Steffi Graf vs Serena Williams - Adidas International 1999 (Highlights) HQ 

Serena is close to Steffi in achievements. But lightyears away from her in character. Character is an integral part of greatness in sports.

Serena is no. 5. Navritilova evert graf court are ahead.

Court Can piss off

@@jamesyu5212 wrong

@@adrianjo4752 your mama said that the fact that you were born was wrong.

@@jamesyu5212And maybe one day you will grow up little boy…

Quarterfinal. Steffi beat venus then

FO 1999 - Graf won against Kournikova, Davenport (no 2), Seles (No 3) and Hingis (No 1)...

...one secret of Grafs backhand slice is probably that Steffis backhand slice was a very different stroke to the common way to play it: Steffi was able to play her slice not only as pure passive and defensive stroke. She was able to speed it up. She could do this by hitting the ball on the highest point after bouncing. This enabled her to press the ball "down" - what let the ball than bounce even more less as a slice already does. Additionally, she was able to bring all her body weight into that stroke by almost leaning into her slice. By that she was able to transform this usually defensive and passive stroke into a more agresssive and faster ball. This special technique opened a variety of possibilities: in earlier matches against Martina Navratilova she often used her slice just to block or to chipp the ball - as a passing shot on Martinas serve and volley game. And finally: another specifity to others is what she did after playing her backhand slicde: in Grafs game this was a basic tactical element: her slice enabled her also to slow down the speed of the match and to neutralize un opponernts power game: it gave her the time to bring her in best position to play her a forehand shot from almost every part of the court - even these legendary inside outs from the backhand corner.

Naomi does now. Reminds me of graf

Lindsay Davenport and Henin

@@deepakmahajan4978 You sad clown.

@@iamshadowbanned699 Both would laugh you in the face, boy.... 😂

Second to Monica Seles tbh lol

@@nikhilissar lol🤣🤣🤣

@@nikhilissar Zero Wimbledons. A 15-49 win/loss record against Steffi, Davenport, Hingis, Williams sisters. Seles was just a punching ball for the greats of the game.

I mean, just a cursory look at the top 15 and I'd say that Goerges, Kasatkina, Barty, Sevastova, Kerber, Pliskova, Kvitova are all more than capable of what you describe here. Not even half of the top 20 are big hitters, let alone "mindless ball bashers" and only Kerber and Kasatkina are bad servers. I much prefer ATP, but the women were far more entertaining than the men in Australia. Maybe you should actually watch it instead of moaning.

These girls’ hardest serves are only reaching 90 mph. I don’t know what you mean by how serving is worse now. Also, the slices and volleys these girls are hitting are very weak. Any current WTA player within the top 50 would easily win against these players. Tennis only improves over time.

Or the grunting ?!

U dont know what u are talking about.....

The women are serving significantly harder than they were 20 years ago. There are no longer 4 or 5 players that can beat everyone every single time.

Serena won more Grand Slams! 😂😂😂 I guess that makes her even more BEST than Graf 😂😂😂

By far. I mean look at those dancing feet. Rf before rf

No way. It's Serena. Seles had a good shot if that unfortunate incident didn't take place.

@Illya Kuryakin Dumbo your funny comments make my day LOL Steffi won 11 more GS post monica stabbing. She got those slams because of begging from the GOAT Monica.

@Illya Kuryakin hahahaha joker. LOL

Yeah Steffi is the GOAT

@Sussex Squad Margaret Court is the greatest of all time with 24 slams.

​@@beavertown2006 Margie's only has 11 majors

Steffi Graff is Better. 1.Graf won 22 Grand Slams. Serena won 23 Grand Slams. 2. Graf was more dominant. She won 22 Grand Slams between 1988-1999. Serena had a longer career. She won her first Grand Slam in 1999 and last her Grand Slam win was in 2017. 3.Graf won 4 Aus, 5 US, 6 French and 7 Wim. Serena won 3 French, 6 US, 7 Aus and 7 Wim. 4.Graf has a career record of 88.7% while Serena has a career record of 85.4%. 5.Graf won 107 career titles. Serena won 72 career titles. 6.Graf was number one 377 weeks. Serena was number one for 317 weeks. 7.Graf reached 13 consecutive Grand Slam finals. Serena reached 4 consecutive Grand Slam finals. 8.Graf was year end number one for 8 years. Serena was year end number one for 5 years. 9.Graf’s winning streak was better. Serena has never 40+ consecutive matches even once. Graf did it 4 times ( 44 consecutive matches, 45 consecutive matches, 46 consecutive matches and 66 consecutive matches) 10.Graf’s best year winning percentages are 97.7%, 97.4% and 96%. Serena’s best is 95.1%. 11.Graf won all 4 Grand Slams in one year. She was the last tennis player to achieve that. 12.Graf beat her opponent 6-0 6-0 in a Grand Slam final. Only time that has ever happened in a Grand Slam final. 13.Graf won 20 Grand Slams between 1988-1996. That is a kind of dominance even Federer would be proud of. 14.Graf won at least one Grand Slam every year for 10 straight years. Serena won at least one Grand Slam every year for 6 straight years. 15.Graf won three Grand Slams in a year four times. Serena did it twice. 1Statistically speaking, Graf has a better record than Serena

