Boris Becker has revisited Steffi Graf’s historic Calender Year Golden Slam in 1988. To this day, Graf remains the only player in the history of tennis to have achieved the staggering feat, which involves winning four Majors and the Olympic gold medal in singles throughout the same season.
1987 saw Graf ascend to the World No. 1 position for the first time in her career following her maiden Grand Slam title triumph at the French Open. As a result, at the 1988 Australian Open, the German was the top seed in the women’s singles main draw. In the final in Melbourne, she defeated the legendary Chris Evert in straight sets [6-1, 7-6(3)].
Then came the 1988 French Open, where she successfully defended her Roland Garros crown by blowing Natasha Zvereva away 6-0, 6-0 in the final. This win in itself was another history-making achievement for Graf, as no other Major final since then has been a ‘double bagel’ affair
The 1988 Wimbledon Championships title followed, but this time around, Graf found herself on the brink of defeat in the final to six-time defending champion Martina Navratilova. However, the German upped her game when it mattered most, eventually turning things around in her favor to win 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.
Graf completed the Calendar Grand Slam by clinching the US Open, defeating Gabriela Sabatini, her doubles partner at the time, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the final. She faced Sabatini again in the final of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and once again, it was the German who came out on top, winning 6-3, 6-3 to bag the Olympic gold medal and complete the Calendar Year Golden Slam at the tender age of 19.
