Several social media users have fallen for a false news article by a dubious news site that claims the death of former tennis icon Steffi Graf. The screenshot of the article is being shared on social platforms with many expressing grief and shock at the sudden demise of Steffi Graf.
BOOM however found that the website sportybird247 is clickbait and not a genuine site. Additionally, there are no confirmed reports of Graff's demise or her suffering from any reported illness.
Stefanie Maria Graf, better known as Steffi Graf is a former tennis player and twenty-two times tennis grand slam champion. The German women's tennis player is married to former men's tennis player Andre Agassi. Married since 2001, the couple together have two children.
Facebook posts have used a screenshot of the article featuring two of Steffi Graf's photographs with Rest In Peace written on it. The headline reads, "***SAD NEWS: Sefanie Maria Graf, German Former Tennis Star, Dies at Age 55**". The post further states, "In a shocking turn of events, the tennis world mourns the loss of Steffi Graf, the German tennis prodigy whose unparalleled career captivated fans globally. Graf, 55 passed away."
A Facebook user sharing the viral screenshot wrote, "Tennis queen no more."
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The article is also circulating on X with many believing it to be true. Click here for an archive of the X post.
The post is viral on Whatsapp. BOOM also received the news article with a verification request on its tipline number.
Fact Check
BOOM ran a related keyword search on Google but was unable to find any credible news reports regarding Graf's health or demise.
We then found the article on sportybird247.com which had several red flags. News about Graf's death was also reported on another dubious site, with the headline: SAD REPORT: Ex Tennis star Steffi Graf passed away at age of 55yrs. Upon clicking, we found that the site publishes jokes and humorous content.
It did not confirm the cause of her death but mentions the possibility of a 'long term illness'. The article however does not state in details about the long-term illness that Graf was reportedly suffering from.
It further mentioned about the tennis world mourning the loss of Steffi Graf, however without evidence or posts to support the same. We visited Women's Tennis Association (WTA), Wimbledon, Australian Open, Roland Garros and US Open official social media handles but did not find any post about the former tennis player's untimely death.
We then checked the website where articles with similar headlines about sportspersons suffering from untimely deaths can be spotted.
The website also does not have any information in their "About Us" section and they do not feature any author's name on the published articles.
Below the blank "About Us" section can be seen.
All the articles in the website are attributed to sportybird247; theu do not have separate authors' information.
We further checked Graf's husband Andre Agassi's official Instagram account where on July 20, 2024 we found a post about his visit to the Tennis Hall of Fame museum.