@@juankruh6816 Looking at these stats you're basically showing us how Graf had no competition or rival that keep up with her especially after Seles got stabbed. Serena on the other hand had a tougher time getting through the likes of Davenport, Venus her sister, Capriati, Henin, Hingis, Azarenka, Sharapova all Grand Slam champions.

Steffi's Opponents in the finals she won 1.Chris Evert (18 Slams) 2.Helena Sukova (0 Slams) 3.Mary Joe Fernandez(0 Slams) 4.Artanxa Sanchez Vicario(2 Slams) 5.Martina Navratilova(18 Slams) 6.Natasha Zvereva(0 Slams) 7.Hingis(5 Slams) 8.Sabatini (1 Slam) 9.Seles(9 Slams) 10. Novotna(1 Slam) Serena's Oponnents in the finals she won 1.Venus Williams(7 Slams) 2.Davenport (3 Slams) 3.Sharapova (5 Slams) 4.Safina (0 Slams) 5.Henin(7 Slams) 6.Safarova(0 Slams) 7.Zvoraneva(0 Slams) 8.Radwasnka(0 Slams) 9.Muguruza(2 Slams) 10.Kerber( 3 Slams) 11.Hingis( 5 Slams) 12.Jankovic(0 Slams) 13.Azarenka(2 Slams) 14.Wozniacki(1 Slam) Overall, very similar competition

It would have been nice if Seles had a normal career then Tennis would have been more fun with Graf having a strong rival

Blame it on Gunther Parche, the deranged fan that stabbed Seles. After that tragedy, Seles' father passed away from stomach cancer. But, the true crime is Gunther Parche!

It would have been quite interesting, Graf would have had it more difficult if she played till the early 00´s than she had in the 90´s because of tougher competition and physical impairment but still she could have taken out a couple of slams from Serena/Venus, after all, she had a positive h2h against all players that won slams over the next years and Serena beat her once but in a very tight non-slam match

has something to do with technology and the lighter rackets.

Actually certain players did hit fast, Lindsey Davenport and Seles.. however, there were players like Stefi who used a slower slice backhand which was not easy to return and the Hingis who was a master at hitting angles.. it's all about styles.. speed is only one weapon in the toolbox. Graf won 22 slams in part because of that slice backhand.

I don´t think they hit "so much" harder, the ball just comes out faster because racket technology improved and player´s styles adapted to this.

Racquet tecnoogy improved a lot, string tecnology improved even more. Hitting extremely hard was totally possible even back then, but nobody was doing it on a regular basis, because the risk of losing control was definitely too high. New materials helped in getting much more spin and finer control over high speed shots, and some of those materials arrived after a very short timespan.

Lol I was stunned!!! and then she continued like she never said anything!

and what's your point? winning record stands not what you mentioned... hhhhhhh

@Illya Kuryakin it doesn't matter 23 its the highest number that carries on and will be rememered with the record holder's name in the future... and i don't know Steffi i'm only 14 yrs old..

Steffi retired at the age of 29 in 1999, she won the French open the same year.

beavertown2006 Graf was 30 years old when she retired while ranked number 3 in the world. She achieved her last GS French ‘99 while she was 29 years old. Including the Hongkong Tennis Classic head to head between Graf and Serena was 2-1, for the only Golden Slam Achiever, the great Steffi Graf. 😘

P F Here’s the link of the tennis career of the only Golden Slam achiever in tennis, the great Steffi Graf - en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steffi_Graf 😉

Steffi was not at her peak anymore in 1998/99. But still good enough to beat all the young pretenders. And end her career with a #3 WTA ranking, ahead of Venus and Serena.

obviously

Bryce Spann My how we move the goal posts when we need to. Serena is the greatest.

