Steffi Graf Was Asked a Rude Question at a Press Conference—Her Savage Reply Is Internet Gold”
Press conferences can be minefields, and even the ever-composed Steffi Graf isn’t immune to the occasional inappropriate question. During a recent media session promoting a tennis initiative, a journalist from a tabloid outlet decided to veer sharply off-topic, asking something utterly disrespectful: “Steffi, after all these years, do you ever regret sacrificing having more children for your career and now Andre’s?”
A visible wave of disapproval rippled through the room. Other journalists shifted uncomfortably. Graf’s polite smile froze for a microsecond. She could have ignored it, shut it down curtly, or had her PR team intervene. Instead, she paused, looked the journalist directly in the eye, and delivered a reply so sharp, witty, and utterly dismissive it instantly became legendary.
“That’s fascinating,” she began, her voice dangerously smooth. “Do you ever regret sacrificing journalistic integrity for cheap headlines? Or is that a sacrifice you make willingly every day?” She delivered the lines with zero malice, just冰冷的, matter-of-fact precision, followed by a brief, almost imperceptible raise of her eyebrow. She then immediately turned to the next journalist with a calm, “Next question, please?” The room was silent for a beat, then erupted in stifled laughter and murmurs of approval. The offending journalist flushed crimson. Clipped and shared thousands of times online within hours, Graf’s “savage” but classy shutdown was hailed as “internet gold” – a masterclass in handling disrespect with intelligence and lethal poise.
