"It's pretty sick, no one has a right to do these things" - When Steffi Graf was left frustrated by nude photograph taken without her consent

Steffi Graf once expressed her frustration with paparazzi trying to take nude photos of her.

The incident occurred in February 1992 after Rubella, commonly known as the German measles, led to Graf's withdrawal from the Australian Open. She was relaxing in her pool at The Polo Club when a photographer named Art Seitz attempted to capture nudes of her from a helicopter. However, he only managed to get a shot of her back.

Seitz was already infamous in the tennis community at the time. He gained attention after suing Martina Navratilova for breaking his camera when he photographed her crying after a match and ultimately won the case.

During an interview later that year, Steffi Graf expressed her feelings about the incident, labeling it "pretty sick" and criticized the photographer for crossing all boundaries by invading her privacy in her home.

"He only got my back," Graf said (via The Sun Sentinel). "I saw the helicopter overhead and I was hoping this was not happening. It’s pretty sick. No one has a right to do these kinds of things. It’s gone way too far. I don’t have a private life, even at home."

"It’s frustrating, because you work so hard for what you do, you’re dedicated to your sport and you don’t get any respect out of it. I understand I don’t have a personal life, but I want a little bit of space," she added.

Seitz was commissioned to take the picture for a major German publication, although the publication later clarified that they hadn't specifically requested a nude photo. Instead, they were seeking material for coverage related to the wrap-up of Graf's father, Peter's paternity scandal.

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Steffi Graf once discussed how her late father's paternity scandal affected her

Steffi Graf pictured with her father Peter

Steffi Graf's father, Peter, who passed away in 2013 from pancreatic cancer at the age of 75, was involved in several controversies throughout his life. One notable case was a paternity scandal involving a model named Nicole Meissner.

In 1990, Nicole Meissner claimed that Peter had a two-year affair with her and was the father of her child. Although subsequent blood tests proved the claim to be false, Peter did admit to having an affair with the model.

After retiring from professional tennis in 1999, Steffi Graf opened up about the impact of her father's scandal on her, expressing how deeply it had "hurt" her.

"Yeah, I was completely unprepared," Graf said (via Sportstar). "Absolutely. Not only with what happened- with the press coverage and all that - but because it truly came out of the blue. And it really hurt."

"It made my life more difficult because I've never been comfortable in the spotlight, even in the best and happiest of times. Of course, the story was timed to create the most publicity in Germany," she added.