Yup, Graf is great at having her rival stabbed.

@@TheSportslover2010 Sadly she didn’t have her killed.

Steffi won 50 % of the tournaments she played. Serena 30 %.

What is a graffs?

Lol, no she isn't. Steffi Graf is still the greatest of all time.

23 Grand Slam and still plying great until now. Stefi just 22 & stop productive..

No she's in't

According to most polls Steffi is the GOAT.

@@d83official76 Steffi won 22 of 54 slams played. And won the Golden Slam. Serena won 23 of 81. And lost to Roberta Vinci. Be assured - Serena would give at least one slam and her right arm for even a normal Grand Slam. But she never had what it takes. Steffi did.

Nope just played twice

@@reasedogable there was a exhibition match with high award in Hong Kong. Graf beated serena williams on two sets. but it doesnt account on offical record. however, both players played very seriously in order to win and get the prize.

@@tjWang-rt5wn an exhibition match doesn't count as you said, no matter how hard you play

@@tjWang-rt5wn there's no record anywhere or internet link to prove what you're saying even happened

@@reasedogable there was an exho in Hong Kong pre-AO, 6-2, 7-6 to Graf . U can check this vedeo. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wex56fj_dXM.html

Says at the end

Be assured, the Willies played ZERO roles in Steffi's decision to retire. 😂 Yes, Davenport said this about Steffi's early retirement (at just 30, same age when Serena had won only 13 slams): “She was the greatest champion I ever played against. …. What if she had kept playing? She would have won a lot more slams titles in my opinion.“ Tennis Channel, March 2020) And Capriati claimed in 2002: "If she would have been playing now, not retired quite yet, this would be her time." (on Steffi Graf, Paris, May 2002) But Steffi herself summed it up perfectly on the day of her retirement: ''I have nothing left to prove.'' She knew that she was the GOAT and that would not change in her lifetime.

Obviously! If they have played at the same time they would have split the slams they won in our universe, so around 12 apiece

When did Serena have Steffi's number? They played 3 matches and Steffi won 2. Even though she had had reconstructive knee surgery in 1997 and was only a shadow of her former self in 1998/99. Steffi won 50 % of the tournaments she played in the era when Evert, Navratilova, Seles, Sanchez were #1. Serena won 30 % of the tournaments she played in the era when Safina, Jankovic, Wozniacki, Kerber were #1.

@@Uns_Maps_8 Steffi's best years were 1987-96 when she was 17-27 years old and won 21 slams and had a 676-45 win/loss record (93.8 winning percentage). That would have been Serena in 1999 to 2008 when she won 9 slams and had a 360-68 win/loss record (84.1 winning percentage). 21 vs. 9 slams. 93.8 vs. 84.1 winning percentage. So you might reconsider.... 🤣

@@carrerau7138 hey, everything you, and I and anyone else would say is just speculation. You can extrapolate, compare, run through computer analysis and in the end is just speculation, not reality. I think Serena changed the game to the current power hitting style but Steffi would have adapted to that style as well. Once more, that is just an opinion that has nothing to do with reality because they played in two different eras.

@@Uns_Maps_8 Let‘s hear what Serena‘s compatriots Capriati and Davenport have said about Steffi and her hypothetical continuing to play after 1999: "If she would have been playing now, not retired quite yet, this would be her time." (Jennifer Capriati on Steffi Graf, Paris, May 2002) “She was the greatest champion I ever played against. …. What if she had kept playing? She would have won a lot more slams titles in my opinion.“ (Lindsay Davenport, Tennis Channel, March 2020) They must know. They played Steffi in the 90s and Serena in the 00s.

The stabbing was fate. The tennis Gods sadly made Steffi pay for it by destroying her knee at age 27. Image what Steffi would have won in 1997-2009 with healthy knees.

@@carrerau7138 every player has injury and it's a part of the competition to maintain healthy body. Graf is not special in any way regarding injury.

