From the birth of the Open era in 1968, the evolution of the racket had revolutionized the modern game of tennis, it was said. Tennis technology had introduced racket that could be divided into 3 eras: wooden, steel/aluminum and graphite respectively. Researcher Ralf Schwenger remarked, "Each player is different, each player has different strokes. Custom-made really gives the player the option to have his individual, perfect racket."
In 1988, over 21,000 fans watched Steffi Graf made history on the synthetic Deco II hardcourt at the United States Open.
Historian Joel Drucker told 'The New York Times', "She might be one of the players I'd be most intrigued to see play with a wood racket. She had such good timing on the ball, she took a nice swing. Her stroke was this whippy quality of both flat and topspin."
In the Open era, three tennis players - Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl - had dominated the US Open men's singles title over a 10-year stretch, from 1978 to 1987. Then in 1988, Mats Wilander started a 4-year stretch that saw 4 different players won the championships (Boris Becker in 1989, Pete Sampras in 1990 and Stefan Edberg in 1991). Roger Federer became the first player to win 5 successive US Open titles from 2004 to 2008. "He’s probably about one of the most complete players tennis has ever seen. His ability to play at the net, his ability to play at the baseline, his serve, his forehand. He’s kind of regarded as kind of a tennis virtuoso," Joel Drucker stated.
After 13 years on the WTA Tour and winning 27 singles titles from 821 matches played, Gabriela Sabatini, one of the biggest stars in women's tennis, announced in 1996 she was retiring from the sport at the age of 26. Except for the two years 1993 and 1996, Gabriela Sabatini had won at least one singles title every year since 1985 and reached 15 Grand Slam semifinals which included 9 successive US Open quarterfinals. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Gabriela Sabatini earned a silver in the first Olympic medal tennis tournament since 1924.
Known for playing looping topspin from the baseline, Gabriela Sabatini consistently ranked in the Top 10 from 1986 until she retired and for the three years 1989, 1991 and 1992, was the women's No. 3 ranked tennis player. In 1990, Gabriela Sabatini, then 20, won her only Grand Slam title, the US Open. She told the 'New York Times', "That was the answer to all the questions I had about my tennis and myself. During the Open, I believed I was going to win, and I did it, I played the aggressive game and had the confidence I never had. After that, it's hard to put the feeling into words, but I felt like doors opened up everywhere."
Nicknamed "Gaby", Gabriela Sabatini received endorsements reportedly "far exceeded those of more accomplished players like Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles" from sunglasses, breakfast cereal, Pepsi, milk, rackets, clothing to footwear. In 1989, the 'Gabriela Sabatini' perfume was launched in Germany. The fragrance was an instant No. 1. In 1992, a red-orange fiery rose was named the 'Gabriela Sabatini Rose' in her honor. In 1994, the Great American Doll Company created a doll in Gabriela Sabatini's likeness, dressed in tennis clothes.
The 'Los Angeles Times' noted at the time, "Unlike many players, whose popularity with sponsors waxes and wanes according to their last tournament, Sabatini has a kind of immunity to such fluctuations. Her rolling John Wayne walk and broad-shouldered athleticism appeal even to those who claim not to like athletes. Nor is her appeal limited to the Spanish-speaking world." Gabriela Sabatini won 4 Italian titles at the Foro Italico in 1988, 1989, 1991 and 1992, "I always play well here in Rome. The crowd always helps."
Between 1985 and 1995, Steffi Graf and Gabriela Sabatini met 40 times. Gaby won 11 of those meetings but only over a 5-year stretch between 1988 and 1992. Eight of those wins came from tournaments in Florida with 2 in New York and 1 in Tokyo. Carlos Kirmayr who was Gaby's coach between 1990 and 1992 and again in 1994 believed, "This string of wins against Graf has done as much good for Gaby's game, and for her mind, as Gaby has done to Graf in just the opposite way."
Carlos Kirmayr was a former No. 1 player in Brazil who had ranked as high as No. 36 in 1981. At the 1991 Lipton International Players Championships, Steffi Graf won the first set in their semifinals match 6-0 before "the balance of power in their 2-hour-5-minute match began to shift" in the deciding set. "I don't even remember ever losing a set, 6-0 and never to do that and then come back to win. But I never gave up. I didn't lose my patience," Gabriela Sabatini told the press.
