"It has always annoyed me when people said Steffi Graf ruined her youth" - When German's mom Heidi set the record straight on her daughter's childhood

Steffi Graf's mother Heidi once firmly clarified the misconceptions surrounding her daughter's childhood. She refuted the claims that Graf's success had come at the expense of her youth and instead shed light on the former World No. 1's happy adolescence.

Graf was introduced to tennis by her father Peter at just three years of age and soon began training in earnest at a sports center, where she was joined by Boris Becker. The German was known for being very serious and composed on the court, often being described as a "robot" and a "machine" by her fellow players. Graf's stoic demeanor and the fact that her life had revolved around tennis from a young age had even prompted conjecture about what her childhood was like.

Speaking to Talk Tennis in 2000, Steffi Graf's mother expressed annoyance with the prevailing opinion that her daughter had "ruined her youth" in search of tennis greatness. Heidi pointed out that she had made plenty of Barbie dresses for Graf and shared that the German relished going to the disco and dancing the night away.

"It has always annoyed me when people said Steffi ruined her youth. If people knew how many Barbie dresses I sewed! And at the weekend she used to go to the disco and dance into the morning hours," Steffi Graf's mother said.

However, Heidi also said that Graf was an innately disciplined person and recounted an incident when the 22-time Grand Slam champion refused to skip her training to attend a carnival parade, as she was focused on her goal of becoming World No. 1.

Heidi further separated Steffi Graf from other girls her age. She mentioned that the German preferred a more natural look compared to other teenagers who liked putting on makeup.

"Despite this, Stefanie was always a very disciplined person, even in school. Once, at carnival time, I said, come on, Steff, leave off the training. We’ll go and have a look at the carnival parade. No, she said, I want to train," she said.

"Other girls were putting make-up on at twelve years of age. At age 17, Steff started to use rouge now and again. She always preferred to be natural. As a child she always wanted to go to the carnival as an American Indian, but she wouldn’t let me paint her brown. She has unbelievable will power. From when she was young she always said, I want to be the number one. That was always her goal," she added.

Steffi Graf has validated her mother Heidi's sentiments by admitting that she would "go crazy" if she lived only for tennis and had no other interests.

Steffi Graf's mother Heidi: "People have always said she's not able to laugh; in fact, there is no one who laughs more than her"

Steffi Graf with her parents - Source: Getty

In the same interview, Steffi Graf's mother Heidi shut down the belief that her daughter was always serious and never laughed. She said that while the former World No. 1 was very focused during matches, she enjoyed herself immensely once she left the "boring" atmosphere of the tennis courts.

Heidi shed light on Graf's love for art and museums, disclosing that her daughter's ultimate dream would be to have her own art gallery.

"People have always said she's not able to laugh. In fact, there is no one who laughs more than her. Steff did her job in a concentrated manner. But it was too boring for her to hang around the tennis courts for a long time. She preferred to go to a museum," Steffi Graf's mother said.

"From when she was young onwards her two questions during tournaments were always: When do I play? And where is the next museum? Stefanie loves art. She would most love to have her own gallery," she added.

Steffi Graf's mother went so far as to say that her daughter's tennis success had even been the cause of some "difficult times" for their family.