"Cannot compare athletic achievement to the importance of children": When Steffi Graf said Slam record paled in comparison to family with Andre Agassi

Steffi Graf once firmly asserted that her exceptional accomplishments as a professional tennis player paled in comparison to the joys of her family life with her husband, fellow tennis legend Andre Agassi. She emphasized that her greatest source of pride was their children, Jaden and Jaz, born in 2001 and 2003, respectively.

Graf retired from professional tennis in 1999 with 22 Grand Slam titles to her name, an Open Era record at the time. Although it is hard to imagine such an exemplary record being outclassed, the German maintained that her marriage to Agassi and her role as a mother had eclipsed the feat.

In a 2009 interview with the Daily Mail, Steffi Graf asserted that the importance of her 22 Majors didn't hold a candle to the significance of raising her children and ensuring that they grew up in a "safe environment."

"It's not even close. You cannot compare your athletic achievement to the importance of children and giving them a safe environment in which to grow up and enjoy life," she said.

The former World No. 1 also disclosed that she didn't remember the finer points of her career but affirmed that the drive and determination that fueled her success on the court had carried over to her post-retirement life.

"People sometimes ask if I remember this or that, but the truth is that I often don't," she added. "I have always been guided by striving to show the best that I could. That is what kept me going in tennis and it is the same now."

Steffi Graf: "I'm very fortunate to have two healthy and beautiful children to whom I can give my time, that is what tennis gave me"

Steffi Graf with her and Andre Agassi's children (Source: Getty)

Steffi Graf went on to say that she found it "easy" to step away from tennis, confident in the knowledge that she had given her career her all and could turn her attention to other pursuits, which turned out to be her children, Jaden and Jaz.

"That is why I had an easy time stepping away from tennis because I knew I had given it everything and was ready to move on to something else. At the time I didn't necessarily know the direction was that of raising a family," Steffi Graf said in the same interview.

The German reflected on her good fortune to have two beautiful and healthy children, asserting that tennis had provided her with the "luxury" to enjoy time with her kids.

"I'm very fortunate to have two healthy and beautiful children to whom I can give my time, that is my luxury and what tennis gave me. I earned the time I now have with them but I still have this philosophy of working hard at everything I do, it just so happens it is not tennis," she added.

Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi's children have chosen not to follow in their parent's footsteps, pursuing interests outside of professional tennis. While Jaden is aiming to make a name for himself in baseball, Jaz is exploring her passion for dance and fashion.