After their match at the US Open in 1993, Gaby made the comment, "Against each other, we always have very good matches and I know it is a little bit different. I always get excited when I play Steffi, since the beginning. We play, I think, the best matches, we both play our best and it is a very good level. We play great tennis, I think." Steffi added, "Rivalry, that is a great word. If there haven't been great matches, that is difficult but we have had some great finals obviously, some really good, good matches to look back at. I think that makes it a great - I don't know another word, actually."
In the Open era, three tennis players - Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl - had dominated the US Open men's singles title over a 10-year stretch, from 1978 to 1987. Then in 1988, Mats Wilander started a 4-year stretch that saw 4 different players won the championships (Boris Becker in 1989, Pete Sampras in 1990 and Stefan Edberg in 1991). Roger Federer became the first player to win 5 successive US Open titles from 2004 to 2008. "He’s probably about one of the most complete players tennis has ever seen. His ability to play at the net, his ability to play at the baseline, his serve, his forehand. He’s kind of regarded as kind of a tennis virtuoso," Joel Drucker stated.
After 13 years on the WTA Tour and winning 27 singles titles from 821 matches played, Gabriela Sabatini, one of the biggest stars in women's tennis, announced in 1996 she was retiring from the sport at the age of 26. Except for the two years 1993 and 1996, Gabriela Sabatini had won at least one singles title every year since 1985 and reached 15 Grand Slam semifinals which included 9 successive US Open quarterfinals. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Gabriela Sabatini earned a silver in the first Olympic medal tennis tournament since 1924.
Known for playing looping topspin from the baseline, Gabriela Sabatini consistently ranked in the Top 10 from 1986 until she retired and for the three years 1989, 1991 and 1992, was the women's No. 3 ranked tennis player. In 1990, Gabriela Sabatini, then 20, won her only Grand Slam title, the US Open. She told the 'New York Times', "That was the answer to all the questions I had about my tennis and myself. During the Open, I believed I was going to win, and I did it, I played the aggressive game and had the confidence I never had. After that, it's hard to put the feeling into words, but I felt like doors opened up everywhere."
Nicknamed "Gaby", Gabriela Sabatini received endorsements reportedly "far exceeded those of more accomplished players like Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles" from sunglasses, breakfast cereal, Pepsi, milk, rackets, clothing to footwear. In 1989, the 'Gabriela Sabatini' perfume was launched in Germany. The fragrance was an instant No. 1. In 1992, a red-orange fiery rose was named the 'Gabriela Sabatini Rose' in her honor. In 1994, the Great American Doll Company created a doll in Gabriela Sabatini's likeness, dressed in tennis clothes.
The 'Los Angeles Times' noted at the time, "Unlike many players, whose popularity with sponsors waxes and wanes according to their last tournament, Sabatini has a kind of immunity to such fluctuations. Her rolling John Wayne walk and broad-shouldered athleticism appeal even to those who claim not to like athletes. Nor is her appeal limited to the Spanish-speaking world." Gabriela Sabatini won 4 Italian titles at the Foro Italico in 1988, 1989, 1991 and 1992, "I always play well here in Rome. The crowd always helps."
Between 1985 and 1995, Steffi Graf and Gabriela Sabatini met 40 times. Gaby won 11 of those meetings but only over a 5-year stretch between 1988 and 1992. Eight of those wins came from tournaments in Florida with 2 in New York and 1 in Tokyo. Carlos Kirmayr who was Gaby's coach between 1990 and 1992 and again in 1994 believed, "This string of wins against Graf has done as much good for Gaby's game, and for her mind, as Gaby has done to Graf in just the opposite way."
Carlos Kirmayr was a former No. 1 player in Brazil who had ranked as high as No. 36 in 1981. At the 1991 Lipton International Players Championships, Steffi Graf won the first set in their semifinals match 6-0 before "the balance of power in their 2-hour-5-minute match began to shift" in the deciding set. "I don't even remember ever losing a set, 6-0 and never to do that and then come back to win. But I never gave up. I didn't lose my patience," Gabriela Sabatini told the press.
After their match at the US Open in 1993, Gaby made the comment, "Against each other, we always have very good matches and I know it is a little bit different. I always get excited when I play Steffi, since the beginning. We play, I think, the best matches, we both play our best and it is a very good level. We play great tennis, I think." Steffi added, "Rivalry, that is a great word. If there haven't been great matches, that is difficult but we have had some great finals obviously, some really good, good matches to look back at. I think that makes it a great - I don't know another word, actually."
