Court
Most consecutive singles titles= Navratilova
Most titles on hard: Williams
Most titles on clay: Evert
Most titles on grass: Court
Most titles on carpet: Navratilova
Most AO titles= Williams
Most FO titles= Evert
Most Wimbledon titles= Navratilova
Most USO titles= tie Evert & Williams
Most Olympic Gold Singles= (No repeat winners) Graf, Capriati, Davenport, V. Williams, Henin, Dementieva, S. Williams, Puig
Most GS finals= Evert
Most GS semis= Evert
Most weeks at No 1= Graf
Most consecutive weeks at No 1= tie Williams & Graf
Most year-end No 1= Graf
Youngest no 1= Hingis
Oldest no 1= Williams
Most weeks ranked no 1 in singles and doubles simultaneously= Navratilova
Most season ending championships= Navratilova
Most years in the top 10= Navratilova
Most matches played= Navratilova
Most matches won= Navratilova
Most consecutive years with at least 1 GS title= Evert
Most consecutive years with at least 1 tournament title= Navratilova
Most consecutive finals= Navratilova
Most consecutive titles= Navratilova
Longest winning streak all surfaces= Navratilova
Longest winning streak on a single surface= Evert
Highest career winning percentage= Evert
Highest single season winning percentage= Navratilova
Highest grand slam match winning percentage= Court
Calendar year GS= Court & Graf
Golden calendar year GS= Graf
Career grand slam= Court, King, Evert, Navratilova, Graf, Williams, Sharapova
Doubles & mixed GS titles= Navratilova
Doubles titles overall= Navratilova
Most wins over the no 1 player= Navratilova
Players to defeat the number 1, 2, & 3 players at the same event= Graf, S. Williams, V. Williams
*source= WTA record book 2020
Meh. ... I stopped reading at Graf has the Golden Slam. That's all she needs to be in the conversation for GOAT. It's only a conversation. There is no definitive answer.
@@LDVTennis Of course she's in the conversation. All of the top10 grand slam title holders of the open era are in the conversation. That's out of basic respect for their accomplishments. I would even throw Sharapova in the mix. Anyone with a career slam deserves to be considered as well, even if you don't like the person.
@@jm7804 Basic respect for their accomplishments?
If you respected accomplishments, you would realize how rare a calendar slam is and how that achievement alone makes a case for Steffi being the GOAT. What makes Steffi's calendar slam even rarer is that by 1988 all the majors were truly international events. (In 1970, Court again benefited from an AO that was by the Quarters more or less an all-Australian tournament.)
Just this year, we've seen how hard it is to achieve. However great Djokovic is on all surfaces, he could not do it. He broke down physically and mentally.
On that note, it appears you missed the whole conversation around Djokovic's quest for the calendar slam. The consensus coming from that conversation was that if Djokovic achieved the calendar slam it would confirm his greatness over Nadal and Federer, no matter how close the major count. Why should it be any different for Steffi?
The calendar slam is that significant. It's NOT at all on the same level as a career slam as you try to suggest by including Sharapova in the conversation.
In the aftermath of Djokovic's quest for the golden slam, this much is also clear. The more years pass between the last calendar slam and the next one, the more significant it becomes. The more years pass between the last golden slam and the next one, the more significant it becomes. In which case, Steffi's case for being the GOAT is only going to get more convincing. Since the last and only golden slam, it's now 33 years and counting.
@@LDVTennis Steffi's big problem...her biggest peer rival got stabbed. That's not going away folks, no matter how much you want it to.
The golden slam is a big deal, of course. But Serena has 3 career golden slams...1 in singles, 2 in doubles. That's not nothing. You're not being honest if you say it should be dismissed. Only Steffi, Serena, Andre, and Rafa hold that title. Serena has 3, Rafa, Andre, and Steffi 1.
Steffi's bigger problem is that, even with the stabbing, here's her final tally:
Most AO titles= no
Most FO titles= no
Most Wimb titles= no
Most USO titles= no
Most overall GS titles= no
Most overall tournament titles= no
Most titles on hard= no
Most titles on grass= no
Most titles on clay= no
Most titles on carpet= no
Most titles indoors= no
Most titles outdoors= no
Most year-end championships= no
Longest winning streak= no
Longest winning streak on a single surface= no
Highest career winning percentage= no
Highest winning percentage in a single season= no
Most matches played against the other GOATs= no
Most match wins against the other GOATs= no
Highest winning percentage against the other GOATs= no
@@jm7804 Doubles career slam? That's funny. Is there also a mixed-doubles career slam?
Fans of lesser players are always quite clever.
There's only one slam that really matters. It's the calendar slam. If you have to make up "slams" to elevate the status of a player, it can only mean one thing --- DID NOT ACCOMPLISH A CALENDAR SLAM.
The argument that "the stabbing of a rival" is a permanent asterisk on Steffi's record was always absurd. In any other sport, when a "rival" gets injured or takes a break from the sport, it does not change a thing. If women's tennis were a real sport to you and not some soap opera, you would realize how silly the "stabbing" argument is.
As to your final tally, there seems no end to your cleverness.
If there were a GOAT in women's tennis, she would be the answer to the following three questions:
(1) Which woman had the most dominant year on the tour, as measured by major titles? There are three women with this distinction: Connolly, Court, and Graf. All completed the calendar grand slam.
(2) Considering that not all women play past the age of 30 (all eras), which woman won the most major titles in singles by the age of 30? Graf
(3) Of the players with the most majors by the age of 30, which one was the most well-rounded, that is most singles titles at EACH and EVERY major?
Graf is the only player with at least 4 titles at each major.
QED
I think it’s bad manners to jump and get excited like steffi did here. Considering the woman u beat got stabbed by one of your fans to make you better. Graf does not show humility. She did that at the 95 us open too and that was right after Monica’s comeback. She ran to the sidelines to see daddy before seeing Monica at the net sheesh
Tjordful I think its bad manners as well to jump on conclusion without trying to put perspective on Steffi’s shoes. 99 reactions are pure joy of relieved after so many injuries on and off again finally she reach a slam final. On 95 she didnt run into her daddy because her daddy are in jail. 95 is tough year for her especially during the us open time. Thats why the reaction is pure emotional and disbelief after Monica netted the forehand because she try to win it not for her self but for others people too especially to her family.
I think Steffi’s respond at the net to Monica is quite warm during 1995 US Open and 1999 French Open.
At the open after she hugged her coach and entourage she quickly ran to hug Monica same as 99 French Open after quick hop she ran to Monica’s at the net.
Why try and twist things to put Graf in a bad light? She had been out of the game for almost a year with a career threatening knee injury and was so happy to make a grand slam final after 3 years, she respected Seles and it meant alot to win.
Jeb Clem I feel sorry for someone like you. What happened to Monica is sad. Its a tragedy. Why can’t you enjoy and appreciate that she finally came back and play tennis again? Im borrowing Serena Williams quote “YOU’RE A HATER! AND BLACK HEART INSIDE!”
Tjordful Graf has good manners and always show humility. Graf won here so be happy for her. Don’t bitch around because Seles lost here. It’s better you make up an excuse that Seles lost here because she became fat. Seles got stabbed in April ‘93 and you’re watching a tennis match in ‘99. Six years after Seles had the minor injury and you’re still bringing up the same excuse. 😂
Jack Reacher Graf always show humility are you kidding? Maybe when she was winning she was humble lol
Thanks for the video😍😍😍