That's quite the compliment, "Had you not had your injury, I believe without doubt you would have been the greatest player ever." Another great interview and very touching at the end. Fantastic.
@@jordanaus75 nooo every human being deserves a voice I don't care if she's Chris evert and she says shit just to make seles happy as a guest The bottom line is many legends who speak bluntly and honestly believe me too And next time NEVER DISRESPECT THE VOICE OF THE HARD WORKING MIDDLE CLASS... IDIOT
@@varunshahvo-tv9854 there are people who know what they are talking about in relation to their expertise, eg Chris Evert here, and those who don't but want their irritating screams to be heard like a child having a tantrum who doesn't like someone/something, eg you. My original call was correct: irrelevant. And next time: Never disrespect the voice of someone who knows more than you, and check to see if your self-entitled contribution is just taking the opportunity to have a bitch and be derogatory.
Thank you Chrissy for saying what you said about the course of tennis history and Monica. And for pointing out Monica won 8 out of 9 Grand Slams, IN A ROW....as a teenager.
Chris Evert is human, prone to bias, prejudice, hate. Again: she is human, prone to lies and deceit. Saying that, her statement "Had you not had your injury, I believe without doubt you would have been the greatest player ever" comes from those tendencies. I would humiliate Chris' pop culture stupidity sense for intellect one-on-one. The last thing I fear is stupidity. MANY athletes, in all sports, do well for some years then they descend. It happens and Monica was no exception. This is but one of many points against her mindless thinking. STEFFI GRAF had mental things to deal with and a knee surgery through her career. Had she not, she would have won more slams than anyone. Seles' wins did NOT come overall against Steffi but against others. Steffi had a winning record against Seles h2h before the cut and after. There is no opinion here but facts and evidence. Chris is just like those who say The Beatles are the best band/artists ever when they are obviously Not. Pop culture stupidity is killing the world.
As a fan of Monica Seles since 11 years old (Im 43 years now) is a privilege to see that amazing interview with a legend Christ Evert and magnificent Monica Seles. MONICA SELES is a unique gem of Women's tennis! Lovely human being indeed.
Such a great interview, thank you! We called Monika "Mala Mo" ("Little Mo") back in the days of Yugoslavia and she was our pride. I fell in love with tennis because of her and was watching that match in Hamburg on live television when that German madman stabbed her in 1993 - I felt sick just watching it, was in complete shock and disbelief about what happened to her that day. So relieved that she survived the attack and is here with us to tell her story. And it's so lovely to see what a beautiful human being she has evolved into. Thank you Monika for your honesty and for being you.
What a brilliant interview, Monica was an unbelievable player and Chris Evert is a great interviewer allowing Monica to talk for 90% of the interview. Really enjoyed that thankyou
I agree with Chris that Monica would have been the greatest player of all time if not for the injury/attack. I am her age and remember watching her with such appreciation. She was rolling through titles. I love her humanity. Great interview and thanks to you both!
I don't think we'll ever know, sadly. There were plenty of other factors that may very well have affected Monica before then. Firstly, it's just mentally and physically impossible to keep up the kind of winning run Monica had in the early 90s for more than a couple of years in a row. Players like Navratilova, Graf, Federer and Djokovic have all had big dips after runs like that because it's just too exhausting. As early as 1991, people were commenting on Monica's weight, and she talked openly back then about how she couldn't stop eating butter. So some signs were there that the stress was really building up. Perhaps there were also some signs showing that Monica finding it harder going in 1992. She went for a three month period, June to September, without winning anything - she looked very listless during that period - bored and tired with it all. Monica was also never blessed with the most robust health - in early 93 for example she had to take three months off the tour because of illness. That meant that in the year leading up to the stabbing, she went for six months of tour time without winning anything. Injuries were often a problem too - for example, the one that forced her out of Wimbledon in 1991. It's very possible that if she'd kept on playing, the injuries that eventually forced her out of the game would have started earlier. Finally, there were some signs that players were just starting to figure her out a little. In 1992, she lost easy straight sets matches to 4 different players, and also lost her first match to Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. In early 1993, she also very nearly lost to Brenda Shultz McCarthy. I guess we'll never know.
