OT: For Steffi Graf, These are the Golden Days

[CamrnCrz1974]

Why Reminisce? For Steffi Graf, These are the Golden Days

http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/12845981/why-reminisce-steffi-graf-glory-days

"I just don't think of my career much," she said. "I told Andre early on after I retired and he was getting close to his retirement, 'You have no idea how quickly your career disappears, or you just don't even think much about it.' ... Just for myself, it was gone so fast and just on to a different life."

Today that life is dominated by her active children and her foundation, Children for Tomorrow, which provides "psychotherapeutic treatment to mentally and emotionally traumatized children who are victims of war, persecution and violence."

 

[alexrgct]

I could go on for days about how much I loved Steffi Graf.

She's the only player, man or woman, to win all four major at least four times. Had she not missed the 1995 and 1996 Australian Open, she might have won that tourney at least once and become the only player, man or woman, to win all four majors five times. She's also won the year-end tournament, also a big deal, five times.

Not only did she become the first player since Rod Laver to win a calendar-year Grand Slam, but she also won a gold medal that year.

She won at least three majors in five different calendar years: 1988, 1989, 1993, 1995, and 1996.

She's as mentally tough and resilient as it gets. From injuries, to having the pressure of knowing a madman stabbed your rival on the court itself so that you would be guaranteed the #1 spot, to your father mismanaging your own money and tax payments, and on and on, she kept on keeping on and just won more championships.

The Monica Seles stabbing descredits some of Steffi's accomplishments in the eyes of many. That being said, Monica did come back, won tournaments, won the 1996 Australian Open, and made the finals of the 1995 and 1996 US Open. Steffi won both of those US Open matches. She also beat Seles in the quarterfinals of the 1999 French Open en route to winning that. Sure, Seles might have held the crown longer had the stabbing never happened, but Steffi took it back and retained it even after Seles returned.

She and Andre have kids whose tennis careers I am dying to witness.

Sometimes stoic, often heroic, always scintillating and precise. That's Steffi Graf.