Monica Seles

Monica Seles
Seles in 2002
Country (sports) Yugoslavia (1988–1992)
 Yugoslavia (1992–1994)
 United States (1994–2008)
ResidenceSarasota, Florida, United States
Born (1973-12-02) December 2, 1973 (age 50)
Novi Sad, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1]
Turned pro1989
Retired2008 (last match in 2003)
PlaysLeft-handed (two-handed both sides)
Prize moneyUS$14,891,762[2]
Int. Tennis HoF2009 (member page)
Singles
Career record595–122
Career titles53
Highest rankingNo. 1 (March 11, 1991)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenW (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996)
French OpenW (1990, 1991, 1992)
WimbledonF (1992)
US OpenW (1991, 1992)
Other tournaments
Tour FinalsW (1990, 1991, 1992)
Olympic GamesBronze (2000)
Doubles
Career record89–45
Career titles6
Highest rankingNo. 16 (April 22, 1991)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenSF (1991, 2001)
French Open3R (1990)
WimbledonQF (1999)
US OpenQF (1999)
Team competitions
Fed Cup United States
W (1996, 1999, 2000)
Hopman Cup Yugoslavia
W (1991)
 United States
F (2001, 2002)
Medal record
Women's tennis
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Sydney Singles

Monica Seles[a] (born December 2, 1973) is a former world No. 1 tennis player who represented Yugoslavia and the United States. She won nine major singles titles, eight of them as a teenager while representing Yugoslavia, and the final one while representing the United States.

In 1990, Seles became the youngest-ever French Open champion at the age of 16. She went on to win eight major singles titles before turning 20 and was the year-end No. 1 in 1991 and 1992. However, on April 30, 1993, while playing a match, she was the victim of an on-court attack when an obsessed fan of Seles' rival Steffi Graf stabbed Seles in the back with a 9-inch (23 cm) knife as she was sitting down between games. Seles did not return to tennis for over two years after the stabbing.[3] Though she enjoyed success after returning in 1995, including another major championship at the 1996 Australian Open, she was unable to consistently produce her best tennis. She played her last professional match at the 2003 French Open but did not officially retire until February 2008. Regarded by many as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Seles was named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time.[4] Several players and historians have stated that Seles had the potential to become the most accomplished female player of all time had she not been stabbed.[5][6][7] She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009.

  1. ^ "Monica Seles". wtatennis.com. WTA. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  2. ^ "Career Prize Money Leaders" (PDF). WTA Tour. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference stabbed was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ William Lee Adams (June 22, 2011). "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future – Monica Seles". TIME. Archived from the original on June 25, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  5. ^ Adams, Tim (July 4, 2009). "Interview: Monica Seles". theguardian.com. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  6. ^ Cronin, Matt (May 1, 2013). "Navratilova: Seles would have won most Slams". tennis.com. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  7. ^ Scott, Jonathan (April 30, 2012). "20 Years Later: Remembering Monica Seles' Stabbing". Tennis.com. Retrieved May 27, 2017.


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