Graf future threatened by arrest of father

Peter Graf is being questioned over tax irregularities. This may be the last straw for his daughter, says John Roberts

If it is not one thing for Steffi Graf, it is another. The Wimbledon champion's brilliant career has been dogged by injuries and illnesses, plus the heartache of controversies surrounding her father.

Peter Graf's arrest in Germany yesterday, on suspicion of tax irregularities concerning his daughter's financial affairs, is the latest incident to cloud the family's fortunes, and one that must bring into question her long-term future in the sport.

The dramas which have played a part in the 26-year-old world No 1's life on the tennis tour have largely been matters beyond her control. Physical pain goes with the job, but familial problems can take longer to heal.

Anything which hurts Peter Graf also hurts Steffi. Of all the father- daughter relationships in tennis, there has been none more successful than the bond between Graf and his daughter.

Since turning professional in 1982, Steffi has won 16 Grand Slam singles titles, almost $11m (pounds 7m) in prize-money and countless millions more from sponsorships and endorsements. The cost of such a bounty has been calculated in personal terms best known to the family.

In 1990, when Steffi marked her 21st birthday, her father, who had instilled in her the importance of discipline and dedication and protected her from unwanted attention, became embroiled in scandal. A German model "told all" about an affair.

Having overcome that, Steffi must have believed her only concerns involved winning championships and staying healthy, but even as she was in the process of a sixth Wimbledon triumph last month, German tax authorities were examining financial accounts at her home.

It was "Papa" Graf, a second-hand car dealer, insurance salesman and part-time tennis teacher, who introduced Steffi to the game when she was only four. He shortened the handle of one of his rackets, made a makeshift net by tying a piece of string between two chairs, and showed her how to hit the ball. Steffi was striking out with such enthusiasm that the game had to be moved to the safety of the basement.

From that simple beginning, Steffi developed into a prodigy, quickly outplaying the junior opposition. There is a wonderful home-movie clip showing her as a child, practising with her father, the precocity evident as she played a trick shot from behind her back.

As his daughter's progress continued at a rapid pace, so Peter Graf became more closely involved. He was her coach, her manager and her confidant. It was he who guided her towards No 1 in the world rankings, entrusting her day-to-day training to Pavel Slozil, a Czech former doubles specialist.

With her father's guidance, and Slozil's assistance on the practice court, Steffi won a unique "Golden Grand Slam" in 1988, when she captured the four major singles championships of Australia, France, Wimbledon and the United States, plus the Olympic gold medal in Seoul.

In 1991, Slozil was replaced as coach by Heinz Gunthardt. Steffi, though still a dominating force at Wimbledon, had lost her position at the head of the women's game to Monica Seles. Their rivalry, interrupted when Seles was stabbed in the back by Gunther Parche - a fanatical Graf supporter - in Hamburg in 1993, is about to be renewed at the US Open, which begins on 28 August.

Even before yesterday's news, there had been speculation that Steffi's career may soon be ended by a chronic injury to her lower back, and that she will then finally face up to running her life without beloved "Papa".

She already has homes in Florida and New York, as well as the family mansion in Bruhl, Germany. Always quick to speak well of her father, she has much to thank him for; hopefully more than she has to regret.