Germany’s Tax Man Is Calling Upon Graf To Open Her Books

Steffi Graf, the world’s top-ranked woman tennis player, is suspected of tax evasion and is being investigated by German authorities, officials said Wednesday.

Her father and manager, Peter Graf, also is under investigation, said Mannheim prosecutor Peter Wechsung.

Unlike some other top-earning athletes, Graf has shunned the tax haven of Monaco and kept her residency in heavily taxed Germany.

Ten prosecutors and tax investigators searched the posh, heavily protected Graf family compound in her hometown of Bruehl May 23.

Investigators also searched other properties and several banks in Germany and seized large amounts of documents, Wechsung said. He declined to give details of the investigation because private tax records are confidential.

Graf reportedly is worth more than $72 million.

She has homes in Florida and New York, two homes in Bruehl and a $1.4 million penthouse apartment in Heidelberg. Graf has earned $16 million in her 13-year tennis career and millions more in endorsements.

Graf withdrew from Germany’s Federation Cup semifinal match against Spain next week because of back problems. The chronic back problem has fueled speculation that she may soon retire.