BERLIN, March 4, 2022

The stadium bears her name. Steffi Graf won her first tournament on German soil here in 1986. Here she clinched a total of nine titles. The WTA tournament in Berlin was always a very important stage on the way to becoming an icon of her sport. Before her first triumph at a Grand Slam tournament, the French Open in 1987, she had increased self-confidence to be able to compete with the best in Paris by winning the trophy at the LTTC “Rot-Weiss” in Berlin.

In short: Tennis legend Stefanie Graf has a very close relationship with the German capital and says: “Berlin has played a special role in my career right from the start.” 

And that’s why the 22-time Grand Slam champion is now taking on a very special role in the tournament that was so important for her on her way to the top of the world.

Stefanie Graf becomes patron of the bett1open in Berlin

As the successor to former Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel, Graf has become the patron of the bett1open. The WTA 500 tournament will be held on grass from June 11 to 19 offering a total prize money of $768,680. Japan’s Naomi Osaka and Andrea Petkovic of Germany will be part of the line up.

Tournament director Barbara Rittner has been friends with Graf for many years. She is thrilled that the record Grand-Slam winner is now returning as patron more than a quarter of a century after her last triumph in Berlin in 1996:

“Stefanie is an incredibly down-to-earth, reliable and grateful person. Berlin and Stefanie Graf is a success story. It is a special appreciation for the tournament that she is now taking over the patronage,” explained Rittner during a press conference in the Titanic Hotel in Berlin on Thursday.

For tickets, please visit the tournament’s official homepage.