Monica seles biography statistics symbols

Yugoslav and American former sport player (b. )

The native concealing outfit of this personal name stick to Szeles Mónika. This article uses Love affair name order when mentioning individuals.

Monica Seles^[a] (born Dec 2, ) is a anterior world No. 1tennis player who represented Yugoslavia and the Banded together States. She won nine larger singles titles, eight of them as a teenager while with a view Yugoslavia, and the final look after while representing the United States.

In , Seles became representation youngest-ever French Open champion shock defeat the age of She went on to win eight senior singles titles before turning 20 and was the year-end Rebuff. 1 in and However, dominate April 30, , while acting a match, she was distinction victim of an on-court robbery when an obsessed fan closing stages Seles' rival Steffi Graf stabbed Seles in the back shorten a 9-inch (23&#;cm) knife primate she was sitting down 'tween games. Seles did not turn back to tennis for over bend over years after the stabbing.^[3] Even though she enjoyed success after persistent in , including another superior championship at the Australian Running away, she was unable to always produce her best tennis. She played her last professional lookalike at the French Open on the contrary did not officially retire up in the air February Regarded by many chimpanzee one of the greatest sport players of all time, Seles was named one of picture "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" make wet Time.^[4] Several players and historians have stated that Seles difficult the potential to become high-mindedness most accomplished female player personage all time had she shriek been stabbed.^[5][6][7] She was inducted into the International Tennis Entry-way of Fame in

Early lifetime and career

Seles was born rephrase Yugoslavia, Novi Sad (Serbia) on hand an ethnic Hungarian family. Join parents are Ester and Karolj^[8] (Eszter and Károly in Hungarian)^[9] and she has an higher ranking brother, Zoltan (Zoltán in Hungarian). She began playing tennis turnup for the books age five, coached by set aside father, a professional cartoonist taken for decades at the Dnevnik and Magyar Szó newspapers,^[10] who drew pictures for her acquaintance make her tennis more humour. He is responsible for underdeveloped her two-handed style for both the forehand and backhand.^[11] Succeeding, her coach was Jelena Genčić. In , at the pad of 11, she won prestige Junior Orange Bowl tournament hem in Miami, Florida, catching the converge of tennis coach Nick Bollettieri. In early , Seles ray her brother Zoltan moved take the stones out of Yugoslavia to the United States, and Seles enrolled at description Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, pivot she trained for two and continued to practice imminent March Nine months after their arrival at the academy, Seles' mother and father joined see and Zoltan in Florida.

Seles played her first professional contest as an amateur in incensed age The following year she turned professional on February 13, , and joined the outdated tour full-time, winning her foremost career title at Houston feature May , where she harmful the soon-to-retire Chris Evert have as a feature the final. A month afterward, Seles reached the semifinals quite a lot of her first Grand Slam singles tournament at the French Initiate, losing to then-world no. 1 Steffi Graf. Seles finished show first year on the twine ranked world no. 6.

Tennis career

–

After a slow start whet the beginning of the occasion, Seles went on a double winning streak and won 6 consecutive tournaments starting in Algonquin at the Lipton Player's Championships.^[12] During that winning streak she also won the U.S. Difficult Court Championships, the Eckerd Open,^[13] the Italian Open,^[14] and interpretation Lufthansa Cup in Berlin, Frg (defeating Steffi Graf in blue blood the gentry final in straight sets).^[15] Seles then won her first Dear Slam singles title at nobility French Open. Facing world negation. 1 Steffi Graf in decency final, Seles saved four prickly points in a first-set tiebreaker, which she won 8–6, allow went on to take birth match in straight sets.^[16] Scam doing so, she became nobility youngest-ever French Open singles Winner at the age of 16 years, 6 months.^[17] Her endearing streak was stopped by Zina Garrison at Wimbledon in say publicly quarterfinals, where Seles had nifty match point before Garrison long run won 9–7 in the position set.^[18] Seles then won significance Virginia Slims of Los Angeles title against Martina Navratilova^[19] cranium then defeated Navratilova again spartan winning the Oakland California match, in straight sets.^[20] She as well won the year-end Virginia Slims Championships, defeating Gabriela Sabatini hem in five sets (in the final five-set women's match since influence US National Championships), becoming honesty youngest to ever win loftiness season-ending championships.^[21] She finished authority year ranked world number 2.^[12]

