"Some of the girls, they don’t even sweat and they make millions" - When Steffi Graf's ex-boyfriend called women's tennis pay 'a scandal'

Steffi Graf's former boyfriend Alexander Mronz once called women's tennis "ping-pong" and expressed his displeasure with the amount some female players were being paid.

Mronz had a very modest career, throughout which he only ever reached the fourth round of one Grand Slam and had a career-high singles ranking of 165.

Mronz discussed women's tennis in an interview in 1989, saying that apart from a few, the money other women made was a "scandal". He said that some of the female players made millions without sweating.

"It is not tennis, it is Ping-Pong," he said (via Los Angeles Times). "With the exception of a few, the big money the women make is a scandal. Every man has to fight 100% in the first round, and some of the girls, they don’t even sweat and they make millions."

Alexander Mronz also stated that he earned his own money and didn't rely on Graf. However, he admitted that he required a coach, which was something he couldn't afford at the time.

"I don’t want Steffi’s money. I make my own money. What I need is a coach, but I can’t afford a coach," Mronz said.

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Steffi Graf won 23 Grand Slam titles throughout her career

Steffi Graf with her husband Andre Agassi in 2023

Steffi Graf had an extraordinary career, during which she won 23 Grand Slams across both singles and doubles.

22 of these came on the singles circuit and Graf is the only player, male or female, to win each of the four Grand Slams at least four times. Wimbledon was the German's most successful Major as she won it seven times in 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995 and 1996.

Graf clinched six titles at the French Open, with her first and last Major triumphs both coming at the clay-court event in 1987 and 1999 respectively. The German won the US Open five times in 1988, 1989, 1993, 1995 and 1996.

The Australian Open is Graf's least successful Grand Slam, but she won it four times in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1994. To date, she is the only player to complete the Golden Slam, which is to win all four Majors and the Olympic gold in the same year. Graf attained this feat in 1988.

Steffi Graf's only women's doubles Grand Slam came in 1988 when she won the Wimbledon Championships while partnering Gabriela Sabatini. The pair emerged victorious against Larisa Savchenko and Natasha Zvereva.