"I hate needles, so it was not a pleasant preparation to make" - When Steffi Graf was forced to take painkiller drugs before winning Wimbledon title
Steffi Graf once lamented being forced to take painkillers before her title win at the 1995 Wimbledon Championships. It marked her sixth title at SW19 and her 17th Grand Slam overall.
Graf kicked off her campaign by defeating Martina Hingis before eliminating Amanda Coetzer in the second round. She then cruised past Kristie Boogert, Ines Gorrochategui, Mary Joe Fernandez, and Jana Novotna to set up a clash with her arch-rival Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the final.
Both women gave their all in the championship match, stretching it to three sets. In the end, the German defeated the Spaniard 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, despite battling back pain that required her to inject anti-inflammatory drugs directly into the joint.
"I hate needles, so it was not a pleasant preparation to have to make," Graf later told the media of the injection (via The New York Times).
Steffi Graf also spoke about her victory over Sanchez Vicario, describing it as "exceptional" despite feeling "a bit tired." She added that the match brought out the best tennis from both her and her opponent.
"I think everything I've won has been exceptional and so does this one feel. I mean, it's just a great, great feeling; I was a little bit tired out there today, but it still felt incredible," the 22-time Grand Slam champion said.
"It produced the best tennis from both of us. Neither of us really played any loose points. We weren't nervous or anything. We were going for it," she added.
Steffi Graf after winning Wimbledon 1995: "I didn't have the feeling that this was going to be it"
In the aforementioned conversation with the media, Steffi Graf reiterated how tired she was and spoke about the match point, a strong forehand into the corner, where Arantxa Sanchez Vicario was not, saying:
"It's never happened to me before in my career, and never probably ever meant as much at such a stage of a match. I was so tired, I was like, wow. I mean, we both felt that this would be a crucial game, but still, I was really tired to go out there and serve and I really didn't have the feeling that this was going to be it."
Meanwhile, Sanchez Vicario was "very proud" of her performance even after losing and added:
"I have to be, you know, very proud because it was close and I played great tennis and I play maybe the best player in the world who plays on grass at this moment. It was a matter of luck at the end with some passing shots really."
Graf and Sanchez Vicario met on the WTA Tour 36 times, with the former holding a dominating 28-8 head-to-head advantage.