Having Fallen, She’s Still Tops

Feeling old at 26 and having only a few days ago endured an embarrassing loss to a 15-year-old, Steffi Graf was grateful for something to celebrate when, on Monday, she set the record for total weeks as the world’s No. 1 tennis player.

With the release of this week’s rankings, Graf is No. 1 for the 332nd week, surpassing the record of 331 held by Martina Navratilova. The next-longest time spent at No. 1 was by Ivan Lendl, 270 weeks.

Speaking on a conference call from Berlin, where she is playing in the German Open, Graf allowed herself an uncharacteristic moment of self-congratulation.

“I don’t really drive for records, but this is one of them that will always stand out, by far,” she said.

“I always realized that I have been No. 1 for an extremely long time, but I am not the kind of person who has counted the weeks, or the years. But to hear the number, it is pretty amazing.”

Graf also holds the record for consecutive weeks at No. 1, 187, which she compiled from August 17, 1987, through March 10, 1991. Her current streak at No. 1 began 49 weeks ago, on June 12, 1995.

Technically, Graf is still being co-ranked No. 1 with Monica Seles, who will continue with that special consideration until she has played six tournaments. Seles, who has been injured for several weeks, is scheduled to play her sixth tournament beginning May 20 at Madrid.

Graf, too, has been injured much of the early season, but has won two titles and was unbeaten in tournament play going into last week’s Italian Open. Graf had not played in that clay court tournament since 1987, when she beat crowd favorite Gabriela Sabatini for the title.

After that match, Graf was referred to in a major Italian newspaper as brutta, or ugly. That, combined with a falling out with the tournament promoter, kept Graf away until this year.

Graf entered the tournament with only five days’ preparation on clay and lost in the quarterfinals to 15-year-old Martina Hingis of Switzerland. Graf said Monday that she was appalled by her play during the tournament.

“Those three matches that I had in Rome were probably the worst tennis of many, many years,” she said. “I think you have never seen me play like that. I felt like I had no control of any shots. I didn’t really believe in myself out there.”

Now, Graf returns to the German Open, a tournament she has won eight times but not played in for two years.

Graf opens play today against American Tami Whitlinger-Jones. The defending French Open champion hopes to hone her clay-court skills in Berlin, but admitted that after the loss to Hingis she considered pulling out.

“I badly need the time off, but I need the practice just as badly,” Graf said. “I didn’t know I could play as badly as I did in Rome. [I need] to play here, get a few more matches in and maybe get more confidence back from what I have lost and prepare myself for the French Open--that’s my main goal.”

The French Open begins May 27 in Paris.