@@zeddeka Very thoughtful. Thank you for the insights! And yes, so true that we only know what came to pass, anything else is speculative. In the end I am so glad to see she is doing so well today. Cheers
@@zeddeka do you mean she "didn't win anything" from June-September 1992 because she lost in the FINALS of the big tournaments (1 Major) like Wimbledon (to Steffi) and Canada (to Arantxa, incredible player too often very little recognized) are? I appreciate your comment very much but don't agree here.
@@zeddeka There are parts of your post that I agree with: sadly, we will never know, but just as sadly, there are people who pretend like her dominance was ending anyway and the stabbing didn't matter. I agree that no player, including Seles, has ever dominated for more than a few years. And even in 91-92, Seles wasn't as dominant as Graf in 87-90 or Navratilova in 83-86. I also agree that there were likely factors that would have impeded her dominance from being sustained - namely her father's first cancer diagnosis in '93 and Graf's resurgence/change of racket starting in '94; however, there are inaccuracies and far too much conjecture in your statement. The players you mention didn't have "big dips." Their dominance wasn't sustained, but they were still at the top of the game and in '93-95, the difference between Graf/Seles and everyone else was huge. Even with a "dip," she and Graf would have continued to dominate. She wasn't "athlete-fit" like Graf, but there were no comments about her weight in '91. Perhaps their were comments about her diet, but not about her weight. Look at her in '93: she's thin and wirey. Watch the '93 AO Final: it was hot as blazes and she dug out so many balls. She did have a lull in the summer of '92, but during the 12 months prior to the stabbing, she won seven tournaments, including the French Open, US Open, YEC, and Australian Open, and she made five finals - out of 12 tournaments played in those 12 months, she never failed to reach the final. If injuries were going to plague her in '93-'95 they would have already begun. She missed Wimbledon '91 due to shin splints and was out for a while in the spring of '93; however, she was not injury prone until her comeback. This might have been related to the extra weight, but bodies break down. She was 22 at that time and looking at other players, this is about the age that injuries start to kick in. This was also when her father's cancer returned. I think her focus and dedication to the game as well as her fitness would have waned in '96, but she would have continued to split slams with Steffi in '93-'95 and probably wouldn't have been so out of shape in '97-'98 when there was still a window for her to win slams. Of course it's all speculation and sadly we won't know what might have been, but based on what was actually happening, there is a reasonable alternate universe in which Seles won many more, and others won fewer than they did. Happy she is happy, but there are some signs in this interview that she, too, wishes history would have been kinder to her.
@@zeddeka I think your post requires a few clarifications..one in 1992 the period you mention Monica had lost for four months …the Wimbledon final Monica had a lot to deal with the whole grunting issue then lost in the finals of LA and Montreal as she was injured with an ankle injury .once those issues were resolved she paved the field until end of the year ..Monica did miss some time in early 93 due to a virus ( hardly uncommon) so not sure that she was prone to injuries ..I believe she could have managed her schedule and lastly a lot of her post stabbing injuries were weight related ( her constant foot injuries for example) .the true answer is that we will never know ..one thing I agree with Monica on, in early 93 she was on fire and was clearly head and shoulders above the field
Totally agree. She was another level of intense and, even more than that, it was her boldness when her back was against the wall that makes her stand out. She'd aim for the lines or hit return winners when she was seemingly down and out.
Totally Agree Too... she is not mentioned enough when they talk about The Greats... if ever... Crazy... Simply One of The Best of All Time... 8/9? Majors before the age of 20...
@@johnanderson8096 Agree. She was begining to dominate everybody, including Steffi, until her tragic stabbing, and she was never the same player after that. For her attacker only to receive a 2 year suspended sentence is still an incomprehensible decision. Great champion.
Chris Evert is human, prone to bias, prejudice, hate. Again: she is human, prone to lies and deceit. Saying that, her statement "Had you not had your injury, I believe without doubt you would have been the greatest player ever" comes from those tendencies. I would humiliate Chris' pop culture stupidity sense for intellect one-on-one. The last thing I fear is stupidity. MANY athletes, in all sports, do well for some years then they descend. It happens and Monica was no exception. This is but one of many points against her mindless thinking. STEFFI GRAF had mental things to deal with and a knee surgery through her career. Had she not, she would have won more slams than anyone. Seles' wins did NOT come overall against Steffi but against others. Steffi had a winning record against Seles h2h before the cut and after. There is no opinion here but facts and evidence. Chris is just like those who say The Beatles are the best band/artists ever when they are obviously Not. Pop culture stupidity is killing the world.
