The scandal that destroyed the famous tennis player: her father, accused of having an extramarital affair and having a child with a mannequin! “I was shocked”

Steffi Graf, 54, spoke about the scandal involving her father, Peter. In 1990, the former champion went through a difficult season both on and off the court.

She started the year in impressive fashion, winning her ninth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, but soon after suffered a thumb injury while skiing, which kept her out for two months .

“The way they presented the story was the biggest shock to me”

Steffi Graf is back circuit at the German Open, but the return was overshadowed by scandal after German publication Bild reported that her father, Peter, had an extramarital affair with model Nicole Meissner, who claimed he was the father of her child.

Under pressure from the media at the time, Graf suffered a resounding 6–4, 6–3 defeat to Monica Seles in the German Open final. After the fiasco, Steffi revealed that the “biggest shock” was the way the media made the revelation, which she said was to hurt her and her family.

But, the former champion also admitted that she was not mentally prepared for the final with Seles. “The way they presented the story was the biggest shock to me. You wonder: Is it true? And you wonder why the media is trying to hurt you and your family as much as they can,” Steffi Graf told The New York Times, according to Sportskeeda.

Blood tests disproved model Nicole Meissner’s claims

Steffi Graf revealed how hard it was for him during that period. “It is very difficult for me to be in Germany at the moment. Every day the story is on the front page of the newspapers, headlines you can’t believe. It was disgusting,” she added.

Although Meissner’s paternity suit against Graf’s father was eventually dropped after blood tests disproved her claim, Peter later confessed to having an affair with the model.

Steffi Graf hit back at her father Peter’s paternity scandal after she retired in 1999, admitting that her father had made huge mistakes. However, she complained about the way the story was presented without considering the impact it had on her family.

“Sure, my father made some very big mistakes, and I wouldn’t deny that. But it was also very hard for me to accept how exaggerated things were presented and how they were just put there for everyone to see, without caring about me or my family,” she added. Steffi stated.