23 years ago today: Martina Hingis throws Steffi Graf from the throne
No player made it to the top of the world before and after her so young: Martina Hingis conquered number one on March 31, 1997 when she was just 16, Steffi Graf replaced.
by SID
last edit: Mar 31, 2020, 10:12 am
The day of the changing of the guard had begun. Steffi Graf had lost the nimbus of invincibility. In 1996 she triumphed in Roland Garros, Wimbledon and at the US Open, in Flushing Meadows even without losing a set. But after the turn of the year everything was suddenly different: her father Peter was convicted of tax evasion. The knee hurt. And an adolescent from Switzerland hurried from victory to victory.
When Martina Hingis toppled Steffi Graf from the tennis throne on March 31, 1997, her last loss was months ago. At the WTA season finale in New York's Madison Square Garden, she lost to Graf in the final in five sets. Then she won the titles in Sydney, at the Australian Open, in Tokyo, Paris and Key Biscayne. To date, no player younger than Hingis has been ranked number one in the world rankings; at 16 years and 182 days, the history books were open to her.
Steffi Graf strikes again in Roland Garros
Indeed, Hingis dominated at will, while Graf ended her season after knee surgery. Hingis ticked off the defeat in the final of the French Open, won as the youngest player in Wimbledon for more than 100 years and stormed to triumph at the US Open - without losing a set. It remained at the top of the world rankings for 209 weeks. Graf, with 377 weeks record holder, never returned to first place.
However, the change of power was not the end of the path taken together by the two rivals from two completely different generations of tennis. On June 5, 1999, they met one last time in the Roland Garros final. But that's a completely different story ...