Monica Seles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Monica Seles

Seles in 2002
Country (sports)	Yugoslavia (1988–1992)  Yugoslavia (1992–1994)  United States (1994–2008)
Residence	Sarasota, Florida, United States
Born	(1973-12-02) December 2, 1973 (age 51) Novi Sad, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Turned pro	1989
Retired	2008 (last match in 2003)
Plays	Left-handed (two-handed both sides)
Prize money	US$14,891,762 41st in all-time rankings
Int. Tennis HoF	2009 (member page)
Singles
Career record	595–122
Career titles	53
Highest ranking	No. 1 (March 11, 1991)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	W (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996)
French Open	W (1990, 1991, 1992)
Wimbledon	F (1992)
US Open	W (1991, 1992)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	W (1990, 1991, 1992)
Olympic Games	Bronze (2000)
Doubles
Career record	89–45
Career titles	6
Highest ranking	No. 16 (April 22, 1991)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	SF (1991, 2001)
French Open	3R (1990)
Wimbledon	QF (1999)
US Open	QF (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 2000 Sydney Singles

Monica Seles is a famous former tennis player. She was once ranked the world's number one player. Monica played for both Yugoslavia and the United States during her career.

She won nine major singles titles, known as Grand Slams. Eight of these wins happened when she was a teenager, playing for Yugoslavia. Her last Grand Slam title was won while representing the United States.

In 1990, Monica became the youngest ever champion at the French Open. She was only 16 years old. She won eight major titles before she turned 20. She was the world's top player in 1991 and 1992.

However, in April 1993, something unexpected happened. She was attacked during a match. Monica did not play tennis for more than two years after this event. When she returned in 1995, she still won big tournaments, like the 1996 Australian Open. But she found it hard to play her very best tennis all the time.

Her last professional match was in 2003, but she officially retired in 2008. Many people consider Monica Seles one of the greatest tennis players ever. She was honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009.

Early Life & Tennis Start

Monica Seles was born in Yugoslavia. Her family was of Hungarian background. Her parents are Ester and Karolj. She also has an older brother named Zoltán.

She started playing tennis when she was five years old. Her father was her first coach. He was a cartoonist and drew pictures to make tennis practice fun for her. He helped her develop her special playing style. She used both hands for her forehand and backhand shots. Later, Jelena Genčić became her coach.

In 1985, at age 11, Monica won a big junior tournament in Miami, Florida. This caught the eye of famous tennis coach Nick Bollettieri. In 1986, Monica and her brother moved to the United States. She joined the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. She trained there for two years. Her parents joined them in Florida nine months later.

Monica played her first professional tournament in 1988 when she was 14. She became a full-time professional player in 1989. She won her first title in Houston that May. She beat the legendary player Chris Evert in the final. A month later, she reached the semifinals of her first Grand Slam, the French Open. She finished her first year ranked world number 6.

Dominating the Tennis World

Winning Streak: 1990-1992

After a slow start in 1990, Monica Seles went on an amazing winning streak. She won 36 matches in a row. She also won 6 tournaments back-to-back. This included the Lipton Player's Championships in Miami. She also won the Italian Open and the Lufthansa Cup in Germany. In Germany, she beat Steffi Graf in the final.

Monica then won her first Grand Slam title at the 1990 French Open. She faced world number 1 Steffi Graf in the final. Monica saved four set points in the first set. She won the match in straight sets. At 16 years and 6 months old, she became the youngest French Open champion ever.

Her winning streak ended at Wimbledon. She lost in the quarterfinals. After Wimbledon, Monica won two more tournaments. She beat Martina Navratilova in both finals. She also won the year-end Virginia Slims Championships in 1990. She was the youngest player to win this event. She finished 1990 ranked world number 2.

The year 1991 was when Monica truly dominated women's tennis. She started by winning the Australian Open. In March, she became the world number 1 player. She then won the French Open again. She beat Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the final.

Monica missed Wimbledon due to a leg injury. But she returned to win the US Open. She beat Martina Navratilova in the final. This was her third Grand Slam title of the year. She also won the year-end Virginia Slims Championships again. Monica won 10 of the 16 tournaments she played in 1991. She ended the year as the world's top player.

Seles at the 1992 Canadian Open in Montreal

The year 1992 was just as successful. Monica won the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open again. She reached her first Wimbledon final. However, she lost to Steffi Graf there.

During Wimbledon, some players complained about Monica's loud grunting. She made noise when hitting the ball. Her opponents, Nathalie Tauziat and Martina Navratilova, spoke to the umpire about it.

From January 1991 to February 1993, Monica won 22 titles. She reached 33 finals out of 34 tournaments. She won 92.9% of her matches. In Grand Slam tournaments, she won 98% of her matches. Overall, in her first four years (1989–1992), she won 30 titles. She finished 1992 as the world's number 1 player.