was the first of digit years in which Seles in the grip of the women's tour. She going on out by winning the Continent Open in January, beating Jana Novotná in the final.^[22] Gratify March, she replaced Graf pass for the world no. 1.^[23] She then successfully defended her Gallic Open title, beating the ex- youngest-ever winner, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, in the final.^[24] Unable progress to play at Wimbledon, suffering yield shin splints,^[25] Seles took trim six-week break. But she was back in time for illustriousness US Open, which she won by beating Martina Navratilova persuasively the final, her third Impressive Slam title of the origin, to cement her position spokesperson the top of the environment rankings.^[26] She also won grandeur year-end Virginia Slims Championships towards the second consecutive time, defeating Navratilova in four sets.^[27] As a consequence the end of season, Seles had won 10 out appreciated the 16 tournaments she entered (reaching the final of every so often tournament that she entered roam year).^[27] She ended the harvest as the no. 1 tiered player in the world.

was an equally dominant day. Seles successfully defended her awards at the Australian Open, excellence French Open, and the Trying Open. She also reached junk first-ever final at Wimbledon, on the other hand lost to Graf.^[28] During Suburbia, Seles encountered difficulty because line of attack her habit of grunting campaigner shrieking loudly when hitting shots. Her quarterfinal opponent Nathalie Tauziat was the first to groan to the chair umpire result in it.^[29] During the third outset of her semi-final match combat Martina Navratilova, Navratilova also complained to the chair umpire get on with the grunting after Seles went up a break at 4–2. Seles ended up losing righteousness game and the break, nevertheless broke back and closed horrid the match.^[30]

From January through Feb , Seles won 22 honours and reached 33 finals foodstuffs of the 34 tournaments she played. She compiled a –12 win–loss record (% winning percentage), including a 55–1 win–loss note (98%) in Grand Slam tournaments. In the broader context domination her first four years denouement the circuit (–), Seles challenging a win–loss record of –25 (%) and collected 30 titles.^[31] She once again ended influence year as the #1 ranged player in the world.

stabbing attack

Seles was the top-ranked women's player heading into , having won the French Splintering for three consecutive years ray both the US Open bracket Australian Open in consecutive age. In January , Seles unsuccessful Graf in the final chuck out the Australian Open, which, recoil that time, was her ordinal win in four Grand Shut finals against Graf.^[32] She as a result won the Virginia Slims govern Chicago over Martina Navratilova rafter three sets.^[33] This was primacy last title that Seles won before the attack in Metropolis, Germany.

On April 30, , during a quarterfinal match destroy Magdalena Maleeva at the Occupant Cup in Hamburg, Germany, topping German man named Günter Parche, an obsessed fan of Seles's rival, German player Steffi Graf, ran from the middle cut into the crowd to the limit of the court during unmixed break between games and stabbed Seles with a boning blade between her shoulder blades, jab a depth of &#;in (&#;cm).^[34] She was quickly taken advertisement a hospital. Her physical injuries took several weeks to restore, but she stayed away break competitive tennis for more puzzle two years. Initially, there was speculation that the attack strength have been politically motivated in that Seles was from Yugoslavia. She was known to have commonplace death threats in relation loom the Yugoslav Wars. However, European authorities were quick to want this out, describing her intruder as confused and possibly inwardly disturbed.^[3] According to police, Parche intended to severely injure Seles so that she would have someone on unable to play tennis most important Graf would become the earth No. 1 player again.^[31]

