Editing Steffi Graf (section)

===New challengers and personal challenges===
[[File:Steffi Graf backhand.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|Graf backhand]]

====1989====
Speculation was rife at the beginning of 1989 about the possibility of Graf winning another Grand Slam. Some noted observers, such as Margaret Court, suggested that Graf could achieve the feat a couple more times. And the year began as expected, with Graf extending her Grand Slam tournament winning streak to five events at the Australian Open, defeating [[Helena Suková]] in the final. Her 6–3, 6–0 defeat of Gabriela Sabatini in a semifinal was described by veteran observer [[Ted Tinling]] as "probably the best tennis I've seen".<ref>"Australian Tennis", March 1989, p. 28</ref> He went on to add, "I saw what Steffi did to Sabatini at the Australian Open this year, and that was it. She is better than them all."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1068538/7/index.htm | work=CNN | title=Serving Her Country | date=26 June 1989 | access-date=28 June 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140604112009/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1068538/7/index.htm | archive-date=4 June 2014 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Graf followed this with easy victories in her next four tournaments at Washington, D.C., San Antonio, Texas, Boca Raton, Florida, and [[Family Circle Cup|Hilton Head]]. The Washington, D.C. tournament was notable because Graf won the first twenty points of the final against [[Zina Garrison]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE5DF1131F933A15751C0A96F948260 |title=Graf Trounces Garrison |work=The New York Times |date=20 February 1989 |access-date=17 May 2011 |archive-date=30 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030230845/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/20/sports/graf-trounces-garrison.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In the Boca Raton final, Graf lost the only set she conceded to Chris Evert in their final seven matches.<ref>[http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/2/players/playerprofiles/playerheadtoheaddetail.asp?PlayerID=50020&x=3&y=6&Player1ID=70044 Head to Head] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081226060744/http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/2/players/playerprofiles/playerheadtoheaddetail.asp?PlayerID=50020&x=3&y=6&Player1ID=70044 |date=26 December 2008 }}</ref>

In the subsequent [[Bausch & Lomb Championships|Amelia Island]] final on clay, Graf lost her first match of the year to Sabatini but returned to European clay with easy victories at [[Hamburg Masters|Hamburg]] and [[Qatar Telecom German Open|Berlin]].

Graf's Grand Slam tournament winning streak ended at the French Open, where 17-year-old Spaniard [[Arantxa Sánchez Vicario]] beat Graf in three sets. Graf served for the match at 5–3 in the third set but lost the game and won only three more points in the match. Suffering from food poisoning, she had struggled to beat [[Monica Seles]] in their semifinal 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 and said that she had menstrual cramps in the final.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Stephen R. |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/50806/SURPRISE-SANCHEZ-BEATS-GRAF.html |title=SURPRISE! SANCHEZ BEATS GRAF 17-YEAR-OLD WINS TITLE |work=[[Deseret News]] |date=11 June 1989 |access-date=15 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314154328/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/50806/SURPRISE-SANCHEZ-BEATS-GRAF.html |archive-date=14 March 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Nick Stout |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/11/sports/tennis-sanchez-surprises-graf-to-win-the-french-open.html |title=TENNIS – Sanchez Surprises Graf to Win the French Open |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=11 June 1989 |access-date=15 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175428/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/11/sports/tennis-sanchez-surprises-graf-to-win-the-french-open.html |archive-date=19 December 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> Graf, however, recovered to defeat Martina Navratilova 6–2, 6–7, 6–1 in the Wimbledon final after defeating Monica Seles 6–0, 6–1 in a fourth round match, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in a quarterfinal, and Chris Evert in a semifinal.

Graf warmed up for the US Open with easy tournament victories in [[Acura Classic|San Diego]] and [[United Jersey Bank Classic|Mahwah]]. In her semifinal match at the US Open, Graf defeated Sabatini 3–6, 6–4, 6–2. The match was notable for its dramatic ending. Having suffered from leg cramps since the middle of the third set, Graf ran off the court seconds after match point to seek medical treatment.<ref>{{cite news |last=Finn |first=Robin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/09/sports/graf-and-navratilova-march-to-a-showdown.html |title=Graf and Navratilova March to a Showdown |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=9 September 1989 |access-date=15 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171220150129/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/09/sports/graf-and-navratilova-march-to-a-showdown.html |archive-date=20 December 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the final, Navratilova led 6–3, 4–2 before Graf rallied to win 3–6, 7–5, 6–1 for her third Grand Slam singles title of the year.

