Steffi Graf, being one of the most private of people arouses questions. Is she really cold, selfish and secretive ? Or is she merely shy and sensitive ? One person who reckons she knows the answers is one of Steffi’s best friends Rennae Stubbs.

Rennae is the kind of person who is not afraid to approach anyone and her openness is one of the things that drew Steffi to her. While most people are too shy or nervous to approach Steffi, Rennae always treated the superstar as just one of the girls on tour. It was in 1989 when the Australian tennis player first stepped into the life of Steffi Graf. It was a friendship between two people who could not have been so different. Steffi was number one at the time and as a player was earning millions of dollars. Rennae likewise was struggling in the tennis circus earning the majority of her money playing doubles. The two of them started chatting at the Australian Open " I played against her in doubles and a couple of funny things happened on court. I spoke to her a little bit after the match and we became friends. She really doesn’t have a lot of friends on tour, and it was different for her to have someone approach her. I think people are in awe of her because she’s done so much. And because she doesn’t spend a lot of time at the courts people don’t go chasing after her to become friends" recalls Rennae. Steffi is not unusual in that respect. Most of the top players, men and women, arrive to play their matches and then leave immediately after. "Because their whole life is tennis and there’s a lot of pressure involved in the game, the top players don’t want to be around it the whole time, which I can understand completely" says Rennae "I see it with Steffi and with other top players. Once they’ve played and done their job they want to leave and go shopping or whatever. Steffi goes about her business at the tournament , but when she’s away from it she is a normal person who likes to have fun. She’s really into music, as well as photography and art. It’s a different world for her altogether. She’s not into any other sports". 

As well as staying at the Graf base in Florida, Rennae has also visited their house in Germany and was impressed. "Her house is very nice, very spacious with beautiful grounds for her dogs to run around in. Steffi can’t really take them out for a run as she’d like to because she’s too well known. Moving around is difficult, especially in Germany. People are always whispering and pointing. It’s easier for her in New York, where they see successful people all the time and so it’s no big deal. But she handles the attention pretty well. If people want her autograph, she’ll always give it to them. Steffi’s very easy going like that" says Rennae. 


Rennae believes that Steffi’s closeness to her family, in particular her mother Heidi, played an important part in pulling her through the most traumatic period of her life. Rennae’s refreshing nature has also certainly helped Steffi to remain strong. "Anyone would have had a hard time with the family problems she’s had. She doesn’t show much outside but I’m sure it was killing her inside. Every day you’re being reminded by the press and other people and it becomes pretty hard. I think she handled it well, and for her to come back and still play great tennis is a tribute to her. She's quite a complicated person, but underneath she's very caring and considerate. A lot of German people have that hard exterior, but it's not really them at all ".

However, there are few people to whom the friendship between Rennae and Steffi is suspicious. What are the motives of the blonde Australian ? Has she pushed her way into Steffi’s life so that something of Steffi’s fame falls onto her own career. "I have been friends with Steffi for years. I hope that I have helped her to come out of her shell a little bit and to enjoy herself by not taking everything so seriously. I’ve got her to try and talk about things, her problems and emotions and what she’s going through, whether it be with me or her mother or whoever. And she’s definitely helped me through a lot of tough times with my tennis. She’s constantly trying to give me advice on things. She doesn’t coach me, she’s just a friend trying to give me some helpful advice, and I appreciate it. That’s what best friends do. We’ve bonded in a friendship that will last a long time"