Monica Seles: No Mercy from Mad Men

We have an obligation to protect those who cannot protect themselves.  We fail miserably at times to provide a safe environment for children or vulnerable adults.  Steeped in our own day-to-day rituals, we forget that there are monsters out there whose actions we cannot fathom, whose intentions remain both foreign and indigestible.

The risks to celebrities rise exponentially.  Child stars, especially those in sports, are no exception, and perhaps are more susceptible than others because they are live, on the field of play, and close to supercharged fans.

In 1993, when Monica Seles was 19-years of age, an incident on court changed her life and forever altered the career of what may well have been the best female tennis player in the history of the women’s game. 

While playing in the Hamburg quarterfinals in April of 1993, an obsessed German fan of Steffi Graf’s stabbed Seles in the back with a boning knife.  Gunter Parche was later pronounced “crazy” after being arrested.  He was never tried for his crime. 

Seles, who recovered quickly from her physical wounds, was unable to compete for over two years.  When she did return to the court, her abilities were never the same.  Her career was cut short by a mad man—while we all sat and watched in stunned horror.

The Beginning

When Monica Seles burst onto the tennis scene in 1990, she brought with her youthful exuberance, enthusiasm and joy.  She blasted the grim reaper stance from the women’s game. 

Let’s face it, how often did we see Steffi smile or Martina Navratilova shout for joy or even Chrissie Evert “get down” in the moment?  Their deadpan expressions and stolid determination were as much fun to watch as paint drying on service lines. 

While we all understood the necessity for single-minded concentration, Seles brought fire, deceptive speed and power as well as extreme angles to the tennis court and astonishingly, we could see she was having fun out there.  What?  Having fun and expressing joy on court were “foreboden” as they say in German.

This was, after all,  the era of Steffi Graf, the iron maiden of the tennis elite.  Steffi’s demeanor sent chills down your spine as she executed her game and her opponents with scalpel-like efficiency.  There was no joy in Tennis-Ville when the German dominatrix donned her tennis whites.

What is more—the perky little Yugoslavian was noisy.  Monica Seles introduced the grunt into the dainty game of women’s tennis.  Thus, fans and the media began the critical task of topping each other with explosive expletives in response to the noise emanating from the upstart. 

The players, however, took it and ran, never looking back.  As Maria Sharapova has proven so often, if I feel it—shout it out!

In 1988 Seles played her first professional tournament at the age of 14.  She finished her first year on tour world ranked at No. 6 after reaching the French Open semifinal where she lost to then-world No. 1 Steffi Graf 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

At the tender age of 16, Seles won her first Grand Slam Championship in 1990.  She became the youngest champion in the history of the French Open.   Facing Steffi Graf in the final, Seles managed to fight off four set points before she took the opening set tiebreaker 8-6.  Seles ended up winning the final in straight sets 7-6, 6-4.

She ended 1990 ranked No. 2 after defeating Gabriella Sabatini in FIVE sets at the year-end championships.

Seles went on to dominate the women’s tour in 1991-92.  In 1991, she won three of the four Grand Slams, electing not to play at Wimbledon because of continuing problems with shin splints. 

She succeeded Graf at the No. 1 ranking in March of 1991, finishing the year by winning the year-end championships—defeating Martina Navratilova in four sets.

In 1992, she repeated her three wins in slam finals.  At Wimbledon she defeated Navratilova in the semifinals but lost to Graf in the finals 6-2, 6-1.  Both Navratilova and Graf officially complained about the Seles grunting.

The Outcome

Keep in mind that this tennis phenom was still a teenager with teenage dreams, aspirations and outlooks.  Her talent was phenomenal and her energy level never dipped.  She loved the spotlight and like teenagers everywhere, delighted in re-inventing herself.  She had many fans and just as many detractors.

Regardless, when Monica Seles took the court, there was nothing less than her best on display at all times.  Whether she won or she lost, Seles was a fighter to the end and a gracious opponent regardless of the outcome.

She began 1993 by winning the Australian Open for the third consecutive year.  She was 19-years of age and just heading into the years of peak physical strength.

The stabbing temporarily impaired her physically, but the real damage came to her psyche.  She was never the same player when she returned to action in 1995.  Some of the fire and the unshakable confidence had been stripped from her game.  Her consistency was gone and her spirit dampened.

She remained an excellent player but never achieved the No. 1 pinnacle again. 

Seles did win another Australian Open title in 1996, defeating Anke Huber in the final.  She appeared in three more grand slam finals prior to 1998. 

In 1995, she met Steffi Graf in the final of the U.S. Open, losing 6-7, 6-0, 3-6.  She lost to Graf again in the 1996 U.S. Open 7-5, 6-4 and in 1998 she lost to Arantxa Sanchez Vicario at the French Open 7-6, 0-6, 6-2.

Seles accumulated nine Grand Slam Championships, winning on every surface except the green lawns of Wimbledon.  She was listed as the 13th greatest player of all time by U.S. Tennis magazine.  She was also one of 15 women named by Australian Tennis magazine as the greatest champions of the last 30 years.

She never played again after 2003.  The desire to return to the game never deserted her but the will never succeeded.  Monica Seles was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009.  Her legacy remains intact.  It is career to be proud of.

But you must wonder what was lost when a madman attacked her without provocation, driving a knife into her back and pronouncing a death sentence on her brilliant career…