@@stsheep Steffi is special. Here is her injury list of the 1990s: • fractured and chipped bone in right thumb (90) • pulled tendon in right wrist (90) • surgery on left big toe (90) • sinus surgery (90) • inflammation of right wrist (91) • tenosynovitis (inflammation of the fluid-filled sheath that surrounds a tendon) (91) • torn rotor cuff in right shoulder (91) • inflammation of bursa (fluid filled sack for shock absorption) in right wrist (91) • inflammation of the rotator tendon in right shoulder (92) • pulled abdominal muscles (93) • surgery on bone splinter in right foot (93) • bone spur at spine base (94) • strained right calf muscle (95) • surgery to remove bone splinters from left foot (96) • left knee injury (96) • arthroscopic surgery on left knee (97) • reconstructive knee surgery for fracture of the cartilage plus for shortening and partial rupture of patellar tendon of left knee (97) • surgery to remove bone spur in right wrist (98) • strained hamstring (99) BTW, Nadal and Evert would have been back within 2 months after such a minor stabbing. And Steffi always had a winning H2H against Seles in contrast to Federer against Nadal.

Who is graff?

Go to doctor

This snowflake?

😆

LOL

🤣

NOBODY 😆... Crack still kills

Yeah, Ma Williams and Steffi's slice backhand surely were comparable.... 🤣

The woman who is seen as the greatest female tennis player of all time by most tennis fans on this planet according to polls.

FAKE

No one feasted so much from privilege as Serena.

@@carrerau7138 privilege!? What privilege? Before she became who she is now, her and Venus had NO PRIVILEGES. Hurdles of prejudice/racism to endure.

@@estebanleacho9315 what do you mean FAKE?...

@@upallnite79 What hurdles? Serena got away with a lot only because she was black. Pulling the race card was always very useful in woke America.

The only one who won a Grand Slam in the last 50 years is Steffi. Navratilova and Williams failed that ultimate test.

Yet she retired with only 7 slams while Serena and Steffi have over 20 apiece

Graf had no power, yeah….. Dumb clown.

Steffi‘s greatest opponent was Navratilova who played two of her best seasons ever in 1988/89, on a higher level than Seles in 1991/92. Sabatini beat Steffi 11 times, Seles did it only 5 times (never against peak Steffi). Sanchez? She has a winning H2H against Serena….

Hippo?

Steffi is the GOAT.

Lol, read the polls and cry, loser!

Goddess vs hippo lol🤣🤣🤣. No comparison.

Only one player can be the GOAT - and this is Steffi Graf. The strongest criterion ist the duration as the no 1-player in the WTA-ranking. Only with respect of the Majors Serena Williams is the better one, but Graf is the player with the greatest versatility: She is the only player with Major titles on 4 surfaces, only player who has won every major 4 times or more. And with respect of the remaining titles of the WTA tour Serena won only 73 titles over 20 years whereas Graf won 107 titles in 15 years...

@@GottdieEhre But Steffi also wouldn’t have the duration as no 1 if Seles doesn’t get stabbed! So that’s also makes her lower than Serena. To be fair, Venus would cut more into Serena’s success if not for Venus’s tiring disease. But not nearly as much as Seles getting stabbed. Serena is the GOAT!

@@naturenupe6 You're wrong. No one can say whether Seles would maintain her level. She was destroyed by Graf even in the time of her best tennis at Wimbledon 1992 6:2 6:1 despite her title at FO against Graf. Many young players failed unexspected - Austin, Capriati, Rehe, Jaeger, Hingis, Osaka, Barty and others. The "probablys" and "perhaps" are not helpful. No one for example had thought that Graf would loose her FO final 1989 to ASV. No one had thought, that she would loose FO and Wimbledon 1990. No one argues what perhaps would be possible, if Graf's physical conditions wouldn't be diminished by severe injuries of the left knee and the right hand from the middle of the 90s aon and if she would not be weakened by the trouble with her father. For several times in the Mid-90s she was not able to play at the AO. Nobody knows whether Serena W. would have achieved the 24th Major title without pregnancy. Nobody knows whether Nadal of Djokovic would have won AO and Wimbledon 2022 without political exclusion of top-players. Conclusion: Statistic is only possible with real facts and not with assumed facts.

Serena and Steffi are unparalleled tennis players.Monica was good for some time.And if Monica had excuses about stabbing destroyed her career then Steffi was also suffering from back to back injuries.Serena also suffered from injuries. So please don't make excuses.No doubt Monica used to be a fantastic tennis player but she couldn't get her form after being injured.

Seles would have peaked at age 25-31, taking away almost all slams Serena won in 1999-2005. Steffi, however, was always better than Seles, had even a 5-2 win/loss record against #1 (!) Seles.