"I can go about without a problem, I never liked being famous": When Steffi Graf explained why she lived in Las Vegas with husband Andre Agassi & kids
Steffi Graf once shed light on her reasons to reside in Las Vegas with her husband, fellow tennis legend Andre Agassi, and their two children. The German explained that her desire to live a normal life away from the public eye had prompted the decision.
Graf retired from professional tennis in 1999 at just 30 years of age, having won 22 Grand Slam titles, achieved a record 377 weeks as World No. 1 and clinched 107 career titles.
The German married Andre Agassi in 2001, tying the knot in an intimate ceremony in Las Vegas. The couple decided to settle in the Summerlin community in Agassi's hometown, being joined by Graf's mother and her brother as well. They planted their roots in Las Vegas further with the birth of their son Jaden in 2001 and daughter Jaz in 2003.
In a 2009 interview with the Daily Mail, Steffi Graf disclosed that she chose to live in Las Vegas with Agassi and their two children because it allowed them to lead a "very normal" life.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion also emphasized that she never enjoyed being famous and valued their family-oriented life in Las Vegas. In particular, she cherished the proximity to her mother, her brother, and his children.
"People wonder why I live in Las Vegas, but it's somewhere we can be very normal. Our life is about friends and family, my brother and his four children live there and so does my Mum," Steffi Graf said.
"I can go about my life without a problem. I never liked being famous - I always said that and I meant it," she added.
"There is a nine-hour time difference between Las Vegas and Europe" - Steffi Graf on why she didn't follow tennis
In the same interview, Steffi Graf admitted that she couldn't predict the winner of the 2009 Wimbledon Championships because she didn't follow tennis closely after her retirement.
The German clarified that she wasn't disinterested in the sport, asserting that she was aware of which players were ranked in the top 10. However, she disclosed that she found it challenging to follow the sport closely due to the time difference between Las Vegas and Europe, shedding light on her busy daily schedule.
"It's not that I am uninterested, it is more a time management thing. I know the names of the top 10 players, but I couldn't give you their correct order in the rankings," she said.
"Because there is a nine-hour time difference between Las Vegas and Europe, the mornings are taken up with making the calls to the offices of my foundation or just to friends. Jaden is in school and it gets very busy when he comes out," she added.
While Steffi Graf opened up about her inability to predict the winner of the 2009 edition of the grasscourt Major, it was Serena Williams who clinched her third Wimbledon title and Roger Federer won his sixth crown at SW19.