"How many more do you want, it's time to get out" - When Steffi Graf joked with Martina Navratilova after losing Wimbledon final
Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova are two of the greatest tennis players of all time. They dominated the sport during their respective careers, winning a combined total of 40 Grand Slam singles titles.
Graf and Navratilova locked horns in three Major finals in 1987, including Wimbledon. Top-seeded Navratilova was the five-time defending champion and reached the final after beating her rival and third-seed Chris Evert 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in the semifinals.
She was next up against 18-year-old Steffi Graf, who had previously beaten her in the French Open final. The second-seeded German had booked her place in the title clash at SW19 by thrashing fifth-seed Pam Shriver 6-0, 6-2 in the semifinals. It was Graf's maiden Wimbledon final.
Martina Navratilova beat Steffi Graf 7-5, 6-3 in the title clash to win her sixth consecutive Wimbledon crown and eighth overall, thus tying Helen Wills Moody's record for the most titles at the grasscourt Major. This was also her 16th Major triumph, and seventh win over Graf out of 10 matches.
After the match, Graf jokingly asked Navratilova how many more Wimbledon titles she wanted.
"How many more do you want? It's time to get out," the German said.
In response, Navratilova said that nine was her lucky number.
“Nine is my lucky number," the Czech-American said.
Martina Navratilova eventually went on to win her ninth Wimbledon title in 1990 by beating Zina Garrison 6-4, 6-1 in the final. She did not drop a single set en route to her 18th and last Grand Slam singles title.
Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova played each other on 18 occasions overall
Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova had a short yet fierce rivalry, locking horns on 18 occasions. Their head-to-head was tied at 9-9.
The first match between the two came in the semifinals of the 1985 US Open, with Navratilova winning 6-2, 6-3 to reach the final, where she eventually lost to Hana Mandlikova. Meanwhile, Graf's first win over the Czech-American came in the final of the German Open in 1986, triumphing 6-2, 6-3.
The two faced each another in six Grand Slam finals. Martina Navratilova came out on top at the Wimbledon and US Open in 1987, while Steffi Graf won the other four.
The last match between the two greats came in the final of the 1994 Pan Pacific Open, with the German winning 6-2, 6-4.