Graf–Seles rivalry Graf–Seles rivalry Steffi Graf and Monica Seles are retired professional tennis players who between 1989 and 1999 engaged in a rivalry for the best female tennis player. They competed in 15 matches. Seles, a left-handed player, demonstrated powerful and precise hitting from the baseline on both wings. Graf, in contrast, had a formidable forehand, in addition to her penetrating serve, but mostly sliced her backhand. Their head to head rivalry was especially notable for Graf being dominant on tour in Seles' first years and then Seles being dominant at the grand slams winning three of the four matches they played
1996 Wimbledon Championships – Women's Singles injury. She was replaced in the draw by the highest-ranked non-seeded player Karina Habšudová, who became the #17 seed. 1996 Wimbledon Championships – Women's Singles Steffi Graf was the defending champion, and successfully defended her title, defeating Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the final, 6–3, 7–5 to win the Ladies' Singles tennis title at the 1996 Wimbledon Championships, giving Graf the seventh Wimbledon title of her career. It was the second consecutive major final between the two women, with Graf also winning the French Open crown a month earlier. With this victory, Graf captured her seventh and final Wimbledon crown, while