Monica Seles Biography

Monica Seles is a former Yugoslavian tennis sensation who became the youngest female player to rank World No. 1, at the age of 17. Born in Yugoslavia, Seles was a wunderkind who began playing tennis at the age of five, soon becoming the best junior player of the country. Upon winning a junior tournament in Florida, Seles was spotted by the tennis coach Nick Bollettieri who approached her to join his academy, where she excelled at her game. Seles emerged as a tennis star when she became the youngest ever winner of the French Open, at the age of 16, beating Steffi Graf. From 1991 to 1993, she dominated women’s tennis and won nine Grand Slam titles which included the Australian Open four times, the French Open three times and the US Open twice. Known for her aggressive playing style and the unique grunts she made with nearly every shot, she became the youngest ever singles player to rank number one in the world. In 1993, Seles was heading towards unprecedented success until her career came to a sudden halt when she was stabbed in the back by a deranged fan of Steffi Graf. While recovering from the tragic incident, Seles remained away from tennis for two years. Although, later she returned to achieve some further success but was unable to regain her earlier form as a dominant player and officially retired in 2008. Regarded by many to be the first female power player, Seles is considered one of the all-time greats of the game.