@@markuse3472 When you get stabbed in the back, nothing anyone says can come close to making that better. Give Chris a break, and for goodness sake, we all should tell Monica she would have been the greatest. She was literally stabbed in the back, your comment is very unsympathetic.
Monica is known by many in the sporting world as being the greatest competitor on a court ..it’s not one of those “out there” comments that a fan would make to support their player
Had the pleasure of meeting Monica (Smytheson of Bond Street) after her retirement. She was so humble and gracious. Go Monica! Continued success and much love.
My original tennis love. I still remember sitting down to watch her beat the mighty Steffi Graf on TV in her first grand slam final in Paris. That scrawny looking kid who looked the way determination would look in human form. The toughest tennis and sports athlete I had ever seen. I could listen to her talk about her career for hours. Thanks Monica for your career, and for the great memories.
Chris Evert is human, prone to bias, prejudice, hate. Again: she is human, prone to lies and deceit. Saying that, her statement "Had you not had your injury, I believe without doubt you would have been the greatest player ever" comes from those tendencies. I would humiliate Chris' pop culture stupidity sense for intellect one-on-one. The last thing I fear is stupidity. MANY athletes, in all sports, do well for some years then they descend. It happens and Monica was no exception. This is but one of many points against her mindless thinking. STEFFI GRAF had mental things to deal with and a knee surgery through her career. Had she not, she would have won more slams than anyone. Seles' wins did NOT come overall against Steffi but against others. Steffi had a winning record against Seles h2h before the cut and after. There is no opinion here but facts and evidence. Chris is just like those who say The Beatles are the best band/artists ever when they are obviously Not. Pop culture stupidity is killing the world.
Yesssss Queen 👸🏼!!!!!! From the moment this series was announced, the one player I wanted to see Chrissy interview more than anyone else was Monica Seles!!! Many reasons for this, but i really do believe that she does not get nearly enough credit for how incredibly talented & innovative she was, & how much she truly did change the way women’s tennis was played. She was incredibly unique, so authentic, truly one of a kind, never replicated!!! It’s so very tragic how the course of history changed, because the current tennis generation most likely has no idea how truly special she was, how insanely amazing her trajectory was heading, especially after ‘93, which she briefly mentions here. She was really only just beginning to “come into her own”, she was only 19 yrs old!!!! Ppl talk as if she was in her prime, that’s just ridiculous!!!! She was only beginning to scratch the surface of it. Watch the ‘93 Oz-every aspect of her game was getting better, most notably her serve where she out-aced Graf! She was hitting w more topspin on her FH, and was even coming to net slightly more. Had she continued that sort of development, her true prime, IMO, would’ve been ‘95, with her peak prob around when Hingis began to succeed, ‘97. I mean she won the ‘96 Oz, made the ‘96 US Open final (often forgotten), and was a finalist at the ‘98 FO!!! Ultimately, I seriously wish ppl would give her the much needed respect & admiration she deserves, as what she accomplished should never be taken lightly, & the tennis community needs to mention this woman’s name much more often than they do, bcuz today’s game is owed to her, plain & simple.
Been a huge Seles fan for many years. Everyone lost when she was attacked, but thank God she'd already built a Hall of Fame career, with eight major titles to her credit about a month after she turned nineteen. Wonderful to see this great interview with Chrissie covering Monica's incredible life and career!
A true Queen amongst Queens. As eloquent and gracious a person as she was a tremendous player. I loved her from the minute I saw her as an 8 year old in 1989. I’ve still never felt the way I did about Monica, about any other player and I am huge Djoko fan but tennis started with Monica for me and she will always have a special place in my heart.
This was so enjoyable. What a player she was and what a fighter! When her back was against the wall she just refused to give in. Thanks for the amazing memories Monica!!
Always had a soft spot for Monica. As well as being an excellent player, she always had a smile and always exhibited good sportsmanship. Such a shame her career was taken away from her sooner than it should have been. She has matured beautifully. This was a pleasure to listen to. Thank you.
Monica was my favorite tennis player of all time. I loved her unique style of play and the "grunts" on her return volleys. She was so much fun to watch. A great player and an even greater human being.
