During a recent MasterClass discussion in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Steffi Graf recalled how she became involved in the sport at a very young age and the role that her father Peter and mother Heidi played in her early days.Along with her husband Andre Agassi and local favorites Simona Halep and Andrei Pavel, the German played in an exhibition mixed doubles match on Saturday while she was in the city for the SportsFestival. In the end, the power couple lost the match. Graf then talked about how her parents influenced her career, recalling how she used to use their furniture as a net. She eventually broke some furniture as she recovered, which is why her mother told her to go practice on a real court. At the age of 13, Steffi Graf became a professional.
Steffi Graf began playing professional tennis at a very young age. She turned 55 on June 14. When she participated in her first professional competition in October 1982 in Filderstadt, Germany, she was just 13 years old. The American Tracy Austin defeated her in straight sets. The German went on to become World No. 1 and win her first Grand Slam at the 1987 French Open. She finished her illustrious career with 22 Grand Slam victories—the second most of any woman in the Open Era—and 377 weeks at the top of the rankings.
