The stars of our sport shared stories about their heroes, both in life and on the court, and how these idols shaped who they are today. For more "My Hero" submissions, click here.

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Lucie Safarova: Steffi Graf

Lucie Safarova: Steffi Graf

Lucie Safarova: Steffi Graf

Lucie Safarova: Steffi Graf

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When I was very little, eight years old, I was in Austria with my father. He used to work there as a tennis coach, and Graf came there. She was recovering from her knee injury, and she went to the club and was hitting a few balls. She took me and hit with me, spent some time talking to me. She was super nice, and she was the first one who I was looking up to. Just the fact that you get to know the person who is such a legend and such an amazing player motivates you, and kind of gives you extra energy to go for it yourself.

Graf photo from Wikimedia Commons