Fee
Legend
http://www.tennisweek.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=532725
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Seles Says Good-Bye[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]By Richard Pagliaro[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]2/14/2008 9:09:00 PM
[/FONT] She learned to play tennis in a parking lot belting balls bearing the image of the cartoon characters her cartoonist father, Karolj, drew on on the felt to make the game fun for her and she grew into one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen.
Monica Seles always said nothing gave her greater joy then simply striking the ball. Today, the former World No. 1 announced she has struck her last shot as a
professional in closing the curtain on one of the most storied careers in tennis history.
Nearly 19 years to the day on which she turned pro, the 34-year-old Seles announced her official retirement from professional tennis today in a statement she issued through Tony Godsick, her long-time IMG agent. Seles said while she considered a comeback, she ultimately decided to retire but will remain active playing exhibitions and charity events.
"Tennis has been and will always be a huge part of my life. I have for some time considered a return to professional play, but I have now decided not to pursue that," Seles said from Miami, Florida. "I will continue to play exhibitions, participate in charity events, promote the sport, but will no longer plan my schedule around the tour. I look forward to pursuing other opportunities with the same passion and energy that fueled my dedication to tennis and to devote more time to two of my passions — children and animals. I especially want to thank all my wonderful, loyal fans for all of their support for me over the years. They have inspired me throughout my career in the good times and comforted me in the bad times. I have always been so proud to have such a special group of precious fans to call my very own and felt they were the best an athlete could ever hope to have. I will miss them all as much as I will miss competing in the game of tennis."
The two-handed titan captured nine Grand Slam championships and won 53 singles and six doubles tournaments in a professional career that began on February 13, 1989. She first became No.1 in the world in March, 1991. She was No.1 for 178 weeks during the next two years — the youngest No.1 ever at the time — until tragedy struck in April, 1993, when she was stabbed in the back during a match in Hamburg, Germany by a madman who never served prison time for a vicious attack. She was not able to play again for more than two years. When she did return, she won even more hearts with her comeback win at the Canadian Open, then reached the U.S. Open final the following month. Remarkably, she then won her ninth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January 1996.
Though she seemed to play with a ruthlessness on court, Seles was the personification of graciousness off court.
"Monica Seles is one of the great champions in the history of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, and an inspiration and role model for millions of fans throughout the world," WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott said. "No one will ever forget the fierce determination and will to win that Monica brought to the court, nor the caring and warm person that she has always been off the court. Fans of women’s tennis have no shortage of fond Monica memories and of amazing matches and rivalries that Monica was a part of. No doubt, Monica will soon find her rightful place at the International Tennis Hall of Fame for her many accomplishments on the tennis court."
The owner of a 595-122 record, Seles won concluded 1991 and 1992 as World No. 1. In a sensational, sustained span of dominance she won eight of the 11 Grand Slam tournaments she entered from 1989 to 1993. She inspired a legion of top players, including Venus Williams and Serena Williams, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic. In a past interview with Tennis Week, Hall of Famer Jimmy Connors said Seles' fighting spirit, willingness to play even closer to the lines on pivotal points and her aggressive baseline style made her the player that most reminded him of himself.
"Who reminds me of me? Monica Seles is the player I think who played the game the way I tried to play it." Connors told Tennis Week in a past interview. "She always played as hard as she could every single match and left it all on the court. I have tremendous respect for Seles."
A stress fracture in her foot forced Seles to step away from the WTA Tour five years ago. Though she never officially retired, the nine-time Grand Slam champion had not played a match since limping out of the French Open in a 6-4, 6-0 loss to Nadia Petrova in May of 2003. It was the first time in her storied career that Seles suffered a first-round loss in a Grand Slam.
While she still enjoys hitting, Seles has said in the past that lingering foot pain prevents her from putting in the practice time necessary to prepare for a return to competitive tennis.
(there's much more at the link, it's a long article).
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Seles Says Good-Bye[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]By Richard Pagliaro[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]2/14/2008 9:09:00 PM
[/FONT] She learned to play tennis in a parking lot belting balls bearing the image of the cartoon characters her cartoonist father, Karolj, drew on on the felt to make the game fun for her and she grew into one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen.
Monica Seles always said nothing gave her greater joy then simply striking the ball. Today, the former World No. 1 announced she has struck her last shot as a
professional in closing the curtain on one of the most storied careers in tennis history.
Nearly 19 years to the day on which she turned pro, the 34-year-old Seles announced her official retirement from professional tennis today in a statement she issued through Tony Godsick, her long-time IMG agent. Seles said while she considered a comeback, she ultimately decided to retire but will remain active playing exhibitions and charity events.
"Tennis has been and will always be a huge part of my life. I have for some time considered a return to professional play, but I have now decided not to pursue that," Seles said from Miami, Florida. "I will continue to play exhibitions, participate in charity events, promote the sport, but will no longer plan my schedule around the tour. I look forward to pursuing other opportunities with the same passion and energy that fueled my dedication to tennis and to devote more time to two of my passions — children and animals. I especially want to thank all my wonderful, loyal fans for all of their support for me over the years. They have inspired me throughout my career in the good times and comforted me in the bad times. I have always been so proud to have such a special group of precious fans to call my very own and felt they were the best an athlete could ever hope to have. I will miss them all as much as I will miss competing in the game of tennis."
The two-handed titan captured nine Grand Slam championships and won 53 singles and six doubles tournaments in a professional career that began on February 13, 1989. She first became No.1 in the world in March, 1991. She was No.1 for 178 weeks during the next two years — the youngest No.1 ever at the time — until tragedy struck in April, 1993, when she was stabbed in the back during a match in Hamburg, Germany by a madman who never served prison time for a vicious attack. She was not able to play again for more than two years. When she did return, she won even more hearts with her comeback win at the Canadian Open, then reached the U.S. Open final the following month. Remarkably, she then won her ninth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January 1996.
Though she seemed to play with a ruthlessness on court, Seles was the personification of graciousness off court.
"Monica Seles is one of the great champions in the history of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, and an inspiration and role model for millions of fans throughout the world," WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott said. "No one will ever forget the fierce determination and will to win that Monica brought to the court, nor the caring and warm person that she has always been off the court. Fans of women’s tennis have no shortage of fond Monica memories and of amazing matches and rivalries that Monica was a part of. No doubt, Monica will soon find her rightful place at the International Tennis Hall of Fame for her many accomplishments on the tennis court."
The owner of a 595-122 record, Seles won concluded 1991 and 1992 as World No. 1. In a sensational, sustained span of dominance she won eight of the 11 Grand Slam tournaments she entered from 1989 to 1993. She inspired a legion of top players, including Venus Williams and Serena Williams, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic. In a past interview with Tennis Week, Hall of Famer Jimmy Connors said Seles' fighting spirit, willingness to play even closer to the lines on pivotal points and her aggressive baseline style made her the player that most reminded him of himself.
"Who reminds me of me? Monica Seles is the player I think who played the game the way I tried to play it." Connors told Tennis Week in a past interview. "She always played as hard as she could every single match and left it all on the court. I have tremendous respect for Seles."
A stress fracture in her foot forced Seles to step away from the WTA Tour five years ago. Though she never officially retired, the nine-time Grand Slam champion had not played a match since limping out of the French Open in a 6-4, 6-0 loss to Nadia Petrova in May of 2003. It was the first time in her storied career that Seles suffered a first-round loss in a Grand Slam.
While she still enjoys hitting, Seles has said in the past that lingering foot pain prevents her from putting in the practice time necessary to prepare for a return to competitive tennis.
(there's much more at the link, it's a long article).
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