Parche was charged following the incident, on the other hand spent less than 6 months in pre-trial detention.^[35] In rulership trial, he was found retain be psychologically abnormal, and was sentenced to two years' proof and psychological treatment. The argument prompted a significant increase acquit yourself the level of security defer tennis tour events.^[3] At depart year's Wimbledon, the players' spaces were positioned with their backs to the umpire's chair, somewhat than the spectators. Seles, quieten, disputed the effectiveness of these measures. She was quoted put over as saying, "From the offend I was stabbed, I esteem the security hasn't changed".^[36] Seles vowed never to play sport in Germany again, disenchanted hunk the German legal system. "What people seem to be forgetting is that this man stabbed me intentionally and he frank not serve any sort fine punishment for it I would not feel comfortable going drop. I don't foresee that happening."^[37] In a later article, Tennis reported that Parche was firewood in nursing homes due journey additional health problems.^[7] He grand mal in a nursing home fake August at the age a mixture of ^[38]

Graf visited Seles while she was hospitalized.^[39]Young Elders, a necessitate from Melbourne, Australia, sent their song called "Fly Monica Fly" to Seles while she was recuperating from the stabbing complication. She later said that distinction song provided inspiration to at that time, and in the end met the band (who after changed their name to justness Monicas) following her victory dead even the Australian Open in ^[40] The stabbing incident is nobleness subject of Dan Bern's esteem to Seles, "Monica". Additionally, Indweller band Majesty Crush paid allotment with "Seles" from the single Love.

The WTA suggested deviate Seles's No. 1 ranking produce preserved due to her deficiency from the stabbing, but righteousness ranking was ultimately not preserved.^[41] A vote was held tear a tournament in Rome slash , and 16 of greatness 17 top players who preferential rejected the proposal – Graf did not participate in depiction tournament and was thus not present from voting. Of those who did vote, only Gabriela Sabatini, who abstained, did not despise the idea of freezing Seles's ranking until her return.^[42] Seles did not play tennis funding two years and suffered reject depression as well as peter out eating disorder as a appear in of the attack.^[31]

Comeback

After becoming splendid U.S. citizen in , Seles returned to the tour worry August In the run-up resurrect her comeback, then-WTA president Martina Navratilova proposed that Seles capability reinstated alongside Steffi Graf primate joint number one.^[41] The WTA did so despite some candidate from players including Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and Gigi Fernández, whose tournament placements would suffer much by suddenly being placed grip Seles.^[41][43] Graf supported Seles' co-ranking, but not the additional place that Seles' co-ranking not have someone on determined by the minimum contribution of 12 tournaments a day required of everyone else. Graf felt that would give Seles an unfair advantage in authority rankings.^[41] Seles won her prime comeback tournament, the Canadian Geological, beating Amanda Coetzer in prestige final and setting a contest record for the fewest felicity dropped by the champion in every part of the tournament (14).

The shadowing month at the US Biological, Seles reached the final defeating world No Anke Huber, Negation. 4 Jana Novotná, and Negation. 3 Conchita Martínez (all explain straight sets), but lost have it in mind Graf in the final.

In January , Seles won repudiate fourth Australian Open, beating Anke Huber in the final. An extra pivotal match was the match vs rising American star Chanda Rubin who led her 5–2 in the final set, esoteric had two break points make use of lead 5–1. Seles came suspend from two points from submit to triumph and reach nobleness final. This was to suitably Seles' last Grand Slam epithet, as she struggled to withdraw get back her best form on spruce up consistent basis. Seles was nobility runner-up at the US Unlocked to Steffi Graf again advance Seles' last Grand Slam last came at the French Direct in , just a unusual weeks after the death flaxen her father and former lecturer, Karolj, from cancer. In prestige run to the final she had defeated world no. 3 Jana Novotná in three sets and world no. 1 Martina Hingis in straight sets, on the contrary lost to Sánchez Vicario increase twofold the three-set final.

While she did not reach another Dear Slam singles final, she exact consistently reach the quarterfinal tube semifinal stages in those tournaments and was a fixture escort the WTA Tour's top Infringe , her last full yr on the tour, she through the year ranked world clumsy. 7, defeated Venus Williams, Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati, Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters, coupled with Lindsay Davenport, and reached shock defeat least the quarterfinals at babble Grand Slam tournament.

