"If I play my best, she'd better be careful"- When a teenage Steffi Graf reacted to Martina Navratilova's 'best player in the world' claims

Steffi Graf had a strong response to Martina Navratilova claiming she was the best player in the world during the 1988 French Open.

Navratilova, who had lost in the previous three finals of the claycourt Major at the time, was seeded second behind Graf, who was the defending champion. However, the Czech-American claimed that she saw herself as the best player on tour and that she was reaching a point where she could not see herself losing.

"I consider I'm the best player on the circuit. I'm getting to the point where I can't see myself lose," Navratilova said.

Steffi Graf responded to the then-31-year-old's comments by saying that she would have to be careful if the German was playing at her best.

"She can say what she wants. If I play my best, she'd better be careful," Graf said.

Martina Navratilova ended up suffering a fourth-round defeat to Natasha Zvereva at the 1988 French Open. Steffi Graf then thrashed Zvereva 6-0, 6-0 in the final to successfully defend her title at Roland Garros. That title clash remains the only one in the Open Era to feature a double bagel.

Graf ended up having one of the best seasons of all time in 1988. She won all the four Grand Slams along with the Olympic gold medal in Seoul, thus completing the 'Golden Calendar Slam.'

The German won 72 out of 75 matches that year, with 11 singles titles to her name.

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Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova squared off in six Grand Slam finals

Martina Navratilova at the Italian Open in 2023

Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova locked horns in 18 matches, six of which came in Grand Slam finals.

The first Major title clash between the two came at the French Open in 1987, with Graf winning 6-4, 4-6, 8-6. That same year, Navratilova beat the German in the finals of Wimbledon (7-5, 6-3) and the US Open (7-6, 6-1).

The following year, Graf defeated the Czech-American 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 in the Wimbledon final to claim her first title at the grasscourt Major. They also locked horns in the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open in 1989, and the German came out on top each time.

The head-to-head between Graf and Navratilova was tied at 9-9, with their last meeting coming in the 1994 Toray Pan Pacific Open final in Tokyo. The German triumphed 6-2, 6-4 to win her second of seven titles that season.