Sunday, November 21, 1993: Steffi Graf won her 3rd season-ending Virginia Slims Tennis Championships. It was Steffi's 79th career singles title which tied her with Margaret Court.
"I'm incredibly happy to end the year like this," Steffi enthused. "It couldn't be any better."
In 1988, Steffi became only the 5th player in history to win the elusive Grand Slam. The Grand Slam was renamed the Golden Slam when Steffi won the gold medal at the Seoul Olympic Games.
Of the Olympics, Philippe Chatrier explained at the time, "The older generation don't really understand what the Olympics mean. They have been programed and grown up worshiping the Grand Slam and suddenly something is put in their laps and they don't know what it means."
"I don't think the importance of the Games have sunk in yet," he added. "For (Stefan) Edberg and Steffi Graf it has, because they have tasted it in Los Angeles. They understand the importance of the thing and I think the rest of the younger generation will put the Olympics on top of the list 4 years from now."
Steffi stated in 1988, "The other tournaments are every year but I can get one gold medal every 4 years."
1987 was the time the pecking order in women's tennis was re-defined. In what described as the battle of the generation gap, Martina Navratilova lamented, "It's like they're trying to drive you out of the game. When I reached 30, people kept asking me about when I was going to stop playing."
Chris Evert expresed, "I've come to terms with it. People like me, Martina and Jimmy Connors, we're okay, we're not having breakdowns. We're just more human. I can't believe that, at times, people want to see me retire. Maybe it's hard for them. They have an image of me they don't want tarnished."
"It's hard for me to realize what I did," Steffi acknowledged of winning the Golden Slam. "I'm very excited to achieve this. Not many people in the future will achieve this, winning the Grand Slam and the gold medal. That's amazing."
When Steffi retired in 1999, The New York Times remarked, "Her legacy in tennis as a player is phenomenal."
Jana Novotna conceded, "In my generation, I don't think there's anybody except Steffi who can play under no matter what circumstances. The worse the score is, the better she can get. I guess that's what champions are all about."
In describing Steffi, her coach recognized, "I guess it's a combination of athletic ability she was born with and amazing willpower. She seems to be able to dig deep, when she has to."
"I'm incredibly happy to end the year like this," Steffi enthused. "It couldn't be any better."
In 1988, Steffi became only the 5th player in history to win the elusive Grand Slam. The Grand Slam was renamed the Golden Slam when Steffi won the gold medal at the Seoul Olympic Games.
Of the Olympics, Philippe Chatrier explained at the time, "The older generation don't really understand what the Olympics mean. They have been programed and grown up worshiping the Grand Slam and suddenly something is put in their laps and they don't know what it means."
"I don't think the importance of the Games have sunk in yet," he added. "For (Stefan) Edberg and Steffi Graf it has, because they have tasted it in Los Angeles. They understand the importance of the thing and I think the rest of the younger generation will put the Olympics on top of the list 4 years from now."
Steffi stated in 1988, "The other tournaments are every year but I can get one gold medal every 4 years."
1987 was the time the pecking order in women's tennis was re-defined. In what described as the battle of the generation gap, Martina Navratilova lamented, "It's like they're trying to drive you out of the game. When I reached 30, people kept asking me about when I was going to stop playing."
Chris Evert expresed, "I've come to terms with it. People like me, Martina and Jimmy Connors, we're okay, we're not having breakdowns. We're just more human. I can't believe that, at times, people want to see me retire. Maybe it's hard for them. They have an image of me they don't want tarnished."
"It's hard for me to realize what I did," Steffi acknowledged of winning the Golden Slam. "I'm very excited to achieve this. Not many people in the future will achieve this, winning the Grand Slam and the gold medal. That's amazing."
When Steffi retired in 1999, The New York Times remarked, "Her legacy in tennis as a player is phenomenal."
Jana Novotna conceded, "In my generation, I don't think there's anybody except Steffi who can play under no matter what circumstances. The worse the score is, the better she can get. I guess that's what champions are all about."
In describing Steffi, her coach recognized, "I guess it's a combination of athletic ability she was born with and amazing willpower. She seems to be able to dig deep, when she has to."
