"Not enough credit is given to Steffi; Winning the Golden Slam will be almost impossible to replicate" - Chris Evert on why Steffi Graf belongs in the GOAT Debate
Chris Evert believes Steffi Graf's achievements are not highlighted enough and hailed the 22-time Grand Slam singles champion on the 34th anniversary of her historic Golden Slam. Evert stated that Graf's Golden Slam will be "almost impossible" to replicate for any other player.
Back in 1988, Graf became the first and only player in tennis history to achieve the Golden Slam by winning all four Grand Slam titles and the Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year. She remains the only player, male or female, to have earned the highly impressive feat.
Chris Evert expressed her thoughts on her former rival's achievements and highlighted how Graf possessed an all-round game on the court. Evert believes Graf had the perfect mix of mental and physical skills in tennis and also lauded her for her demeanor throughout her career.
Evert used the hashtag 'alsoaGOAT' to state that Graf should be widely considered among the 'GOATs' of tennis.
"Not enough credit is given to Steffi," Chris Evert wrote on Twitter, replying to a post from the US Open. "She was relentless in her power game, her movement, her mental strength, and her competitiveness. Winning the Golden Slam will be almost impossible to replicate….and she achieved it with her trademark humility...#alsoaGOAT."
#alsoaGOAT twitter.com/usopen/status/…
Not enough credit is given to Steffi. She was relentless in her power game, her movement, her mental strength, and her competitiveness. Winning the Golden Slam will be almost impossible to replicate….and she achieved it with her trademark humility…👏👍 #alsoaGOAT twitter.com/usopen/status/…
Apart from the Golden Slam, Graf is a 22-time Grand Slam singles champion, behind only Serena Williams and Margaret Court in the all-time race. The German legend also has a silver and bronze medal at the Olympics to go along with her gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Games.
Evert was one of the players Graf defeated in the finals (Australian Open) en route to the Golden Slam in 1988. Overall, they played each other 13 times, with Graf winning seven times against Evert.
Chris Evert wins award for spreading awareness on cancer
Chris Evert was recently awarded the Excellence in Cancer Awareness Award. The announcement was made by Prevent Cancer, a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing cancer through early detection. Evert is a cancer survivor and was diagnosed with Stage 1C ovarian cancer earlier this year. After a few chemotherapy sessions, she was declared cancer-free.
Throughout her battle with the disease, Evert spread awareness about cancer and how she overcame major challenges.
A real honor… Thank you for the work you do to get the word out about Preventing cancer…👏👏👏 twitter.com/preventcancer/…
Evert was one of the commentators and analysts for ESPN during the US Open, as she has been during many big tournaments over the last few years. The former WTA president is one of the inductees into the tennis Hall of Fame.