“The presentation ceremony was very uncomfortable”: When Steffi Graf admitted her unease about Wimbledon triumph due to Jana Novotna crying after loss
Steffi Graf once shed light on her discomfort during the presentation ceremony at the 1993 Wimbledon Championships, despite her victory. The German’s unease stemmed from runner-up Jana Novotna’s palpable grief at losing the final.
Graf entered the 1993 edition of the grasscourt Major as the top seed and two-time defending champion, widely regarded as the clear favorite to clinch her third consecutive title. The German lived up to expectations, beating the likes of Meredith McGrath, Jennifer Capriati and Conchita Martinez to reach the final without dropping a set.
However, Steffi Graf faced a tough test in the blockbuster title clash against ninth seed Jana Novotna, who had ousted second seed Martina Navratilova in the semifinals. Graf narrowly edged past Novotna in the opening set, but the Czech dominated the second set to force a decider.
Novotna seemed destined for victory as she took a 4-1 lead in the third set. However, the German held her nerve and won five games in a row to claim a 7-6(6), 1-6, 6-4 victory, clinching her fifth Wimbledon title.
Jana Novotna, visibly devastated over losing from a winning position, broke down in tears during the trophy presentation and was consoled by the Duchess of Kent.
Reflecting on the final in a 2009 interview with the Daily Mail, Steffi Graf admitted that she felt “very uncomfortable” during the presentation ceremony because she found it difficult to witness Novotna’s tears.
“The presentation ceremony was very uncomfortable because I felt very uncomfortable. As we stood on the court I remember finding it very hard to look at Jana because she was crying,” she said.
The German also revealed that she was not particularly happy despite her victory because she could empathize with the Czech, having experienced similar losses after being in a position to win.
“During the match you just think about the point you are playing and I was always very good at that. But at the end I was not that happy because I knew what it felt like to have had chances to win and to still have lost,” she added.
Steffi Graf: “I first came to Wimbledon when I was 12 and was overawed by it”
Steffi Graf won the 1989 Wimbledon ChampionshipsSteffi Graf won the 1989 Wimbledon Championships
In the same interview, Steffi Graf reminisced about her first visit to Wimbledon at the age of 12, recounting how the All England Club’s traditions led her mother to insist that she wear a skirt instead of her usual shorts.
“I first came to Wimbledon when I was 12 and was overawed by it. I always used to play in shorts but it was the first time that my mother told me I ought to wear a skirt,” Steffi Graf said.
The German also fondly looked back on her maiden title at the grasscourt Major, having triumphed over six-time defending champion Martina Navratilova in the 1988 final.
“Martina was someone I had looked up to so much and she won the first set and was a break up in the second. Coming back to beat her (the last two sets were clinched 6-2, 6-1) showed me how good I could be and made things easier after that,” she said.
