"I don't want to get into my private life too much" - When Steffi Graf politely refused to answer questions about her then-boyfriend Michael Bartels
Steffi Graf is one of the best tennis players to step foot on the court. The 22-time Grand Slam champion from Germany established herself as an extraordinary player during her teenage years.
One achievement of Graf that no other player in the history of the sport has been able to repeat is winning the Golden Slam. In 1988, at the age of 19, she won all four Grand Slam titles and the Olympic gold medal, making her the only player, male or female, to do so.
Before marrying Andre Agassi in 2001, Graf dated German racing car driver Michael Bartels from 1992 to 1999. During an interview on one of Channel 9's programs called '60 Minutes' in 1995, the interviewer asked the tennis star about her getting married to the racer. In response, Graf respectfully asked him to avoid questions about her private life.
Interviewer: It's going to be a pretty volatile marriage, a racing car driver and a tennis champ.
Graf: I guess, I wouldn't mind if we kept the questions a little bit different. I don't want to really get into my private life too much, if possible.
"It hurt me more to talk about it, knowing that this person did it for me" - Steffi Graf on her fan stabbing Monica Seles
The year 1990 saw a new player in the form of Monica Seles rise and start conquering established players like Steffi Graf, Chris Evert, and Martina Navratilova. The new sensation from Yugoslavia won her first eight Majors as a teenager and another one at the age of 22. She became the World No. 1 when she was just 17.
On April 30, 1993, during a match in Germany, Gunter Parche, a fan of Steffi Graf, jumped on the court during a break and stabbed Seles on her shoulders. He wanted the youngster to stop playing so that Graf could regain her No. 1 spot.
Recalling the incident during her interview on '60 Minutes', the German star expressed her sorrow, stating that it took her several months to get over it. Graf, who was 25 at the time, wished to have Seles back on the tour.
"It was a very difficult time for me. It took like seven to eight months to really get over it," Steffi Graf said. "It hurt me more to talk about it, knowing that this person did it for me. I think it's difficult to say I blame myself because I know I didn't do it but it kind of felt like I was the reason for it and I felt really bad about that. I think it would be unbelievable if she could come back. I would have so much respect for her. I would just enjoy seeing her being able to play again."