Steffi Graf statement that sparke controversies when she spoke about being denied a Golden Super Slam by Pam Shriver

 

Steffi Graf’s 1988 season is one of the most remarkable in tennis history. That year, the German tennis icon achieved the *Calendar and Career Golden Slam*, winning all four Grand Slams and the Olympic gold in Seoul. However, she came close to completing the *Golden Super Slam*, a rare feat that requires winning the Grand Slams, Olympic gold, and the year-end championships.

Graf entered the Virginia Slims Championships (now the WTA Finals) as the top seed, having already clinched the Grand Slam titles and Olympic gold. She reached the semi-finals after defeating Claudia Kohde-Kilsch and Manuela Maleeva.

There, she faced Pam Shriver, who had upset Chris Evert in the quarterfinals. Shriver stunned Graf with a 6-3, 7-6 victory, ending Graf’s 46-match winning streak and dashing her hopes of the Golden Super Slam.

Reflecting on the loss, Graf admitted, “I had no chance. I wasn’t myself.” Despite the defeat, she recognized the extraordinary nature of her year: “What I already

achieved this year is incredible to me.” Shriver, who focused on improving her mental game, was thrilled with her performance but ultimately lost to Gabriela Sabatini in the final.

The semi-final loss to Shriver was Graf’s last defeat to the American. They met 12 times, with Graf winning 9 of those encounters, including a dominant run in the late 1980s. While Graf’s 1988 season didn’t end with the Golden Super Slam, it remains one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of tennis.