17 - Steffi Graf Wins the Grand Slam

In this episode, we go inside the pressure-cooker world of the 1988 US Open, a moment when Steffi Graf stood on the brink of tennis immortality.

As the media frenzy built and her family life grew more complicated, Steffi faced a gauntlet of challengers—including the fearless serve-and-volleyer Patty Fendick and her own doubles partner and rising rival, Gabriela Sabatini.

Through detailed, day-by-day storytelling, on-court drama, and rare behind-the-scenes anecdotes, this episode explores the suffocating expectations placed on a 19-year-old phenom as she battles nerves, wind, and the hopes of a crowd longing for a huge upset. Steffi Graf's march to the calendar Grand Slam was anything but easy.