"There was nothing about religion... I was disappointed" - When Steffi Graf met the Pope and had her belief in God undermined

Steffi Graf once candidly expressed her disappointment about the church intertwining business with people's faith. She shared that she had hoped for something more heartfelt and genuine, but felt that it fell short of those expectations.

Graf is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. With 22 Grand Slam titles, the rare "Golden Slam," and countless other achievements, she’s a name everyone in the world of sports recognizes and respects.

But for those who may not know, the German has always been a deeply spiritual person. In a 2020 interview with Sportstar, she revealed that she prayed almost every night. However, at the age of 18, she experienced what she described as a "disillusioning" moment that left a lasting impression.

"Yes. I pray every night. But I did have a disillusioning experience when I was 18. One of my sponsors gave the (Catholic) church a car so they could get an audience with the Pope. So we went to the Vatican. They put all the people who were going to meet the Pope in different rooms, and he went from one of them to the other, reading words off a piece of paper," Steffi Graf said.

She added:

"There was nothing about religion coming across, other than how much the church appreciated the donation and how important it was for the church and business to work together. I was surprised and I was disappointed; I expected something coming from the heart."

A look into Steffi Graf's career

Steffi Graf | Image Source: Getty

Steffi Graf is one of the greatest tennis players of all time, with 22 Grand Slam singles titles to her name. She dominated the sport in the late 1980s and 1990s, winning on every type of surface.

Her first major win came at the 1987 French Open, where she defeated Martina Navratilova. A year later, she achieved the incredible “Golden Slam” in 1988, winning all four Grand Slam titles—the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open—plus Olympic gold, a feat no other player has matched.

Graf won seven Wimbledon titles, six French Opens, five US Opens, and four Australian Opens. Her powerful forehand, incredible speed, and strong mindset made her almost unbeatable during her prime.

Throughout her career, she faced and defeated some of the sport’s biggest names, including Chris Evert, Monica Seles, and Martina Navratilova. Graf retired in 1999, but her impact on tennis remains unmatched, and she is still celebrated as one of the true legends of the game.