Who is the only tennis player to defeat Steffi Graf twice in 1988 during her Golden Slam run?

Women's tennis stalwart Steffi Graf holds a unique and prestigious place in tennis history. She is the only player, male or female, to have achieved the Golden Slam, winning all four Grand Slam titles (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open) and the Olympic gold medal in the same year. That incredible feat came in 1988, and to this day, no one has managed to repeat it.

But here’s something not everyone knows: even during that golden slam season, when Graf was almost untouchable, there was one player who managed to defeat her. Not once, but twice. Her name was Gabriela Sabatini.

Steffi Graf started in 1988 at her very best, as she was already on top of the tennis world after ruling the previous season. Her forehand was powerful, her movement showed peak athleticism, and her confidence was unmatched. But in the Virginia Slims of Florida final in Boca Raton, a young Argentine star, Gabriela Sabatini, shocked everyone by coming from one set down to beat Graf in three sets.

A few weeks later, at the Amelia Island Championships, the two met again. Graf wanted revenge, but Sabatini once more found a way. In another tight three-set battle, she handed the world No.1 her second loss of the year. Those two matches alone accounted for 67 per cent of Graf’s total defeats in 1988.

Graff emerged victorious at big moments

Of course, Graf had the final say when the stakes were highest. She beat Sabatini in the semifinals of Roland Garros, the final of the US Open, and again in the gold medal match at the Seoul Olympics, sealing the historic Calendar Golden Slam.

The only other player to beat Graf that year was Pam Shriver, who surprised her at the year-end WTA Finals in New York. Ironically, Sabatini went on to win that tournament, defeating Shriver in straight sets in the final.

Graf finished 1988 with 72 wins and just three losses, one of the most dominant seasons ever seen. It was one of the dominant seasons that world tennis ever witnessed.