From Tennis Week: The Class of Her Class: As Hall Of Fame Induction Nears, Steffi Graf Discusses Her Life And Career By Richard Pagliaro 04/29/2004
The balls fly by fast, slow and with the occasional slice she once imparted to spinning shots slithering through the grassy grounds of Wimbledon. An absorbed Steffi Graf watches every single one with a knowing smile of someone who's spent a lifetime chasing down bouncing balls before thousands of fans on courts across the world.
Nearly five years removed from her retirement that concluded one of the greatest championship careers in sport, Graf is finally back in the ball game and has never sounded happier.
It's not a training session for a return to tournament tennis, but a day in the life of an attentive mom that brings the 22-time Grand Slam singles champion close to the bouncing balls — basketballs, baseballs, footballs and yes even the occasional tennis ball — tossed around by two and a half year-old son Jaden Gil Agassi, whose famous father, Andre, made history as the oldest man to hold the No. 1 ranking last April.
As a player, Graf often requested early start times for her matches as she loved playing beneath the bright sun. As a mom, her typical day begins before the sun rises as she's up with her two kids: Jaden Gil and daughter Jaz Elle.
"The daily routine is waking up, probably quarter to six a.m. The day starts really early with very little sleep," Graf said. "Jaz is six months old. She is an absolute sweetheart. She's really the quiet one of the two. She smiles a lot. Apart from waking up early, she's a great sleeper during the night, but it's a big thing especially with our traveling. Jaden, he is an absolute sport nut. You can go to the biggest toy store and he can come out with a ball. Doesn't matter what size, what shape, as long as it's a ball, basketball, football, baseball, tennis ball... He loves to throw the ball, play basketball, golf. Whatever ball sport it is, he loves it. He's extremely active. He'll probably catch up with something in the sport, I doubt it, who knows, maybe tennis?"
How can you start a story about a woman widely regarded as one of the game's greatest players by talking about a play day at home with her kids? Because children have replaced championships as Graf's greatest concern and raising Jaden Gil and Jaz Elle with Agassi is clearly her primary passion and pursuit now.
In a conference call with the media today to discuss her impending induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Sunday, July 11th along with Stefan Edberg and Dorothy "Dodo" Cheney, the 34-year-old Graf spoke with genuine joy and honest humility about her induction and her career.
"It's like a dream come true to be recognized for what you've done in your career by the Hall of Fame. It's incredible. So thanks again and I appreciate it a lot."
The induction of the trio of champions coincides with the Hall of Fame's 50th Anniversary Celebration presented by Campbell’s, which will feature some of the greatest Hall of Famers from around the world reuniting on the hallowed grounds of the historic Hall of Fame on the weekend of July 9-11th. Part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration will include a once-in-a-lifetime "Parade of Hall of Famers" welcoming back tennis champions Chris Evert, John McEnroe, Rod Laver and more than 40 others to participate in a lively ceremony on Saturday, July 10th. Graf said she's looking forward to seeing some familiar faces.
"It's going to be such a privilege to be part of it," Graf said. "You know, tennis has been so extremely good to me, and it's been something that I've had such a strong passion for and obviously, I've watched and got to meet a lot of incredible, incredible tennis players of the past. And to be part of this and to meet some that I may not have met before, it's going to be very special to walk out there on the court."
The woman who held the top spot a record 377 weeks made tennis history by becoming the first player to win the "Golden Grand Slam" by winning the singles gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul after sweeping all four majors that year. It remains one of the most awesome achievements in tennis, yet the accomplishment took a physical and mental toll on Graf.
"In 1988, I was so exhausted I had nothing left," said Graf, sounding slightly drained just talking about it all these years later. "Obviously, I was happy when I won and I remember match point and beating Gabriela (Sabatini) at the end of my physical ability during that match (a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 win in the 1988 U.S. Open final), starting to cramp and then winning that match was just incredible. But after that I just went through a stage where I had to get ready to leave for (the next event). It was so much for me at such a young age (19) that unfortunately, I was just exhausted to really soak it in and know what I've done. I just didn't have fun and with tennis the tough part is that you win such a big tournament and you're off to the next one...It was crazy. But if anything, I would say that winning the gold medal meant more at that point to me and I enjoyed it it so much more than crazy enough winning the Slam because I was a lot more relaxed."
The passion, perfection, professionalism and purpose Graf brought to her practices and matches undoubtedly helped drive her to become the only player — male or female — to win each of the four major singles titles at least four times, but it may also have contributed to the chronic injuries that forced her to travel with a trainer and ultimately contributed to her retirement at age 30 when the third-ranked Graf became the highest ranked player to ever announce her retirement. In retrospect, the difficulty she had in giving herself a break from her demanding regimen remains her sole source of regret though Graf is quick to add she wouldn't alter any aspect of her career.
"I practiced extremely hard, and I think looking back, I wish that I would have just taken it a little easier," Graf said. "I think, you know, what can I say? I have no regrets and I wouldn't change a thing. But I just wish that I would have had an easier time of getting away a little bit from the tennis and, you know, I always wanted to play. I wish I wouldn't have had that desire as much, because I think that would have kept me probably a little healthier. But I worked always hard and that took a toll at times physically, but other than that, I have to say, what kind of regrets can I have? I was very fortunate with my career, so I wouldn't change a thing. Look where I am right now, you know, through my career, I got to meet my husband. So I don't want to change one thing."
Watching her kids play ball is a pure pleasure for Graf, while watching her husband compete can evoke another emotion.
"You know what: you're just helpless when you watch," Graf said. "That's the tough part. I'm a very active person and I want to be able to control things, and I can't. So in a sense, it's harder watching (than it was playing). And obviously, you feel love: it's for him and that makes it even harder."
