“It Broke Me at First”: Steffi Graf Opens Up About Wanting Her Son to Play Tennis Before Accepting His Passion for Baseball
For 22-time Grand Slam champion Steffi Graf, tennis isn’t just a sport — it’s a legacy. So when her son with fellow tennis legend Andre Agassi, Jaden Gil, decided to pursue baseball instead of stepping into the world his parents once ruled, the transition wasn’t easy.
In a rare emotional reflection, Graf admitted that she once dreamed of watching her son walk the same path she did — holding a racket, walking onto center court, and perhaps even chasing Grand Slam titles of his own.
“I wanted it so badly,” she shared. “Tennis gave me everything. It shaped who I am. And naturally, you dream of sharing that with your child. Of seeing them continue that legacy. When I saw Jaden pick up a bat instead of a racket, it broke me a little inside.”
Graf, known for her calm demeanor and grace on and off the court, admitted that she struggled to come to terms with her son’s decision at first. But it was her husband, Andre Agassi — an eight-time Grand Slam winner himself — who helped her see things from a different perspective.
“Andre was the one who grounded me,” Graf said. “He reminded me that legacy isn’t about repeating our past, it’s about letting our kids find their own future. He told me, ‘Stef, we had our time. Now it’s his turn to find what he loves. Support that — not what we want him to love.’”
That conversation was a turning point for Graf. Though the pain of seeing her dreams for Jaden take a different shape lingered for a while, she slowly began to embrace her son’s identity as an athlete in a different arena.
“It was hard at first, I won’t lie,” she continued. “I had to grieve the dream I had. But now, when I watch Jaden on the baseball field, I see the same determination, the same focus — it just shows up in a different uniform. And I’m proud of him. Truly proud.”
Graf also opened up about how tennis had demanded so much from her, starting at a very young age, and how that reality may have influenced her son’s choice.
“I think Jaden saw how intense it was for both me and Andre. Maybe that played a part. Maybe he just wanted to find joy in something without it being compared to us. And I get that now.”
As for whether she still holds onto the dream of seeing a Graf on a tennis court someday, she smiled and said, “I’ve let it go. And in letting go, I’ve found a new kind of joy — one that comes from watching your child choose their own path, even when it’s different from yours.”
In the end, Steffi Graf’s story isn’t one of disappointment — it’s one of growth, love, and letting go. A reminder that while legacies are built on greatness, they’re sustained through acceptance and unconditional support.
