Steffi Graf once candidly discussed her father Peter’s shocking paternity scandal, opening up about the negative impact of the relentless media scrutiny.

In 1990, Graf navigated a challenging season, both on and off court. She kicked off the year in commanding fashion, clinching her ninth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. However, she sustained a thumb injury while skiing soon after, sidelining her from action for two months.

Steffi Graf made her return to the tour at the German Open but her comeback was overshadowed by a scandal, as German publication Bild reported on her father Peter having an extramarital affair with model Nicole Meissner, who claimed that he was the father of her child.

Amid the intense media frenzy, Graf suffered a resounding 6-4, 6-3 loss to Monica Seles in the German Open final.

In the aftermath of her loss, the German disclosed that the “biggest shock” was how the revelation came about, questioning the motive being the media’s seemingly relentless efforts to hurt her and her family.

She also admitted that she wasn’t mentally prepared for the final against Seles, acknowledging the toll the scandal had taken on her.

“The way that they came out with the story was the biggest shock to me. You ask yourself, ‘Is it true?’ and you wonder why the press is trying to hurt you and your family as much as they can,” Steffi Graf said (via The New York Times).

“It’s on your mind constantly: you see people reading the papers and you want to rip them out of their hands. I never should have tried to play that final against Seles because really, I was not even there,” she added.

Steffi Graf further revealed how hard it was for her to be in Germany amid her father’s scandal, lamenting the daily “disgusting” headlines.

“It’s very hard for me to be in Germany right now. Every day the story is in the headlines, headlines you couldn’t believe. It’s been disgusting,” she said.

Although Meissner’s paternity suit against Graf’s father was eventually dropped following blood tests disproving her claim, Peter later confessed to having an affair with the model.

Steffi Graf: “Some very big mistakes were made by my father, but I had a very hard time with how sensationally things were portrayed”

Steffi Graf revisited her father Peter’s paternity scandal after her retirement in 1999, conceding that her father had made very “big mistakes.” However, she bemoaned the media’s role in sensationalizing the story, without any regard for how it impacted her family.

“Sure, some very big mistakes were made by my father, and I wouldn’t deny that. But I also had a very hard time with how sensationally things were portrayed and how they were just put out there for all the world to see, with very little concern for me or my family,” Steffi Graf said in an interview with Peter Bodo.

The German also revealed how unprepared she was for the scandal, emphasizing the hurt it caused due to the intrusiveness, especially because she had never been comfortable in the spotlight.

“Yeah, I was completely unprepared. Absolutely. Not only with what happened- with the press coverage and all that – but because it truly came out of the blue. And it really hurt,” she said.

“It made my life more difficult because I’ve never been comfortable in the spotlight, even in the best and happiest of times. Of course, the story was timed to create the most publicity in Germany,” she added.