Hey everyone, welcome back to Unfit to Print.
With the U.S. Open starting up, I want to take a moment to reflect on one of the most heartbreaking events in tennis history.
SHE SERVED HIS SENTENCE
In the early ’90s, Monica Seles truly dominated the tennis world.
By 19, she had already claimed eight Grand Slam titles.
She became the youngest champion at the French Open at just 16, won both the French Open and Australian Open three times consecutively, and secured back-to-back U.S. Open titles.
From January 1991 to February 1993, Seles reached the finals of 33 out of the 34 tournaments she entered, winning an impressive 22 of them. Her Grand Slam record stood at 55 wins and just a single loss.
Her playing style was also quite innovative. Using a two-handed grip for both her forehand and backhand, she could create incredible angles and often stepped inside the baseline to hit balls on the rise, putting her opponents on the defensive. Plus, she had remarkable power in her shots.
Here’s a glimpse of some of Seles’s greatest points, which showcase her exceptional talent.
Seles’s main competitor was German player Steffi Graf. Graf was already a top-tier player and had been the number one until Seles took her place. During the 1993 Australian Open, Seles triumphed over Graf in a thrilling three-set match.
But just three months later, everything changed.
On April 30, 1993, Seles was competing against Magdalena Maleeva in the quarterfinals of the Citizen Cup in Hamburg, Germany. She won the first set 6-4 and was leading 4-3 in the second when they took a break.
Seles leaned in her chair, and out of nowhere, she screamed as a man stabbed her between the shoulder blades.
The assailant, Günter Parche, a 38-year-old unemployed German, was an obsessed fan of Graf. He had stalked Seles, hoping to eliminate her so Graf could reclaim the top spot in women’s tennis.
The knife just missed her spinal cord, and she was rushed off the court.
Just like that, one of the greatest periods in tennis history had come to a shocking end.
But what unfolded afterward transcended the sport itself.
