Stefanie Maria Graf is a German former professional tennis player. She was ranked world No. 1 for a record 377 weeks and won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, which is the second-most since the introduction of the Open Era in 1968 and third-most of all-time behind Margaret Court and Serena Williams.

Why did Steffi Graf retire early?

She won the French Open that year and almost added another Wimbledon singles title before a close loss in the final. However, she realized that her enjoyment of the game was slipping, so she announced her retirement that August at age 30. Over the course of her career, Graf spent a total of 377 weeks ranked at No.

What age did Steffi Graf retire?

On this day in 1999, 22-time Grand Slam winner Steffi Graf announced her immediate retirement from tennis. The 30-year-old German stunned the sporting world when, just months after winning the French Open and finishing runner-up at Wimbledon and still ranked three in the world, she decided to hang up her racket.