Monica Seles
Teen tennis champion whose career was altered by an on-court stabbing.
Monica Seles (born December 2, 1973) is a former professional tennis player who represented Yugoslavia and the United States. She was ranked world No. 1 in women's singles for 178 weeks and won nine major singles titles, eight as a teenager. Her career was dramatically interrupted in 1993 when she was stabbed on court by an obsessed fan of a rival, leading to a two-year absence from the sport.
- born
- December 2, 1973, Novi Sad, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia (modern-day Serbia)
- field
- Professional tennis
- nationality
- Yugoslavia, later United States
- known_for
- Nine major singles titles; youngest French Open champion at age 16; on-court stabbing in 1993
Lore & Background
Monica Seles was born to an ethnic Hungarian family in Novi Sad. She began playing tennis at age five, coached by her father, a cartoonist who developed her two-handed forehand and backhand. At age 11 she won the Junior Orange Bowl, and in 1986 she moved to the United States to train at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. She turned professional in 1989 and won her first career title that year, beating Chris Evert in Houston.
Reader's Guide
Seles dominated women's tennis from 1990 to 1992, winning eight major titles as a teenager and becoming the youngest French Open champion in 1990. She held the world No. 1 ranking for 178 weeks and finished year-end No. 1 three times. Her career was derailed on April 30, 1993, when Günter Parche, an obsessed fan of Steffi Graf, stabbed her in the back during a match in Hamburg. Seles did not play for over two years, struggling with depression and an eating disorder. She returned in 1995 and won a ninth major at the 1996 Australian Open, but never regained her previous form. Many players and historians argue she had the potential to become the most accomplished female player of all time. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009.
Did You Know?
- Seles became the youngest-ever French Open champion in 1990 at age 16 years, 6 months.
- She won 22 titles and reached 33 finals in 34 tournaments from January 1991 through February 1993.
- Her attacker, Günter Parche, was sentenced to two years' probation and psychological treatment.
- Seles played her last professional match at the 2003 French Open.
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