The 1988 Wimbledon final saw a blockbuster clash between Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova, with oddsmakers divided on who should be considered the favorite. While Navratilova was the six-time defending champion, Graf had won the first two Grand Slams of the year and was on the hunt for a historic Golden Slam — winning all four Majors and the Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year.
The German came into the final, defeating the likes of Mary Joe Fernandez and Pam Shriver along the way. Navratilova, on the other hand, defeated Chris Evert in the semifinals to set up a rematch of the previous year’s final at Wimbledon.
The defending champ won the first set 7-5, only for Graf to regroup immediately. The second set was a quick affair, with the top seed wrapping it up 6-2. In the final set, Graf raced ahead with a 3-1 lead, at which time a rain delay put an abrupt stop to proceedings on Center Court.
Trending
When play resumed, Steffi Graf did not take long, winning the set 6-1 to lift her first title at Wimbledon. Speaking to the press later, the 22-time Grand Slam champion revealed that she knew she would win after the break, the moment she saw Navratilova looking dishevelled in the dressing room.
"I saw her in the locker room and she was so down," Steffi Graf said. "I thought, If she’s going to play like she looks, she can’t win."
Navratilova also accepted the loss graciously, telling reporters she had no regrets about losing to the better player on the day.
"Steffi was hitting winners all over the place," Martina Navratilova said. "She gets to balls no one else can. I got blown out the last two sets, so it wasn’t that tough to accept losing. I could feel what she was feeling, have that same joy because I know what the feeling is. Steffi is a super player and a nice human being. If she can keep winning, great."
"The first set made me very angry" - Steffi Graf on her 1988 Wimbledon final against Martina Navratilova
Continuing in the press, Steffi Graf admitted that she did not feel herself in the first set, starting out rather uncomfortably before finding her game in the second set. In the end, she was thankful she found enough rhythm to hang in there with Martina Navratilova before mounting the comeback.
"My backhand was terrible," Steffi Graf said. "I just didn't feel comfortable out there. I had been trying to get good angles on my returns, but in the second set I played more to her volley, letting her hit it, then getting another chance."
"Winning is such a special feeling," Graf added. "I was confident before the match, but the first set made me very angry. I just wanted to hang in there, to show I could play much better than I was."
Graf went on to complete the Golden Slam a few months later, defeating Gabriela Sabatini in the final of the US Open and the Olympics to become the first and only ever player to achieve the feat in the history of tennis.
What are Andre Agassi-Steffi Graf’s children doing now? Everything to know about Jaz & Jaden Agassi
