Tribute to Steffi Graf _ Madison Square Guarden 1999.

On Tuesday evening here in Madison Square Garden, we had a ceremony to honor one of the all-time greats of women's tennis, Steffi Graf, who retired earlier this year. Steffi, what is left for you? 19 years of age, what can you do now? Well, I can continue to play. We hope so. Yeah, I still like to play and whatever I have achieved yet, I still want to try my best. Fast and known as why, it's not a question but a lesson learned in time. It's something unpredictable. I love this city. Those of us who are privileged enough to have worked at Madison Square Garden have been privileged enough to see great championship performances in all sports and all endeavors and please join me in welcoming one of my very favorite of those champions, Steffi Graf. On behalf of Madison Square Garden, we want to present you with a few little going away presents for your retirement. First of all, because we know when you're in New York, you're going to need a place to go. The attire of choice for attending a Ranger game is an official Ranger jersey. And the number five, the number five Steffi represents the number of championships you've won in this great place. So, congratulations. The New York Rangers, nice hockey team here. Now, because your favorite basketball team just happens to be the New York Knicks and your favorite player happens to be Patrick Ewing, we happen to have an autographed basketball from Patrick and all of his teammates as well as some official New York Knicks sweats for you to lounge around in. And finally, for all those times you have shined and sparkled at Madison Square Garden, we have a little diamond solitaire to put around your neck and we hope every time you wear it, Steffi, you think of the great times at this great building. Thanks for everything. At this time, we'd like to introduce Judy Levering, the president of the USTA, and Jeff Pollard, the president of Tennis Australia. It is indeed a pleasure for Jeff and me to be representing the four Grand Slams here tonight. Steffi, we want to thank you for the magnificent performances that you have given to sports fans everywhere. You have, and I say sports fans, not just tennis fans, because you have been a role model for all of those who love sport. You have shown us the very best of what a female athlete can be and for that we thank you. Steffi has won 22 Grand Slam singles finals, having won each of our tournaments at least four times. And as already has been mentioned, in 1988 she won all four of our tournaments in the same year and then capped it off with a gold medal at the Olympics. Unbelievable. Steffi, thank you for sharing your talents with us these past 17 years and being an inspiration to all of us, young and old alike. We now have a gift from each of the Slams which Jeff and I would like to give you now. This is Memories of Melbourne, a painting to remember the Australian Open. Of course, she won that title four times. Steffi, from the French Open, from Roland-Garros, we have every match. We have here, it looks like a locker, or part of a locker. Okay, sorry, I understand they can't, you can't hear me. We have what looks like part of a locker and all of the matches that you have won when you've won the title there, with the last one happening just this year. To remember the French Open, that locker door. It's number 19, locker number 19. Then from Wimbledon, we have a framed record of every match you ever played there and I wish you all could see how many are on here from Wimbledon. And last but not least, on behalf of the United States Tennis Association, from the U.S. Open, we have a framed picture of you holding our trophy and below that we have a little piece of the original court from Louis Armstrong Stadium upon which you won many, many a match. Congratulations. So memories from all four Grand Slam tournaments. Thank you, Judy. Now it's my pleasure to introduce the CEO of the WTA Tour, Bart McGuire. Two more to go, Steffi. First, over on the table there, we have a present for you from Regency Enterprises, which is our tour's television partner. They thought maybe you'd have a little bit more time to look at movies now, and so there is a DVD player and DVD copies of all of Regency's movies and a collection of movies from 20th Century Fox. And then on behalf of the tour, we'd like to thank you for everything you've contributed to women's tennis. You supported the tour during some very tough times. And more recently, when you would help build the tour to its current level, you came back from injuries dramatically to make a strong sport even stronger. You have been uncompromising in what you demanded of yourself. You have been a measure of excellence for athletes in all sports worldwide. You have been a champion in all generations. And, Steffi, you've been great fun to watch. To thank you for all that, the tour commissioned a piece of art from one of your favorite artists, Peter