Steffi Graf turned 24 in 1993. After winning 3 of that year's 4 Grand Slam titles and the Virginia Slims tennis Championships, Steffi described 1993 as "a great, great year, and that's the way you want to end it." The U.S. Open was Steffi's 100th tournament final. Wimbledon was Steffi's 20th Grand Slam final. Winning and losing were a part of sport. But Steffi stressed, "I don't think that somebody gives you the match. You've got to play every point." By winning the season-ending Virginia Slims Championships, Steffi had won 79 singles titles which tied her with Margaret Court.
"When I realize how well I'm playing, it's really difficult to do something against me because I know that when I go for my shots, it will happen," she shared. "It helps if you have a player who pushes you." Helena Sukova made the observation at the U.S. Open, "I can't tell you how she was playing (in 1988) but I think she was playing very well today. She was even passing better off her backhand than she normally does." Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere added, "It seemed she put every ball one inch over the net, one inch inside the baseline. It was difficult going for shots. Physically, she's stronger. I had the feeling I had to hit 3 times harder than usual. It just took too much out of me."
Steffi had played Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 20 times before 1993. Arantxa, one commentator observed, "repeatedly returning shots that would be beyond the reach of lesser players." At the Family Circle Magazine Cup tournament Jennifer Capriati recalled, "She didn't change the whole time, it was just get everything back and wait for me to miss." Amanda Coetzer who played Arantxa at the Virginia Slims of Florida acknowledged, "The fact that she runs so well is always on your mind. Often you find yourself trying to do too much. I wasn't sure what my tactic should be – go for the shots or play a waiting game." In 1993, Lindsay Davenport turned pro. In her 2nd tournament on the tour, Lindsay defeated Gabriela Sabatini, "When I got up 5-0, I started getting nervous. I thought, 'Oh my gosh, I might win this!'" Steffi made the point after winning her 4th round match at the U.S. Open, "I don't think I could have played much better than that. There weren't any mistakes. You don't play like that every day. You've got to treasure these moments. Sometimes it's there. You don't dominate every day." Steffi pointed out after winning the French Open, "I didn't think about losing the 3rd set. That's why I turned it around, because I wasn't afraid of anything." Mary Joe Fernandez conceded, "It was just a couple of points here or there. Maybe it was experience; when it came to the big points, she went for it and it paid off."
"When I realize how well I'm playing, it's really difficult to do something against me because I know that when I go for my shots, it will happen," she shared. "It helps if you have a player who pushes you." Helena Sukova made the observation at the U.S. Open, "I can't tell you how she was playing (in 1988) but I think she was playing very well today. She was even passing better off her backhand than she normally does." Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere added, "It seemed she put every ball one inch over the net, one inch inside the baseline. It was difficult going for shots. Physically, she's stronger. I had the feeling I had to hit 3 times harder than usual. It just took too much out of me."
Steffi had played Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 20 times before 1993. Arantxa, one commentator observed, "repeatedly returning shots that would be beyond the reach of lesser players." At the Family Circle Magazine Cup tournament Jennifer Capriati recalled, "She didn't change the whole time, it was just get everything back and wait for me to miss." Amanda Coetzer who played Arantxa at the Virginia Slims of Florida acknowledged, "The fact that she runs so well is always on your mind. Often you find yourself trying to do too much. I wasn't sure what my tactic should be – go for the shots or play a waiting game." In 1993, Lindsay Davenport turned pro. In her 2nd tournament on the tour, Lindsay defeated Gabriela Sabatini, "When I got up 5-0, I started getting nervous. I thought, 'Oh my gosh, I might win this!'" Steffi made the point after winning her 4th round match at the U.S. Open, "I don't think I could have played much better than that. There weren't any mistakes. You don't play like that every day. You've got to treasure these moments. Sometimes it's there. You don't dominate every day." Steffi pointed out after winning the French Open, "I didn't think about losing the 3rd set. That's why I turned it around, because I wasn't afraid of anything." Mary Joe Fernandez conceded, "It was just a couple of points here or there. Maybe it was experience; when it came to the big points, she went for it and it paid off."
