GOAT: Graf or Williams? With her latest Wimbledon win, Serena Williams equalled Stef Graf’s 22 Grand Slam former world No. 1s across three decades – Chris Evert, Tracy Austin and Arantxa singles titles to share bragging rights on the top of the table for the Open Era. Sanchez-Vicario – about the GOAT debate: Who is the Greatest of All Time? MAY CHEN breaks down key statistics to compare the two, and also spoke to three

Stef Graf (retired Aug 1999) Serena Williams Right-handed Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand) Oct 1982 Turned Pro Sept 1995 107 Career titles 71 900-115 (88.7%) Career win-loss 768-127 (85.8%) 54 No. of Grand Slams played 64 22 Grand Slam singles titles 22 17 Age won rst Grand Slam 17 29 Age won 22nd Grand Slam 34 18 Age rst became world No. 1 19 278-32 (89.7%) Grand Slam win-loss 304-42 (87.9%) 22-9 Grand Slam nals win-loss 22-6 5 Year-end Championships 5 US$21,891,306 Prize money US$80,899,060 (not adjusted for ination) 377 Weeks at No. 1 301 186 Consecutive weeks at No. 1 177 8 Year-end No. 1 5 5 (’88, ‘89, ‘93, ‘95, ‘96) No. of years with three or more 2 (’02, ‘15) Grand Slam titles

• Graf’s 377 weeks as world No. 1 is the • Almost 17 years span between Williams’ rst longest for a tennis player - male or female. Grand Slam (1999 US Open) to her latest one, • She holds the longest streak for Notable the longest for any woman. She has won nine consecutive weeks at No. 1. records Grand Slam titles since turning 30, the most by • Only player in history to have achieved the any woman in the Open era. Golden Slam - winning all four Grand Slams • At 34 years and 287 days old, Williams broke and the Olympic gold within a year. her own record for the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam title, set at last year’s Wimbledon. WHO’S BETTER?

Chris Evert Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario Tracy Austin Chris Evert Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario Tracy Austin Serve Australian 50-50 50-50 Australian Forehand French Backhand French Volley Wimbledon 50-50 Footwork 50-50 Wimbledon

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50-50 Mental 50-50 strength Variety of play WHAT THE LEGENDS SAY Martina Hingis Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario Tracy Austin (Five-time Grand Slam winner, former world No. 1) (Four-time Grand Slam winner, former world No. 1) (Two-time Grand Slam winner, former world No. 1) “Stef was de nitely one of the best athletes ever “It’s hard to say, but for now, I’d say Stef is the greater “It’s dif cult (to compare them) because of such in our sport. Serena, mentally, I don’t think there’s player. She had the Golden Grand Slam, which is something subtleties. They’re playing in different eras, with another tougher than her. She would come up you don’t know if anyone will ever be able to do again. If different mentalities. There are so many different with an ace and a great serve and you’d have to you look for the best of the best, that’s the best of the changing elements from era to era that it’s hard scramble again for another opportunity.” best. to compare.”

ST spoke to Evert, Sanchez-Vicario, Austin and Hingis at the WTA Finals last year. Text: MAY CHEN PHOTOS: ACTION IMAGES, AFP STRAITS TIMES GRAPHICS