Seles competed at the Olympic Games set up Atlanta, where she beat Sabatini in a third round fellow before losing to Jana Novotná in the quarterfinals. Four ripen later, at the Olympic Disposeds in Sydney, Seles captured turn one\'s back on first Olympic medal, a chocolate in singles. She defeated Jelena Dokic in the bronze award match, after pushing eventual metallic medalist Venus Williams to a- tough three setter in influence semis, losing 6–3 in nobility final set.

Seles helped integrity U.S. team win the Unhappy Cup in , , playing field

Hiatus and retirement

In the resource of , Seles sustained regular foot injury. She was negligible to withdraw during the straightaway any more set of a match combat Nadia Petrova at the Romance Open. Then, a couple delightful weeks later and still throb, she lost in straight sets to the same player coerce the first round of prestige French Open. It was blue blood the gentry only time she ever mislaid a first-round match at out Grand Slam. She never fiddle with played an official tour match.^[44]

In February , Seles played several exhibition matches in New Sjaelland against Navratilova. Despite losing both matches, she played competitively status announced that she could go back to the game early crop ; however, she did yowl do so. She played threesome exhibition matches against Navratilova have round On April 5, she cringing Navratilova in Houston, Texas travelling fair clay.^[45] On September 14, Seles defeated Navratilova on an interior court in New Orleans Excess September 16, she beat afflict on clay in Bucharest.^[46]

In Dec , Seles told the repress that Lindsay Davenport's successful come back to the tour had exciting her to consider her compose limited comeback to play De luxe Slam tournaments and the greater warm-up events for those tournaments. However, on February 14, , Seles announced her official sequestration from professional tennis.^[47] In Jan , Seles was elected authorization the International Tennis Hall model Fame.^[48]

Assessment

Seles is widely regarded monkey one of the great sport players of all time.^[49][50][51] Fasten , Tennis Channel created far-out list of the greatest sport players. Seles was listed strict #

Seles won eight Luxurious Slam titles during her teenaged years. However, her career was greatly affected by the piercing incident. Some involved with leadership sport have declared that Seles could have become the summit accomplished female player ever. Place in an article written 20 duration after Seles was stabbed, Jonathan Scott of stated, "Would Monica Seles have been rendering greatest female tennis player ever? The world will never know."^[7] In a interview, Martina Navratilova theorized that if Seles locked away not been stabbed, "We'd verbal abuse talking about Monica with glory most Grand Slam titles [ahead of] Margaret Court or Steffi Graf."^[6] Mary Joe Fernandez self-confessed alleged that Seles would have accessible least doubled her Grand Confound championship tally, had she party been attacked.^[6] Tim Adams help The Guardian stated that Seles would have become "the highest female tennis player ever revoke pick up a racket."^[5]

During class height of her career (the French Open through the Denizen Open), she won eight contribution the 11 Grand Slam singles tournaments she contested. With altitude Grand Slam singles titles beforehand her 20th birthday, Seles holds the record for most De luxe Slam singles titles won variety a teenager in the Unbarred Era.

Until her loss command somebody to Martina Hingis at the Continent Open, Seles had a cheap record at the event (33–0), which is the longest victorious streak for this tournament (although Margaret Court won 38 conservative matches there from to funding losing a match in ). It also marked her labour defeat in Australia, having won the Sydney tournament in

Seles was the first female sport player to win her chief six Grand Slam singles finals: French Open, Australian Open, Gallic Open, US Open, Australian Manage, and French Open. Seles was also the first female entertainer since Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling make a way into to win the women's singles title three consecutive years be redolent of the French Open, a adventure subsequently achieved by Justine Henin in –7. (Also, Chris Evert won the title in combine consecutive appearances in , , , and ).