In January 1993, Monica beat Steffi Graf in the Australian Open final. This was her third Grand Slam final win against Graf. She then won another title in Chicago. This was her last title before the attack in Hamburg, Germany.

Comeback & Later Career

Returning to the Court

After becoming a U.S. citizen in 1994, Monica Seles returned to tennis in August 1995. The WTA (Women's Tennis Association) decided to rank her as joint number one with Steffi Graf. Some players disagreed with this decision.

Monica won her first tournament back, the Canadian Open. She beat Amanda Coetzer in the final. She dropped very few games throughout the tournament. The next month, she reached the US Open final. She beat several top players but lost to Steffi Graf.

In January 1996, Monica won her fourth Australian Open. She beat Anke Huber in the final. This was her last Grand Slam title. She found it hard to consistently play her best after this. She was the runner-up at the US Open in 1996, losing to Steffi Graf again.

Monica's last Grand Slam final was at the French Open in 1998. This was just weeks after her father, Karolj, passed away from cancer. She reached the final by beating top players like Jana Novotná and Martina Hingis. But she lost to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in a close match.

Even though she didn't win another Grand Slam final, Monica often reached the quarterfinals and semifinals. She stayed in the top 10 players for a long time. In 2002, her last full year, she was ranked world number 7. She beat many famous players that year. She also reached at least the quarterfinals at every Grand Slam.

Monica played in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. She lost in the quarterfinals. Four years later, at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, she won her first Olympic medal. She earned a bronze medal in singles. She beat Jelena Dokic for the bronze. She had a tough semifinal match against Venus Williams.

Monica also helped the U.S. team win the Fed Cup in 1996, 1999, and 2000.

Retirement from Tennis

Seles in the 2007 exhibition against Martina Navratilova in New Orleans, Louisiana

In spring 2003, Monica got a foot injury. She had to stop playing a match at the Italian Open. A few weeks later, still injured, she lost in the first round of the 2003 French Open. This was the only time she ever lost a first-round match at a Grand Slam. She never played another official tour match after that.

In 2005 and 2007, Monica played some exhibition matches against Martina Navratilova. She played well, but she did not return to professional tennis. On February 14, 2008, Monica Seles officially announced her retirement.

In January 2009, Monica was chosen for the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Monica Seles: A Tennis Legend

Seles' outfit at the Tennis Hall of Fame Museum at the Newport Casino

Many people believe Monica Seles is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. In 2012, Tennis Channel ranked her as the 19th greatest player ever.

Monica won eight Grand Slam titles before she turned 20. This is a record for the most Grand Slam singles titles won by a teenager in the Open Era.

Before 1999, Monica had a perfect record at the Australian Open. She won 33 matches in a row there. This is the longest winning streak at that tournament.

Monica was the first female player to win her first six Grand Slam singles finals. She won the French Open three years in a row (1990-1992). This was a rare achievement.

After her retirement, a writer from Sports Illustrated said that Monica became very popular. People admired her for being thoughtful and dignified. She was seen as one of the most loved figures in tennis history.

She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on July 11, 2009. In 2011, Time magazine named her one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis."

Playing Style & Impact

Monica Seles was known for her very aggressive playing style. She hit the ball hard from the back of the court. She used both hands for her forehand and backhand shots. These shots were hit flat, with lots of speed and power. This allowed her to hit winners from sharp angles.

She was also very aggressive when returning serves. She would stand close to the baseline to hit the ball back quickly. Her serve could reach speeds of 109 miles per hour. This helped her control points from the very first shot.

Monica was also very fit and fast. She could cover the court well and hit winners from anywhere. Her biggest strength was her confidence and mental toughness. She was one of the hardest players to beat. After her return to tennis, she became a bit more careful in her play.

Monica was also known for her loud grunting when she hit the ball. She was one of the first female players to do this. Some people criticized her for it. Because of her powerful game and grunting, she is seen as an inspiration for many modern players. This includes Serena and Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Victoria Azarenka.

Personal Life

Monica Seles was born and grew up in Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. Her family is of Hungarian background. She became an American citizen in 1994. She also received Hungarian citizenship in 2007.

In 2009, Monica released her book called Getting A Grip: On My Body, My Mind, My Self. In the book, she talks about her struggles with sadness and an eating challenge. She also wrote about her father's cancer and his passing. The book shares her journey back to tennis and her life after the sport.

Monica Seles is married to businessman Tom Golisano. They started dating in 2009 and announced their engagement in 2014.

In 2015, Monica became a spokesperson for a pharmaceutical company. She helps raise awareness about the eating challenge she experienced. She would eat normal meals but then secretly eat large amounts of junk food when alone.

Images for kids

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  Seles at the 1992 Canadian Open in Montreal

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  Seles in the 2007 exhibition against Martina Navratilova in New Orleans, Louisiana

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  Seles' outfit at the Tennis Hall of Fame Museum at the Newport Casino

See also

• Grunting in tennis