Steffi Graf once opened up about how important it was for her to have her father Peter present during her matches. Peter did not just provide parental support for his daughter but also played a crucial role in the German’s career as her coach and manager.
By 1990, Graf had established herself as a legend of the sport despite being just eight years into her career. She had won nine Major titles, made history by completing the calendar year Golden Slam, and maintained a stranglehold on the World No. 1 ranking. However, despite her immense success, the German still needed her dad’s presence in the stands.
In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald in 1990, Steffi Graf spoke about how her father Peter took a lot of pressure off her by shielding her from harsh criticism. The German also disclosed that she regularly looked to him for inspiration during matches and credited him for making her feel very secure.
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"He is the only one who takes the pressure off me. People don't get angry with me; they get angry with him. I feel more secure when he is with me. Everything seems much easier. I look up to his seat between every game for inspiration. Papa is so good for me," Graf said.
Graf made the remarks after the shocking news broke that model Nicole Meissner was claiming to be pregnant with Peter's child after their extramarital affair. The German was devastated by the coverage of the scandal, angrily calling out the media for trying to "destroy" her family.
"She takes her own decision" - Steffi Graf's father Peter on having no say in his daughter's retirement and marriage plans
Although Steffi Graf made it clear how important her father's presence and input were for her, Peter explained that his role had some limitations. Speaking to Gautam Bhattacharya after his daughter's Wimbledon title win in 1991, Peter said that he couldn't comment on whether Graf intended to get married and retire early.
Peter also asserted that all of his daughter's major career decisions were in her own hands and that he didn't influence her.
"Marriage (laughs). Well, I am afraid I can’t answer this question. Only Steffi can answer this. She is a champion and she takes her own decision. Just because I am her father I can’t go and tell Steffi that please don’t continue beyond this point. No, I won’t do that," he said.
Like his daughter, Peter Graf also lashed out at the invasive journalists for how they treated their country's two biggest stars, his daughter Steffi Graf and Boris Becker.
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