"It was nice with other children... Parents were also closer & friendlier" - When Steffi Graf's mom Heidi criticized the professional tennis 'circus'

Steffi Graf's mother Heidi once made an honest admission about how her daughter's legendary success was a double-edged sword for their family. Although she was very proud of Graf's achievements, Heidi disclosed that there were aspects about the professional tennis "circus" she did not enjoy.

While Graf's father Peter famously coached her for most of her career, her mother was no stranger to the sport either, since she had been a club-level tennis player. However, Heidi was forced to give up the sport because of back problems she developed after giving birth to the former World No. 1's younger brother Michael. The pain was so bad that she risked a 50% chance of being paralyzed to undergo surgery.

Despite her health issues, Heidi greatly enjoyed Steffi Graf and Michael's childhood, describing her cherished memories of their holidays and activities in a 2000 interview with Talk Tennis. She expressed her belief that they would've remained a very happy family even if her daughter wasn't catapulted to stardom.

"We had great times with the children. Holidays, cycling trips, our walks together. I still have nice memories of them today. Or of going to the vineyards to steal grapes because the children liked that so much. In those days we had a nice life. If success hadn’t come, I believe we would have remained a happy family," she said.

Heidi revealed that the "difficult times" began as Graf started finding success in tennis and they became more deeply involved in the sport. While she had relished supporting her daughter at junior tournaments, where other children like Boris Becker were present with their friendly parents, the ambitious and cutthroat nature of the professional circuit rubbed her the wrong way.

"It started with Stefanie’s success. That is when the difficult times started. Not immediately, gradually. I liked the junior tournaments. Steff was six at the time, still small, with thin, long little legs like a stork. It was nice with the other children, including the young Boris Becker – whenever he appeared there was always fun," Steffi Graf's mother said.

"At that time the parents were also closer and friendlier to each other. Although ambition existed, things were very different. I’d never have thought at the time that it would all take on such dimensions. To be totally honest, I wouldn’t take part in the whole circus ever again," she added.

Despite how difficult she found it, Heidi was always very supportive of Steffi Graf's career. The 22-time Grand Slam champion once described her mother as "extremely warm, caring, and loving."

"It was very, very difficult for me to be in the public eye" - Steffi Graf's mother Heidi lamented being 'under a microscope'

Steffi Graf with her parents - Source: Getty

Like Steffi Graf, her mother Heidi also hated being in the public eye, admitting that the media's intrusiveness made her feel like she was constantly "under a microscope."

"It was very, very difficult for me to be in the public eye," Steffi Graf's mother Heidi said in the same interview. "The constant click-click-click of the cameras. I hated that noise. It was always as if you were under a microscope."

Graf's mother even went to the extent of hiding in the trunk of her car and turning off her headlights when driving at night to avoid being relentlessly pursued by the paparazzi.

"The headlines, the fans in front of the house. The paparazzi. They pursued us so much that sometimes I let myself be smuggled into the boot of the car in our driveway or, if I was driving out at night, I wouldn’t put the headlights on so that no one saw me. Then they shone huge spotlights on me in the car! I wouldn’t wish that whole business on my worst enemy," she added.

Steffi Graf's mother also revealed that she didn't always find tennis matches very exciting and only went to tournaments to show her support for her daughter.