"Wimbledon, Centre Court, Navratilova; no fans, it is just for us" - When Steffi Graf expressed her idea of a perfect tennis match
Steffi Graf started her career at a time when the sport was dominated by Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. By the end of their respective careers, the German had the upper hand when it came to their achievements.
Graf always had deep respect for Navratilova and acknowledged her senior as her biggest rival and a player who left a huge mark on her. The admiration was mutual, with the Czech-born American reciprocating her sentiments.
Graf thought that she would get to face Navratilova in the 1993 Wimbledon final. However, the southpaw lost to Jana Novotna in the semifinals. The German went on to win the title, but was disappointed as she didn't get her expected match-up.
"I’m disappointed she’s not there," Steffi Graf commented on not getting to compete against Martina Navratilova.
After defeating Novotna, Graf did ask Navratilova if she wanted to play a private match. However, she was out golfing by then. The following year, the German was asked about her perfect match during a press conference at Wimbledon.
Graf already had a pretty clear idea of what she wanted, stating that it would be her against Navratilova on the Center Court at Wimbledon, without any spectators or scoring.
"Wimbledon, Centre Court, Navratilova. No fans. It is just for us," Graf described her idea of a perfect tennis match.
Navratilova was down for it too, stating that they'd play their best tennis.
"I’d do it in a second. We’d play the tennis of our lives," Navratilova responded to Graf's idea.
Steffi Graf's rivalry with Martina Navratilova remains a classic to this date
Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova formed an extremely competitive rivalry that entertained fans for a decade. Both were at the top of the women's game and all of their matches took place towards the business end of tournaments, either the semifinals or the final.
Navratilova had the upper hand in their rivalry initially, winning six of their first nine encounters. Graf flipped the script later on, claiming six of their next nine matches. It is only fitting that their head-to-head was tied at 9-9 in the end.
Their last couple of meetings took place at the same event, the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Navratilova won their 1993 semifinal match in three sets, while Graf came out on top in the 1994 final to win the title in straight sets.
Navratilova retired in 1994, but returned to complete primarily in doubles in 2000, before calling it quits for good in 2006. Graf, on the other hand, retired in 1999 and has maintained a slight distance from the sport since then.