Steffi Graf in three-set matches to claim her seventh title there in eight years. Monica Seles beat Graf in three sets in the final of the Australian Open 4–6, 6–3, 6–2. This cemented Seles as the dominant No. 1 player in the world, having won five of the previous six, seven of the previous nine, and eight of the previous 12 major singles titles. In that timespan of 12 majors, Graf had won twice (1991 and 1992 Wimbledon) in comparison. During a quarterfinal match between Seles and Magdalena Maleeva in Hamburg, Seles was stabbed between the shoulder blades by a mentally ill
Steffi Graf San Diego, Graf reached the US Open final, where she lost in straight sets to Sabatini. Graf won four indoor tournaments after the US Open, including a pair of straight set wins over Sabatini in the finals of Zürich and Worcester. Although Sabatini got the best of Graf in the semifinals of the season-ending Virginia Slims Championships, Graf still finished the year as the top-ranked player. A mixture of injury problems, personal difficulties, and loss of form made 1991 a tough year for Graf. Seles established herself as the new dominant player on the women's tour, winning the Australian Open,