The German tennis great turns 47 today and does so as still the most successful player – male or female – in the Open era.

Serena Williams is one behind her benchmark of 22 grand slam titles – a total made up of seven Wimbledon titles, six at Roland Garros, five in the US Open and four in Australia.

Graf’s first slam was in France in 1987, while her last came some 12 years later back on the same court in 1999. In 1988, she became the first and only tennis player (male or female) to achieve the ‘golden slam’ by winning all four grand slam singles titles and the Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year, furthermore, she is the only tennis player to have won each grand slam event at least four times.

Away from the court she is married to Andre Agassi and the pair have two children.

Other sporting stars born on this day:

1971: Ramon Vega, former Tottenham, Celtic and Switzerland defender (45)

1977: Massimo Oddo, former Italy and AC Milan defender, now Pescara coach (39)

1979: Shannon Hegarty, former NRL champion with Sydney Roosters and Queensland State of Origin player (37)

1987: Mohamed Diame, the Hull City and Senegal midfielder (29)