"They are so jealous, so vindictive" - When Steffi Graf's father Peter opened up about his disdain for German media in rare English interview

Steffi Graf’s father, Peter Graf, played a key role in shaping her tennis career, as he was the one who introduced her to the sport and coached her in the early years. However, despite the many positive moments, he also reached a breaking point, openly expressing his frustration over how the German media treated them.

Graf had just won the 1991 Wimbledon Championships, and it proved to be one of the toughest matches of her career. After dropping the second set to Gabriela Sabatini, she came close to defeat but managed to regain her composure and fought back to secure a hard-fought 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 victory.

More than her, Peter Graf seemed more anxious about the match. After the final, he went to a local bar to unwind, where he met journalist Gautam Bhattacharya. They had a rare, genuine conversation in English. When Bhattacharya remarked that he hadn’t expected him to be so pleasant, Peter honestly explained why he hadn’t maintained good relations with the German media.

Steffi Graf’s father explained that he kept his distance from the German media because he believed they were “jealous and vindictive.” He said they often crossed boundaries by writing unnecessary things about his daughter and even about Boris Becker. That, he added, was why his family chose to become more private and stopped giving the media access to their lives.

"I am not easily available to them. For them indeed I am a difficult person. Why should I speak to them? They are so jealous, so vindictive. The moment a star is born in their country they start writing about all sports of things. Money love, sex…they would go on and on. They have just two stars , Boris and Steffi. So they write all kinds of things against them," Peter said.

"Last year it got to such a stage that I decided enough was enough. I won’t allow them any more to encroach on my private life. I stopped giving interviews. So did Steffi," he added.

The year 1990 proved challenging for the Graf family when German tax authorities charged her father with tax evasion, accusing him of hiding millions of marks earned from Steffi Graf's prize money and endorsements in offshore accounts. Since he managed her finances, Steffi’s name appeared in the reports, leading the media to speculate about her possible involvement.

Eventually, Peter Graf was convicted in 1995 and sentenced to prison, while the 22-time Major champion was cleared of any wrongdoing.

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Steffi Graf's father Peter: "In Germany, they tend to think that a champion is their personal property"

Steffi Graf pictured with her father Peter at the 1989 Wimbledon Championships | Image Source: Getty

During the same 1991 interview with Gautam Bhattacharya, Steffi Graf’s father, Peter, spoke at length about what he saw as Germany’s issues. He explained that in countries like the USA, people take pride in their champions, whereas in Germany, he felt, champions are treated as if they belong to the public rather than being respected as individuals.

"If you’re a champion in US, they would really respect you," he said. "If they meet their champion on the street they say ‘Hello,’ very warmly. They feel very proud. They say, ‘That’s our champion’. Our champion. So much respect and pride. Whereas in Germany, they tend to think that a champion is their personal property with whom they can do whatever they feel like."

Peter went on to lament that Graf had virtually no privacy in her own country, to the extent that there were times she could not even leave the house without attracting attention:

"Let me tell you. In Germany, Steffi doesn’t have a private life. She just can’t come out of the house. We have no private life whatsoever and that’s the greatest problem."

Peter Graf passed away on November 30, 2013, in Mannheim, Germany. He was 75 years old and died of pancreatic cancer.