KBC 2024 | Martina Hingis and Steffi Graf are athletes connected to which sport?

or, as she prefers to be called these days, Stefanie Graf. On Saturday evening, Kerber prevented Williams from winning her 22nd Grand Slam championship—a record that is still rightfully held by Graf, a German lady.

Before the final, Graf sent her well wishes as Kerber tried to accomplish what many believed to be unimaginable: defeating Serena. However, she did, and Graf, who is becoming increasingly uncommon in tennis these days, congratulated her afterward.

Given that Graf’s name is making headlines once more, one would wonder: Where is she these days?

With her husband Andre Agassi and their two children, Jaden, 14, and Jaz, 12, Graf, now 46, resides in Las Vegas. She rarely appears at the major tennis tournaments, save when she does so on behalf of a sponsor or her charity, the Children of Tomorrow.

Others may be motivated by Angelique Kerber’s conviction that she may defeat Serena [oembed: 79600988]. [oembed: 79600988]

German freelance journalist Doris Henkel, who covered 19 of Graf’s 22 major titles, said of Graf, “She made it very clear that once her career was over, she would leave tennis.” She enjoyed the competition, but she found the rest to be burdensome. We don’t actually see her, which is not surprising to me because she disliked PR events like press conferences.

The greatest players in tennis are present in many roles within the game, including commentators, coaches, tournament directors, and agents. They play charity events, attend legends’ luncheons, and pose for selfies with admirers. Their former accomplishments come first in their public life.

However, Graf has found the most of her happiness in her private life. She said as much in an April interview with espnW.

“I simply don’t give my career much thought,” she stated in the interview. “I believe it’s because I felt like I gave my sport everything because I was so at ease.” I suppose the consolation was that I felt like I gave it everything and got a lot back, even though I know I was definitely aware of how much I had accomplished. It gave me Andre, my family, and the opportunity to spend time with them—what I have now. I’m really appreciative.”

Graf chose not to comment on this article.

On the tennis court, though, she is anything but a ghost. Ten years after winning her own sixth and last Roland Garros medal, she gave Svetlana Kuznetsova the trophy in 2009.

In addition, she participated in a mixed doubles match at Wimbledon that year with husband Agassi, Kim Clijsters, and Tim Henman, helping to inaugurate the Center Court roof.

Most events allow for her absence. According to Barbara Schett, a former world No. 7 who currently works as an analyst for Eurosport, Stefanie has always been a quiet person. She found the ideal match in Andre, so she doesn’t need to go back and work the tournaments because she already has her thing with her family. She is free to choose whether or not to participate. That is something we must honor.

In light of Kerber’s 28th birthday and first championship, Graf’s relationship with the player has drawn attention. Graf spoke with Kerber in the locker room as she advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals in 2012, and in March of last year, Kerber visited Graf’s home in Las Vegas for practice sessions as part of an adidas player development program.

“I am not in contact with her every tournament or every week, but that was a special moment for me,” Kerber said to a small group of reporters here on Saturday night. “My group is here to support me. Before the match, Steffi spoke to me in two or three phrases, which is significant because it was Steffi.

Since Graf’s success at the 1999 French Open, Kerber is the first German woman to win a major, and she is also the first to do it at this venue since Graf’s 1994 triumph.

Does Graf become more visible when on tour as a result of Kerber’s success? Most likely not.

In an interview with USA TODAY Sports in September of last year, Pete Sampras stated, “I think everyone has the right to do what they want.” Steffi is a bit more reserved than most people. She is not an interviewer very often. I hold her in high regard.

“She was such a great champion, she gave the game so much,” the German journalist Henkel continued. “She made a lot of people happy.” Her mission was fulfilled on that one.