You’ll Be Shocked to Discover What Ailed Steffi Graf – The Truth Behind Her Cancelled Matches!
What Illness Did Steffi Graf Have?
Steffi Graf, the legendary German tennis champion whose name still sends shivers down the spines of her rivals, was not immune to the frailties of human health. Behind her golden victories, rising to world No. 1, and a record 22 Grand Slams, there existed battles off the court—moments when illness threatened to bring her world crashing down.
One of the most dramatic of these came early in 1992. Graf, steadily dominating women’s tennis, found herself wincing in pain each time she stepped onto clay courts. Her shoulder, a tool as essential for her sweeping forehands as her mental toughness, began betraying her. She later admitted that clay was torturous for her, and that she was forced to take “a lot of pills” just to keep playing during important events like the Fed Cup. The issue was not just discomfort: it was serious enough to disrupt her performance, weigh heavily on her ability to compete, and linger throughout the season.
Earlier than that, in 1986, Graf was struck by a mysterious virus. High fever, severe cough, and relentless malaise plagued her two weeks before Wimbledon. The virus was so debilitating that her doctors forbade her to play; they ordered rest for weeks. This illness wasn’t a typical flu—it was intense enough to force her to withdraw, shrinking the world’s expectations of her for a moment.
Not content to let just one health crisis define her, Graf also suffered from chronic shoulder troubles later in her career. Pain, swelling, and discomfort on certain surfaces pushed her to rely on painkillers, sometimes masking the pain just enough to allow her to play when every muscle screamed otherwise. Yet, despite these challenges, she continued to shine.
Another memorable episode: in 1992, Graf was forced to pull out of the Australian Open due to a viral illness. Her symptoms—fever, exhaustion, and overall weakness—were so severe that she was speculated to have glandular fever, though confirmation was elusive. The virus left her bedridden, removed her from the limelight temporarily, and forced her to fight not just opponents on court, but illness in body.
Through all this, it’s clear that Graf’s journey was far more than just trophies, records, and roaring crowd-cheers. It was a journey of resilience. Whenever illness struck, she found ways to rest, heal, and return. Sometimes surgeries were required; other times it was pure willpower and the support of coaches, doctors, and loved ones. She may have been “Golden” on the court, but she was human off it—and her battles with illness are a poignant reminder of that.