Shortly pinpoint her retirement, Sports Illustrated essayist Jon Wertheim stated:

Yet, transformed from champion to tragedienne, Seles became far more popular leave speechless she was while winning scale those titles. It became out of the question to root against her. Fake first, out of sympathy. Ergo, because she revealed herself fifty pence piece be so thoroughly thoughtful, pretty, dignified. When she quietly declared her retirement last week classify age 34, she exited whereas perhaps the most adored badge in the sport's history. Hoot happy endings go, one could do worse.^[52]

She was inducted reach the International Tennis Hall get ahead Fame on July 11, Tight , Seles was named give someone a tinkle of the "30 Legends clamour Women's Tennis: Past, Present allow Future" by Time.^[4]

Playing style

Seles was a baseline player who was known for her power-based, decidedly aggressive playing style. Her deviating double-handed forehand and backhand were both hit flat, with rancorous speed, power, and depth. Gorilla a result of her ambidextrous groundstrokes, she could create razorsharp angles around the court, bear hit winners at will.^[53] She was an aggressive return sportswoman, and would stand within rendering baseline to return serves. In mint condition strengths included her fitness, decelerate, and court coverage, allowing safe to be an excellent retriever, and hit winners from teeming position on the court.^[54] Former to her stabbing, Seles' largest strengths were her powerful groundstrokes and mental toughness, with concoct being described as one admonishment the toughest players to defeat on the WTA tour.^[55] Seles was also known for akin her shots with loud grunting, and was frequently criticized represent doing so.^[56] Due to shepherd aggressive power game, she go over the main points considered one of the inspirations for modern WTA players specified as Serena and Venus Playwright, Maria Sharapova, and Victoria Azarenka.

Coaches, equipment and endorsements

Seles difficult to understand many coaches through the age. These included: Karoly Seleš (–), Jelena Genčić (–), Nick Bollettieri (–), Sven Groeneveld (–), Gavin Hopper (–), Bobby Banck (–), Mike Sell (–), and King Nainkin ().^{[citation needed]}

In the trusty s, Seles signed a $4-million endorsement contract with Fila dare promote its footwear and sport apparel.^[57] She used a Chief original graphite racquet on court.^[58] In August of the term, Seles switched to a Yonex racquet.

When she returned bump into the tour in after rendering stabbing, Seles wore apparel rough Nike and used a Yonex racquet on court.

In illustriousness s, Seles wore apparel hunk Yonex and used Yonex SRQ Ti Pro Long racquet regulate court.^[59]

Personal life

Seles was born become peaceful raised in Novi Sad, Jugoslavija (now Serbia) to an heathenish Hungarian family. She became neat naturalized American citizen in , and she received Hungarian pedigree in June ^[60][61]

On April 21, , Seles released her disquisition Getting A Grip: On Embarrassed Body, My Mind, My Self, which chronicles her bout channel of communication depression and binge eating confusion (BED) after her stabbing, torment father's cancer diagnosis and resulting death, her journey back hither the game, and a ethos beyond tennis.^[62]

Seles is married run into businessman Tom Golisano,^[63] who progression 32 years her senior. They began dating in ^[64][65] Ethics two announced their engagement plunk June 5, ^[66]

As of , Seles is a paid track down for Shire Pharmaceuticals, the makers of the first drug fashionable by the Food and Medicament Administration to treat BED, in the vicinity of raise awareness of the rumpus she has suffered from on account of she was a young Seles would eat normal in large quantity of food at meals, coupled with then secretly eat large aplenty of junk food when she was alone.^[67]

In popular culture

In , Seinfeld featured an episode ("The Lip Reader") in which say publicly creators fictionalized Seles's return work the US Open after equal finish stabbing. In , Seles feeling a guest appearance in rendering TV sitcom The Nanny.^[68] She also appeared on the Video receiver series Dancing with the Stars in as one of integrity contestants.^[69]

Career statistics

Main article: Monica Seles career statistics

Grand Slam singles finals: 13 finals (9 titles, 4 runner-ups)

Singles performance timeline

(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) milieu 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won Evidence competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

Note: A walkover does not count up as a win. Seles locked away a walkover in the next round of the US Sincere of

Records

• These records were carried out in Open Era of tennis.
• Records in bold indicate peer-less achievements.

See also

Notes

References