By Scoop Malinowski | Thursday, June 22, 2023

Monica Seles is much more than a Grand Slam champion.

The two-handed titan is a game-changing champion.

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Fellow pros, including Venus Williams, Serena Williams and Jimmy Connors have praised Seles as an inspiring and influential champion.

Now, a new book Facing Monica Seles chronicles exactly what opponents felt facing one of the greatest ball strikers to ever play pro tennis.

Monica Seles captured eight Grand Slams championships as a teenager and was on her way to GOAT status until April, 1993 when a madman plunged a knife into her back during a horrific attack in Hamburg, Germany.

That vicious assault, which occurred when Seles was ranked No. 1 in the world and competing against Magdalena Maleeva, altered the evolution of tennis history.

This new book Facing Monica Seles salutes and celebrates the woman called by peers "an innovator", "revolutionary" and "game-changer" and according to 18-time Grand Slam champion Chrissie Evert, "had she not had her injury, I believe without a doubt Monica would have been the greatest player ever."

You can order Facing Monica Seles here.

Here's an excerpt from Facing Monica Seles.

Chris Evert: Monica brought another level to the game. She changed the whole complexion of the game.



Steffi Graf: Even if there are close stages in the match, she really goes for her shots and she - she is not really getting tense.



Steve Silverman: I think it was the first time I was on one of the main practice courts. I remember I was on a court practicing and I heard my name called on the walkie-talkie, ‘Steve Silverman, come to court one.’ I said to myself, ‘I wonder what that’s about? Why am I going to Seles’ court?'

It was me, Zoltan (brother) and her father (Karolj). First it was me and Zoltan alternating playing points against her on clay, which was not my thing. I remember playing on hard courts with her after that.

I’m standing behind her brother on the first points. He had incredible strokes and intensity with his footwork. We were playing points. She called me to the net, asked me to slow down my serve, which I never had happen to me before. My serve wasn’t that good then.

She was fourteen, I was probably sixteen. It was maybe halfway through the year. When I first saw her I didn’t know who she was. She grunted and killed every shot. She didn’t make errors. They told me she didn’t play tournaments. She played points but no scoring. They wanted her to play with no pressure points.

John Korff (Promoter/owner of Pathmark and A&P Tennis Classics in Mahwah, NJ): I was running the Pathmark Tennis Classic (exhibition) in Mahwah, NJ. We wanted to have a major player in it (in July 1991 after Wimbledon). At the time Octagon and Phil di Picciotti got us the players. I told him I can't get IMG to respond about Monica Seles. He suggested I call her bother Zoltan directly. Make an offer to her brother. I wasn't being sneaky trying to go around anybody, I would have to pay him. At the time, I think Monica was ranked three or four in the world. This was before the French Open.

So I called Zoltan and said, 'I'm the guy with the money, you're the guy with the sister. There's no reason to get others involved...' He wanted to meet in Tampa. I was coming from a family wedding in Barbados. He zoomed in on a tri color motorcycle wearing some kind of bright orange jumpsuit and a wacky helmet that looked like it came from The Jetsons (TV cartoon).



One of the first things they teach at Harvard Business School (from where Korff graduated) is stay one drink behind the other guy. By the time Zoltan had his six drinks, I was right behind him... and thinking, I can't keep up with this guy!

Somehow I missed my flight to New Jersey, after about four hours with Zoltan. He gave me a ride to the hotel on his motorcycle. When we got to the hotel, we made a deal - $300,000 for Monica to play the Pathmark Tennis Classic in Mahwah, NJ and an additional $50,000 more not to talk about it until she got to Mahwah.

One of my contacts with the WTA said I was crazy because she'll lose at the French Open and be ranked about 8 in the world. So Monica won the French Open that year (beat Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario to defend her 1990 title) and was No. 1 in the world. So all the sudden she pulled out of Wimbledon (with shin splints) and she couldn't talk about it. So everybody in tennis was wondering where she was, what she was doing? It was a big deal...

Brenda Schultz-McCarthy: I have a lot of respect for Monica Seles. I think to beat Monica, you just need to hit a lot of aces. I mean, that is really the key. With Monica there will be long rallies. You have to get back a lot of those booming balls from Monica. Monica puts a lot of pressure on you. I did play one of my best matches against Seles. Twice when I played her at match point and got a little bit unlucky in one of them.

She just … she doesn't know how to … how to get nervous. I mean, she keeps hitting the ball. It is not like, okay, now I am 15-40, maybe I should hit a couple of slow ones. It is just boom, boom. She just goes out there and hits. I mean, not many girls do that, and that is why she is up there. That is why she won so many Grand Slams. The minute she gets nervous, she starts hitting harder and that is the key. I mean, most of the girls they start, oh, my, gosh, I can win in match. She doesn't have that. She just goes out there and, you know, she really plays to win. She doesn't play to lose. That is special.



Question: Lasting memory of Monica off court?

Brenda Schultz-McCarthy: She is very fun girl. She laughs all the time.

Photo credit: Getty