"I just heard it for the first time, I’m not following those things": When Steffi Graf was unbothered by Roger Federer breaking her World No. 1 record
Steffi Graf once disclosed that she no longer kept up with the latest happenings in tennis after retirement, in light of Roger Federer breaking her long-standing record. The Swiss surpassed Graf as the player with the most consecutive weeks as World No. 1.
Graf attained the World No. 1 ranking for the first time on August 17, 1987, putting an end to Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova's dominance, who had maintained a stranglehold on the top spot since 1980. The German remained at No. 1 for 186 consecutive weeks, winning eight Grand Slam titles during that time. Monica Seles eventually ended the German's remarkable reign in March 1991.
After a breakthrough season in 2003, during which he won his maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, Federer kicked off his 2004 season by triumphing at the Australian Open. With his victory, he attained the World No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career, replacing Andy Roddick at the top spot.
This marked the beginning of the Swiss' uninterrupted 237-week reign at the top. During this stretch, which lasted over four and a half years, he clinched 10 Major titles. Rafael Nadal ultimately ended his arch-rival's streak in August 2008, after beating Federer in that year's French Open and Wimbledon finals.
Despite Roger Federer shattering her record for most consecutive weeks as the World No. 1, Steffi Graf was unfazed. In a 2009 interview with TENNIS, the German admitted that she hadn't even been aware of the Swiss' feat because she didn't follow tennis as closely in retirement.
"To be honest, I just heard it for the first time [laughs]. I’m not following those things too much," Graf said.
Serena Williams later equaled Graf's 186-week unbroken streak as the World No. 1 between 2013 and 2016, but fell short of matching the Swiss's remarkable record.
Steffi Graf holds the record for longest reign as WTA World No. 1; Roger Federer trails Novak Djokovic in all-time ATP list
Steffi Graf won 22 Grand Slam titles, triumphed at the year-end championships five times and secured 107 titles during her illustrious career. The German also reigned as the World No. 1 for a record 377 weeks, leading Martina Navratilova (332) and Serena Williams (319) in the all-time list.
20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, meanwhile, held the World No. 1 ranking for 310 weeks. Novak Djokovic broke the Swiss legend's long-standing record shortly after clinching his 18th Major title at the 2021 Australian Open.
Djokovic also surpassed Graf as the player with the most weeks as World No. 1 in February 2023. The Serb has spent 428 weeks at the top spot in the ATP rankings.