Tennis Queen Serena Williams VS Tennis Queen Invincible Legend Steffi Graf – Who is the real GOAT?

According to an ESPN survey, tennis is the seventh most difficult sport in the world. The rules of the game make it difficult for pros to win a championship, let alone a Grand Slam. If a player loses a match, he or she is eliminated from the competition without a second chance. The WTA alone has over 1,000 professional players who strive to win at least one major championship in their lifetime. But three legendary women earned more than twenty majors. While Margaret Court is undoubtedly the best player of her era, the battle for the “GOAT” continues between Serena Williams and Steffi Graf, the only players in the Open era A woman with more than 20 Grand Slam titles.

Serena and Graf were introduced to the sport by their father. Richard coached the Americans to become pro players at the age of 14, while Peter coached the Germans to become pro players at just 13 years old. The rest is history; October 1, 1999, holds “golden” importance in the world of tennis. This year was also the perfect epitome of the adage “the end is the beginning.”

Back in the ’90s, Serena Williams and Steffi Graf were rivals

The 22-time Grand Slam champion captured hearts with his versatile forehand. His inside-out forehand is still considered one of the best in tennis. The German tennis legend left his mark just five years after turning professional, and the tennis world is still looking for a player to match the feat. In 1988, Graf won her first Australian Open title to start the new year. Incredibly, she won the remaining three Grand Slams that year.

Later at the Summer Olympics, she achieved the historic Golden Slam when she crushed everyone with her forehand and won the gold medal. October 1 is the 26th anniversary of the German Golden Slam. In 1987, at the age of 17, Graf won her first Grand Slam. A year later, she made history with American dominance in both men’s and women’s tennis. She became a household name as she was dubbed the “Golden Girl” for her unrepeatable record.

Serena was just eight years old when Graf dominated the court. Six years later, Golden Boy turned pro when she became the unbeatable queen of the sport. The American first faced the German legend in 1999, four years after she turned professional.

The latter won in a clash of youth and experience, but Serena did not hand the game away. She won a set against Graf, a feat that would be difficult for more experienced players to achieve.

The two legends only faced off twice in the year before Graf retired. ReRe got revenge in the second game of the Indian Wells Masters final, with both games having almost similar scores. The only difference was the first set scores, 6-2 and 6-3.

Judging from the short confrontation between the two sides, Graf is ahead of Serena, with only one game difference. The German didn’t play many tours since then and dropped the bombshell of retirement in August. Coincidentally, in 1999, Momma Smash had the first best season of her career.

Momma Smash reaches new heights with encouragement from Graf

Graf, then 30, won the French Open and was runner-up at Wimbledon. But a hamstring injury forced her to withdraw from the final game. The end of Graf’s era was also the beginning of Serena Williams’ dominance.

The first opponent the American had to overcome was her younger sister, creating one of the most famous sibling rivalries the world of sports has ever seen. Following Golden Boy, Venus Williams immediately dominated the circuit.

But little sister Serena caught up in the blink of an eye, and former world No. 1 Graf inspired her to complete the journey. During a 2015 press conference in Cincinnati, the U.S. champion said she felt like a child every time Graf spoke about her.

As the American tennis legend enters the 20-plus Grand Slam club, the Miss Forehand cheers for Momma Smash as she wins her sixth Wimbledon title and 22nd Grand Slam in 2016 Champion. The 23-time Grand Slam champion won the Serena Slam (having won all four majors) the following year, winning her 23rd major title in Melbourne for her second consecutive major. Grand Slam (not necessarily the same year).

In 2017, the Compton-born superstar became the first woman in the Open era to win the most Grand Slam titles. Serena won her 23rd Grand Slam when she was six weeks pregnant. However, it took the six-time US Open champion 25 years to win 23 Grand Slams, while Graf only took 18 years to win 22 Grand Slams. The German legend retired at the peak of the WTA world rankings at No. 3, while Serena retired at No. 320, largely because she missed a year with a hamstring injury suffered at Wimbledon in 2021.

The Golden Girl has 107 singles titles, while the American Diva has 73. But Graf never focused on doubles like Serena did. The German has only won one doubles Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, and mixed doubles has never been her strong suit. However, Serena has 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and two mixed doubles titles.

The Americans dominate the Grand Slams with 36 titles, while the Germans have 23. But Graf’s ranking and winning percentage make up for his doubles career. So while analysts and experts disagree on who is the greatest, another GOAT offers her honest verdict.

Margaret Court delivers ‘greatest ever’ verdict against Serena and Graf

When Serena was in the final year of her career, Australians declared Graf the greatest player. In an interview with Australian media, the 24-time Grand Slam champion named her favorite player among WTA legends. She chose Graf as her first choice due to the German’s athleticism and style. The court revealed that Golden Boy was her favorite and loved watching her play. Serena was voted the second-best player after Graf, and the Australian said ReRe’s record spoke for itself and she liked Serena’s serve.

The German holds the record for being No. 1 for 377 weeks, while Serena only spent 317 weeks in her relatively long career. At the Olympics, though, the U.S. team dominated, winning four gold medals to Graf’s one. Despite this, the golden girl is the only tennis player to win at least four Grand Slams.

Serena Williams failed to achieve this goal as she has no more than 3 French Open titles. The two legends tied for fifth place in the WTA finals. But the overall winning rate is led by Graf at 89.7%, while the Americans stop at 86.8%. Momma Smash’s longevity has allowed her to have the most wins and matches of any woman in her career, including the most hardcourt titles (47). The Hall of Famer also holds another “short-lived” record that puts the debate back on track.

Is Serena Williams better than a Hall of Famer?

Graf holds the record for winning a Grand Slam final in just 34 minutes. In 1988, she won the bagel title at the French Open, defeating Natasha Zvereva. The Germans accomplished something incredible, like an artist accomplishing a sculpture. Smooth, simple, perfect.

Serena’s hunger, willpower, and mental toughness are unparalleled, and she forces herself to win every game, even if it means playing through injuries, personal turmoil, and pregnancy.

Both former world No. 1s have their own records, and while the American once hit the lowest point of his career, Graf never did. She played as long as she could and retired when injuries plagued her. The German keeps a low profile and only appears when necessary, whether on social media or in person. There is no outright declaration of who is the greatest, the freedom to choose favorites lies with the fans and experts.

The amount of time a world champion puts into the sport is unimaginable, especially for an American because she spends so much more time on the track. A three-set tennis match usually lasts about 90 minutes. A Grand Slam title requires seven consecutive wins with an average of 63 minutes played. Winning 20+ Grand Slams means 140 wins, about 210 hours. Graf conquered the sport in a limited time and became an unrivaled champion. Serena broke barriers, revolutionized the sport, and pursued her other passions in the public eye of her fans. Who is more powerful among these two legends? It all depends on how we look at it. Who do you choose?

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