Steffi Graf’s father, Peter Graf, openly expressed his anger at the German media after her Wimbledon victory in 1991. The rare comments came in July 1991, just after Steffi Graf defeated Gabriela Sabatini in a tough three-set final at the Wimbledon Championships in London. Following her 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 win, Peter Graf met journalist Gautam Bhattacharya in a local London bar and spoke in English, sharing his feelings about how the press in Germany treated his family.
Steffi Graf’s father Peter Graf accused German media of being “jealous and vindictive” after her Wimbledon win
Peter Graf said he avoided German journalists because they wrote things that, in his view, crossed personal limits. “They are so jealous, so vindictive,” he told Bhattacharya. He explained that once a star rose in Germany, the press would immediately dig into personal matters, writing about “money, love, sex” rather than only sports. He added that since Germany had only two tennis stars at the time, Boris Becker and Steffi Graf, the media kept publishing damaging stories about them.Peter Graf also revealed that both he and his daughter Steffi stopped giving interviews to the German press in 1990, saying they wanted to protect their private life.
Peter Graf said champions in Germany were treated like “personal property”
In the same 1991 interview with Gautam Bhattacharya, Peter Graf spoke about the difference between how champions were respected in the United States compared to Germany. “If you’re a champion in the US, they would really respect you,” he said. “They feel proud and say, ‘That’s our champion.’ But in Germany, they tend to think a champion is their personal property with whom they can do whatever they feel like.”He explained that Steffi Graf had no privacy in her own country. He said she could not even leave the house without drawing attention. “In Germany, Steffi doesn’t have a private life. We have no private life whatsoever and that’s the greatest problem,” Peter added.Also Read: Andre Agassi And Steffi Graf Children: All About Their 2 Kids, Career And Bond With ParentsThe criticism came at a time when the Graf family was already under pressure. In 1990, German tax authorities charged Peter Graf with tax evasion, accusing him of hiding Steffi Graf’s prize money and endorsement earnings in offshore accounts. Since he handled her finances, her name was linked in reports, and the media speculated about her role.In 1995, Peter Graf was convicted of tax evasion and sent to prison, while Steffi Graf was cleared of all wrongdoing. Steffi went on to win 22 Grand Slam singles titles and is remembered as one of the greatest players in tennis history.Peter Graf passed away on November 30, 2013, in Mannheim, Germany, at the age of 75 due to pancreatic cancer.