Victories at Zurich and [[Brighton International|Brighton]] preceded the [[1989 Virginia Slims Championships|Virginia Slims Championships]], where Graf cemented her top-ranked status by beating Navratilova in the four-set final. Graf ended 1989 with an 86–2 match record and the loss of only 12 sets. Her 0.977 winning percentage is the second-highest in the open era behind Navratilova.<ref name="wta_spotlight">{{cite web|title=No.1 spotlight: Steffi Graf|url=http://www.wtatennis.com/40love/article/3150587/title/no1-spotlight-steffi-graf|publisher=[[Women's Tennis Association]] (WTA)|date=20 April 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122014432/http://www.wtatennis.com/40love/article/3150587/title/no1-spotlight-steffi-graf|archive-date=22 January 2016}}</ref>

====1990====
Graf defeated [[Mary Joe Fernández]] in the final of the Australian Open, which was her eighth Grand Slam singles title in the last nine she contested. She survived an intense three-set battle with Helena Sukova in the semis, breaking in the tenth and final game to win the third set 6–4. Her winning streak (unbeaten since the 1989 French Open loss to Arantxa Sánchez) continued with victories in [[Toray Pan Pacific Open|Tokyo]], [[Bausch & Lomb Championships|Amelia Island]], and [[Hamburg Masters|Hamburg]]. Shortly after winning in Tokyo, Graf injured her right thumb while cross-country skiing in Switzerland and subsequently withdrew from the [[Virginia Slims of Florida]] and the [[1990 Lipton Championships|Lipton Championships]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Finn |first=Robin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/09/sports/graf-is-injured-skiing.html |title=Graf Is Injured Skiing |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=9 February 1990 |access-date=15 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116010009/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/09/sports/graf-is-injured-skiing.html |archive-date=16 January 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> In [[WTA German Open|Berlin]], she extended her unbeaten streak to 66 matches (second in [[Women's Tennis Association|WTA]] history to Navratilova's 74) before losing the final to Monica Seles, 4–6, 3–6.

While the Berlin tournament was being played, the largest-circulation German tabloid, ''[[Bild]]'', ran a story about an alleged scandal involving Graf's father. The difficulty of answering questions about the matter came to a head at a Wimbledon press conference, where Graf broke down in tears. Wimbledon authorities then threatened to immediately shut down any subsequent press conferences where questions about the issue were asked. Whether this scandal affected Graf's form is open to debate. In an interview with ''Stern'' magazine in July 1990, Graf stated, "I could not fight as usual."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE7DE163BF930A25754C0A966958260 |title=Tennis; Graf's Toughest Foe: the Press |work=The New York Times |date=13 July 1990 |access-date=17 May 2011 |first=Ferdinand |last=Protzman |archive-date=30 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030230830/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/13/sports/tennis-graf-s-toughest-foe-the-press.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Graf again lost to Monica Seles in the final of the French Open 6–7, 4–6. Seles was behind 2–6 in the first-set tiebreaker, but then came back to win six points in a row and take the set. At Wimbledon, Graf lost in the semifinals to [[Zina Garrison]], who with this victory broke Graf's string of 13 consecutive major finals. This was a major upset as Garrison had to save a match point to defeat Monica Seles in the quarterfinal, and was expected to easily fall to Graf, whom she had not beaten in four years. After victories in [[Canada Masters|Montreal]] and [[Acura Classic|San Diego]], Graf reached the US Open final, where she lost in straight sets to Sabatini. Graf won four indoor tournaments after the US Open, including a pair of straight-set wins over Sabatini in the finals of [[Zurich Open|Zürich]] and [[Virginia Slims of New England|Worcester]]. Although Sabatini got the best of Graf in the semifinals of the season-ending Virginia Slims Championships, Graf still finished the year as the top-ranked player.

====1991====
A mixture of injury problems, personal difficulties, and loss of form made 1991 a tough year for Graf. Seles established herself as the new dominant player on the women's tour, winning the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open and, in March, ending Graf's record 186 consecutive-weeks hold on the World No. 1 ranking.<ref name="wta_spotlight"/> Graf briefly regained the top ranking after winning at Wimbledon but lost it again after her loss to Navratilova at the US Open.

