Monica Seles
Monica Seles
Monica Selesis a former Yugoslav world no. 1 professional tennis player and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. An ethnic Hungarian, she was born and raised in Novi Sad, SFR Yugoslavia. She became a naturalized American citizen in 1994 and also received Hungarian citizenship in June 2007. She won nine Grand Slam singles titles, eight of them while a citizen of Yugoslavia and the final as a citizen of United States of America. In 1990, Seles became...
NationalityYugoslavian
ProfessionTennis Player
Date of Birth2 December 1973
Women athletes have the ability to serve as role models for women and girls throughout the world. I am excited to attend the World Economic Forum to explore ways in which the global community can continue to support athletes? ability to help create positive social change.
Tennis is so competitive. I guess that's the way it has to be.
As you know, I was one of the original grunters. But Jimmy Connors used to grunt way before I was born. I never knew I was grunting, it was just part of my strokes.
I think for me, food was a way for me to deal with emotional trouble.
I love new restaurants; I love trying out new foods.
As a top player, you have to keep your emotions in check. You think you can control everything.
For me, the biggest thing with money has always been independence - just the biggest.
Tennis is pretty unforgiving if you are carrying weight. You are expected to wear short skirts, and you are compared to all these 16 and 17-year-olds.
Since I retired, I very much enjoy watching Serena Williams play. While I was playing, she was one of the toughest players I ever faced. Her ground strokes are so solid, her serve is one of the most powerful in women's tennis, and mentally she is just so strong.
If you look at tennis, the girls have become much more attractive; they wear makeup. In my generation, you were a tennis player. It wasn't like you had to look a certain way.
It doesn't matter who is playing or how old they are. I just worry about what I can control. It doesn't give me more or less motivation.
I did realise more than ever, after the stabbing, that tennis is a business - a tough business.
If I find the person that I love, it is because I love them, not because I will be dependent on them.
I would like to thank all my tennis fans who were there from Day One when I was No. 1, through my stabbing, and my comeback.