For being the most accomplished tennis player on all surfaces. Winning each Major with it's unique surface at least four times. Being no 1 for a record 377 weeks, and of course being the only player in tennis history to win The Golden Grand Slam (all four tennis majors in a calendar year) on four different surfaces in addition to a Gold medal having done this in 1988. Her 22 majors or grand slams titles in addition to 107 tour titles make her the most consistent player to win on all surfaces.
She brought in a new style of play being the most accomplished all courter the game has seen. Tennis before the Graf era was played either by serve and volleyers, or baseliners. Graf put together in her game the defensive mastery of a baseliner with the offensive minded style of a serve and volleyer, and set the trend for the all court style played today.
When Rod Laver ,Don Budge,Mo Connelly,and Margaret Court won The Grand Slam, three of the four of the Majors surfaces were on grass, Steffi Graf is still in 2010 the only player to complete The Grand Slam on four different surfaces, on Rebound Ace a slow rubberized surface, Australian Open (now played on a conventional hard court) Clay at the Roland Garros, grass at Wimbledon, and Hard Court at the U.S. Open.
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Tennis. Steffi Graf is arguably one of the best female tennis players ever. She had a career record of 902-115 (88.7%), she won 22 grand slam singles titles (4 Australian, 6 French, 7 Wimbledon, and 5 US), and she won the gold medal in the 1988 olympic games.