A popular topic in tennis today is the insistence that the game needs more personalities to attract new fans, but there is sometimes a tendency to confuse crassness with charisma. Graf competed with a quiet dignity for much of her career, and while she may not have been as emotionally accessible on the court as rivals such as Navratilova, Seles, Sanchez-Vicario, the perception of Graf as a distant Diva who kept her emotions as tightly confined as her blonde hair pulled back tightly from her face isn't accurate. This was a woman who deeply felt the pressure of immense expectations, the pain of body that was pounded by years of playing until it wracked her knees and back and the personal anguish of a private person whose father's embarrassing episodes of tax evasion charges and reported dalliances were played out in public.
Despite all she endured off the court, Graf was determined to be at her best on the court.
"I think most of it is just life. Obviously, as a younger person, there's less responsibilities, less weight on you, and it's just, it grows as you get older, responsibilities come up and independence, as well as, I think everybody was aware, which I was struggling at times physically," Graf said. "There were a lot of other things, struggles with that I had to cope with that not only had to do with tennis, but a lot of questions that I had to answer and trust that I had to give and believe. And as you just get older, I think you're more aware of things and you think harder."
The native of Mannheim, Germany succeeded Martina Navratilova as the world's top player and fans still debate which woman was a better champion. In a career that saw her claim 107 titles, Graf established rivalries with Navratilova, Gabriela Sabatini, Monica Seles, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and played many of the Open Era's top players ranging from Chris Evert to the Williams sisters. Asked to identify her top rival, Graf said Navratilova's serve-and-volley style made her the most intriguing opponent.
"The great thing is that because of the longevity of my career, I got to almost go through a few generations of players, and starting with Martina. I think Martina was a player that had such a different style than most of them that it made it most interesting to play against," Graf said. "Being a left-hander, coming in, you know, and me being someone that played from the baseline, you could always expect an exciting match. I feel like she put me on the edge probably the most, and then following up, like I said, with Gabriela, we had some incredible battles. The same I do have to say about Arantxa. We have played so many great matches, finals, Wimbledon final that I think back, and Paris. And then you can move to Monica, and then later on to Martina (Hingis) at the end and Lindsay (Davenport). I feel great about it, that I got to play against such a different mix of players, that it obviously made it bring more out of me."
Years after her retirement, Graf continues to exert influence on the game today. Current No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne has often recounted the life-altering moment when she at next to her mother watching her hero, Graf, play Seles in the French Open final.
Already an accomplished junior player herself, the young girl was so enthralled with excitement, she made a verbal vow to her mother on the spot. Someday, Justine Henin promised her mother Francoise, she would return Roland Garros as a professional player and take home the title to her family. A year ago, Henin-Hardenne did just that and spoke of Graf's influence on her. Today, Graf returned the compliment and cited Henin-Hardenne as her favorite player (aside from Agassi, of course).
"I'm impressed with what (Henin-Hardenne) has achieved the last few years, and I love her game. She's the only one that I haven't played kind of, so maybe I'll pick her," Graf said when asked to pick her favorite player. First of all, she has a one-handed backhand and that's not around much anymore."
In addition to the one-handed backhand, both Graf and Henin-Hardenne are adidas and Wilson players who both earned respect for their work-ethic and intensity.
"She's somebody that really, she works physically hard, she's very committed to the sport," Graf said of Henin-Hardenne. "She tried different aspects to make herself better. She maybe doesn't have the physical stature; she's not as tall as other players, but she'll make it up with speed, with working out a little more, and you can see it. I find little similarity in that sense in how I approach the game, and I guess that that's where I look at her and say, well, it's great to have the desire, and then obviously, there's a passion in how she plays and the dedication."
In the home of the Magic Kingdom — Orlando, Florida — tennis royalty met as the former No. 1 came face-to-face with the woman who now wears the crown last month.
"We were both there for a big convention for Adidas, and we were kind of waiting for our parts, basically, in that event," Graf said. "So we were just sitting around and so I just came up and said hello. We got to talk a little bit and I was asking how she's enjoying the game, and I thanked her because she did mention before that she was looking up to me as a player when she grew up. She mentioned that she was in the same airplane in Australia but she didn't feel like she wanted to intrude. I'm like, please, you can always come up and talk to me. I hope that I'm always approachable. So we had a nice conversation, and I was just telling her that, you know, I've been watching her and been really impressed in what she has achieved."
While the Graf-Henin-Hardenne connection is clear, perhaps the most surprising tennis-related revelation was Graf's selection of two players she admired most while growing up: one-time Wimbledon mixed doubles partner John McEnroe and the Wimbledon winner's fierce rival Jimmy Connors. It's somewhat surprising to hear a champion who competed with such composure to pick two of the most combustible characters of the Open Era as her favorites — sort of like seeing Sleeping Beauty starring in a Quentin Tarantino film — but Graf said she admired the way both aggressive Americans played the game.
"I can't say that I've had heroes," Graf said. "But who I really admired for their talent and the way they played was John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors."
The call began with Graf recalling her career and fittingly it concluded with the champion expressing her desire to get off the phone and get back to her kids. Tennis has always been a big part of Graf's life, but hearing her speak it's clear her family is her life and that the life experiences she's gained from tennis will be passed on to her children regardless of what sort of ball they choose to play with as they grow older.
"Life makes you who you are," Graf said. "And my career in tennis and my travels, the people that I've met, the cultures, I think that makes me who I am. Hopefully, that helps in taking care of my children and being all that I can be for them. I think it's who I am that makes me pass on what I have. (Tennis) doesn't make me who I am. I'm sure, or I hope, that it helps me be all I can be for my children."
