Tennis has produced some of the greatest champions in sports history. From the icons of the Golden Age, often associated with the 1970s and 1980s, to the ‘Big 3,’ the sport is filled with legendary athletes and remarkable achievements. However, no story in tennis carries a bigger “what if” than that of Monica Seles, who was on track to become arguably the greatest of all time until a brutal attack changed her life forever.
Born on December 2, 1973, in Novi Sad, then part of Yugoslavia (now Serbia), Seles began playing tennis at five years old. She was coached by her father, Károly, who was a professional cartoonist. According to her memoir, From Fear to Victory, he drew cartoon characters on tennis balls to make practice fun.
In 1986, she moved to the United States to train at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. Where she trained for two years, before turning professional in 1989. She won her first career title at Houston in May 1989, beating Chris Evert in the final. That same year, she also reached the semifinals of the French Open, losing to World no. 1 Steffi Graf. She ended the year as the World No. 6 in the WTA rankings.