The German had been world No 1 without a break since the summer of 1993, after her main rival on the tour, Monica Seles, was forced off the court due to the unfortunate stabbing incident that occurred in April of that year. Graf had already topped the WTA rankings without interruption between 1987 and 1991.
The accomplished German completed an epic Golden Grand Slam in 1988, claiming the gold medal at the Olympic Games on top of the four Grand Slam titles in the same year, a singular achievement in tennis history.
When Graf arrived at Roland-Garros in 1994, she had lost only two matches on the tour in the past 12 months, and she held the four Grand Slam crowns simultaneously as well as the season-ending WTA Championships. She was
undefeated in a major event since her 1993 Australian Open final loss to Seles. Her game was based on a tremendous forehand which she could fire with purpose in any direction, legendary footwork and a devilishly sliced backhand to neutralise her opponents.
