In a battle between Serena Williams and Steffi Graf, who would prevail? Their grand slam titles records are almost identical, Graf 22-9 and Serena 23-8. Their head-to-head match did not last long because Serena entered the game as Steffi was finishing up. As someone who witnessed both, I believe Serena would surpass Steffi on the grass because of her sheer serving prowess, but Steffi would undoubtedly dominate Serena on the clay because of her movement. But in the biggest games and crucial moments, Steffi showed the strongest perseverance I have ever witnessed, as evidenced by her 1-4 loss to Novotna in the third set. Serena has seen her fair share of comebacks, but she has also suffered meltdowns, most notably during the US Open.
Having said that, I believe it’s important to evaluate who her opponents were at the time. Steffi faced off against three of the most accomplished women in history: Navratilova (ranked third), Evert (ranked fifth), and Seles (ranked sixth). Sharapova (top 20) and her sister (perhaps top 10) were Serena’s biggest competitors, both of whom she easily defeated. Regretfully, Henin was her biggest opponent, with a 3–4 Grand Slam record against her. Serena didn’t had a rival like Steffi, thus it’s not her fault at all. But, the significance of those victories must be acknowledged, just like when Roger won half of his grand slams prior to Rafa and Noli’s arrival.
If I were to wager on one person to be at the top of their game, with my child’s life at stake, I would have to go with Steffi.