Beard. And I hope that when you look at that picture, you will think about the tour and all of your friends in tennis and your competitors and the fans. And we will certainly think of you for a long time. So, Steffi, from all of us, thank you very, very much. Sentiments echoed throughout the entire tennis world. I'd have to find a wall big enough for that. Well, Steffi, I'm sure that as much as all of us would like to see you continue to play this game again and again, our 16 singles players in the tournament this year probably are happier not playing in this tournament. Gives them a better shot to win it all. You can see they're all with us in their street clothes, but they've each brought one of their rackets autographed, and they want you to have it as a way of saying thanks for all those years of great competition, for all you've done for women's tennis. So I think they're going to present them to you, right, ladies? A tribute that speaks volumes. These are all autographed models. Her compatriots, her rivals, all giving Steffi Graf one of their rackets. She may need help getting these off the court. The top 16 players currently in the world, all here in Madison Square Garden, and all paying tribute to such a great champion. Steffi Graf, one last time. You're on center court. It's all yours. Steffi Graf, inducted into the Madison Square Garden Hall of Fame. The Chase Championships in 87, 89, 93, 95, and 96. 507 career titles. Thank you, thank you. I just started to calm down again. I guess you made it tough for me to start now again, but this is just overwhelming. I mean, this is incredible. It's, you know, all the things that have been said, the presents that I've received tonight. I mean, it just went quickly through my hands, but I'll have time to enjoy them. And I want to thank everybody for getting that together. I mean, that's so special to me. You know, it's only been a year since I've been on the court playing here. And it's been crazy looking back and then, you know, seeing the videos or hearing about what you've achieved. You know, it's like sometimes all the people talk about, oh, that was like 15 years ago, 20 years, remember? Yeah, I'm getting there. You know, I am there. It's like I started playing here 15 years ago. And tonight brought back a lot of memories that I've had. And truly at the end of the video, I said, I love New York. I do, I do. I still love New York. And I could have not asked for a better place to have this ceremony. You know, this is, I believe to me, the greatest arena around the world. And for us players, it's been always the year-ending tournament and always one of the big, big highlights. And I've enjoyed so much being here and playing. So thanks for being around for all those years for me. He's probably at home watching and he's checking you out. You don't want to mess with him. No, but yeah, I want to thank everybody. You know, there's also the people here on TV, everybody that's been supporting me and supported tennis. I've, you know, in Whitney Houston's song earlier, it said one moment in time. I felt like I've had so many of those moments and you're a big part of that. So thanks for all the support that I received. Thanks. I also want to take the time and thank the people that helped me achieve what I've done. And to mention everybody by name would be, would be incredible. It would be such a long list of, I felt I've been very lucky in my life to have a lot of people around that helped me. Obviously, you know, my, my parents, mom is here. So thanks for sticking it up with me for all those years. You know, when I started playing tournaments at six years old, my mom drove me to every one. And there's always been a lot of friends that have been helping me along the way. A couple coaches, one of them that's, that's been around with me for seven years is Heinz. And I don't want to only call you a coach. I want to call you a friend too. It's getting tough now. I should have shortened the speech. You know, I knew I would get emotional. So I just want to say thanks to everybody who made my life very special and I'll miss you all. Thanks. All right. One last thing before you go, a few forehands from the best in the world. This is my dream gig, by the way, feeding you tennis balls. You hold the racket. I give you the balls and you hit them up into the stands. Can you do that? All right, here we go. That started way back in October 1982 when she played her first professional match against Tracy Austin. She was just 13 years of age and that career ended on the 4th of August earlier this year in San Diego when she had to retire injured against Amy Fraser. Winner of the Grand Slam back in 88. Winner of all four Grand Slam events at least four times each. The only player in history to have achieved that. 22 Grand Slam titles in total. Reigned as world number one. A record 377 weeks. What a player. From all of us, Steffi, enjoy your retirement. You will be sorely missed.