Graf lost an [[1991 Australian Open|Australian Open]] quarterfinal to [[Jana Novotná]], the first time she did not reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam singles tournament since the 1986 French Open. She then lost to Sabatini in her next three tournaments before winning the U.S. Hardcourt Championships in [[San Antonio]], beating Monica Seles in the final. After losing a fifth straight time to Sabatini in [[Bausch & Lomb Championships|Amelia Island, Florida]], Graf again defeated Seles in the [[Hamburg Masters|Hamburg]] final. Following her tournament victory in [[WTA German Open|German Open]] in Berlin, Graf suffered one of the worst defeats of her career in a [[1991 French Open|French Open]] semifinal where she won only two games against Sánchez Vicario and lost her first 6–0 set since 1984. At [[1991 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]], however, Graf captured her third women's crown, this time at Sabatini's expense. Sabatini served for the match twice, and was two points away from her first Wimbledon title. After breaking Sabatini's serve to even the third set at 6–6, Graf defeated Sabatini by winning the next two games to take the match 6–4, 3–6, 8–6. Martina Navratilova then defeated Graf 7–6, 6–7, 6–4 in a [[1991 US Open (tennis)|US Open]] semifinal, the first time she had beaten Graf in four years. Graf then won in Leipzig, with her 500th career victory coming in a quarterfinal against [[Judith Wiesner]]. After winning two more indoor tournaments at Zurich and [[Brighton International|Brighton]], she failed once again in the Virginia Slims Championships, losing her quarterfinal to Novotná. Soon after, she split with her long-time coach, Pavel Složil.

====1992====
A bout of [[rubella]] forced Graf to miss the first major event of 1992, the [[1992 Australian Open|Australian Open]]. Her year continued indifferently with losses in three of her first four tournaments, including a semifinal loss to [[Jana Novotná]] in [[Virginia Slims of Chicago|Chicago]]. It was Graf's second consecutive loss to Novotna, and dating back to their 1991 Australian Open quarterfinal match, Jana had won three of their last five meetings. It would also be the last loss Graf would ever have to Novotna in a match she completed (she did have a loss after withdrawing with injury after the first set of a late 1996 match). Chicago was notable, however, for being the first tournament Graf played with her new coach, former Swiss player [[Heinz Günthardt]]. Graf's father had approached Günthardt during the 1991 Virginia Slims Championships.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ziehm|first1=Len|title=Steffi lives it up – New Graf steps out in style|agency=Chicago Sun Times|date=16 February 1992}}</ref> She would work with him for the remainder of her career.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/16/sports/tennis-finally-graf-gets-to-start-her-year.htm]{{dead link|date=July 2017}}</ref> In [[Virginia Slims of Florida|Boca Raton, Florida]], Graf reached her first final of the year, where she faced [[Conchita Martínez]] for the title. In their five previous head-to-head matches, Graf had defeated Martínez each time. Even though she lost the opening set, Graf went on to prevail in three sets. She lost twice to Sabatini in the early spring at the Lipton International and the Bausch & Lomb Championships, which now brought her to seven losses in her last eight matches against Sabatini; however, the Bausch & Lomb loss would be Graf's final loss to Sabatini, winning her next, and last eight matches against Sabatini.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wtatennis.com/headtohead/steffi-graf_2255881_2718/0,,12781~2718~7184,00.html |title=WTA &#124; Players &#124; Head to Head &#124; Steffi Graf |work=WTA Tennis |publisher=Wtatennis.com |access-date=1 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017092649/http://www.wtatennis.com/headtohead/steffi-graf_2255881_2718/0,,12781~2718~7184,00.html |archive-date=17 October 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Victories at [[Hamburg Masters|Hamburg]] and [[WTA German Open|Berlin]] (beating Sánchez Vicario in the finals of both) prepared her for the French Open, where she defeated Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals after losing the first set 6–0. Graf then lost a closely contested final to Monica Seles, 2–6, 6–3, 8–10. Seles won the match on her fifth match point; Graf came within two points of winning the match a few games earlier. At Wimbledon, after struggling through early-round three-setters against [[Mariaan de Swardt]] and [[Patty Fendick]], she easily defeated Natasha Zvereva in the quarterfinal, Sabatini in the semifinal, and Seles in the final, 6–2, 6–1, with Seles playing in almost complete silence because of widespread media and player criticism of her [[grunting (tennis)|grunting]]. Graf then won all five of her [[Fed Cup]] matches, helping Germany defeat Spain in the final by defeating Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, 6–4, 6–2. At the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Graf lost to [[Jennifer Capriati]] in the final and claimed the silver medal. At the US Open, Graf was upset in the quarterfinals by Sánchez Vicario 7–6, 6–3. Four consecutive indoor tournament victories in the autumn helped improve her season, but for the third consecutive year, she failed to win the Virginia Slims Championships, where she lost in the first round to [[Lori McNeil]].