Hands down the Greatest teenage phenomenon in the game’s history. There will never be another 8 time teenage slam champion again because there never was before and there’s only ever one. The Icon. TheLegend. Monica Seles ❤️
This brought tears to my eyes at the end. During their playing days Chris was SO strong and SO focused as was Monica. And to see them both open up in the end is really a treat. Thanks Chris, for acknowledging why Monica is so important, that is very cool of you, very gracious, and very intelligent. Chris and Monica are both true champions, and they both transcend the sport.
Another gem from Serbia. The first one in the crown. We love you , Monika, and we're so proud of you, not only for your success as an athlete, but as a great human being.
Modern power tennis really was birthed through Monica Seles. Her approach was different, she wanted to hit winners within the first 2 or 3 shots. She took the ball early and stepped in consistently on 2nd serve returns. And obviously she made the grunt acceptable and even popular. She's more of a trail blazer than people understand
I agree completely. Beyond the power she had all of those crazy angles and could drag her opponent beyond the doubles alley trying to retrieve her shots. When she would get into trouble she would hit the ball even harder. She was not afraid to play to a player's strength.
@@jm7804 No question. She was better than Steffi Graf because she would punish Steffi on the backhand exchanges and could get in control of the points the sooner. The stabbing and Monica's mid career weight issues really changed history. She should have more Grand Slams than Steffi
@@seanjenkins331 Saddens me so much, every time I think of it. That monster who killed her career, only got 2 years. Should have been 20! Btw (forgive my shallow thought), drop dead gorgeous woman, now, too.
Agree she won 8 GS as a bloody kid , imagine if Hamburg didn't happen ? i guess she would won close to 30 GS if things were going normal routine .....but that is just my opinion , i could be wrong of course but that girl had Steffi in her pocket before stabbing
@@halidmujkanovic9783 She didn't, actually. H2h was 6-4 in Steffi's favor, who had completely destroyed her in their next-to-last match at Wimbledon. Not easy to see how Monica could have turned that around.
@@fundhund62 of course she did. Steffi's fan didnt stab her for free you know. She had won 7 out of 8 consecutive GS she played beating Steffi in 2 of them.
my two tennis loves! super interview Chris. Monica has charm, well thought out answers and NEVER at a loss for words. you two are truly, truly champions. well done
Crissy many many thanks for doing an interview/ catch up with Monica, there's just so much to love about her, as a player and a person. The way she played and continually conducted herself on the court and the true sportsmanship she always displayed is truly incredible. She's the reason I started to play and my game is very much modeled on hers. What Monica has had to go through in her life is nothing short of amazing on so many levels. Unfortunately out of alot of the legends of the sport Monica is one of the least talked about for the greatness she always showed. She will always be my favorite 🥰
@@jamesdavidkmoss there is actually. Maureen Connolly won 9 when she was still a teenager. From 1951 to 54 every slam she entered she won and then a horse riding accident finished her career at 19. Different era of course but still a phenomenal achievement ( opponents would say it was like trying to beat a brick wall - the ball ALWAYS came back)
What a fantastic interview. I grew up watching Chrissie, but it was Monica who truly cemented my love for the game and I followed her career from her debut in 1988. What an extraordinary woman and a remarkable tennis player. No one could match her intensity, grit, determination and courage - nor her killer ground strokes, returns and those incredible angles. And such a gracious, humble and thoughtful human being. My number one... always ❤️
She was rather one-dimensional, though. Difficult to call her the GOAT. But for some time, she was the only one able to compete with Steffi Graf. Which is an accomplishment in and of itself.
@@fundhund62 She didn't compete with Graf. She surpassed Graf and won almost every important final they played for 3 years. Graf's record has a great big asterisk next to it because of Monica's stabbing.
I'm a big Serena William and Novak Djokovic fan, nevertheless, I think Monica Seles was even greater than Federer, Laver, or Margaret C, Graff or Serena. Why? Because in addition of living in a sexist society, she had to endure a personal attack, blocking her success. You have to be the greatest to be violently stopped, because they knew she was going to continue winning titles. Serena and Venus dealed with sexism and racism, that's why both are greater than Graff in my view, but not greater than Seles. Besides, Slams being a teenager? That's unbelievable!
If Monica Seles hadn't been stabbed, she would have gone down in history as the GREATEST female tennis player ever! No one ever hit the ball as hard and as accurately as Monica did. It was an absolute disgrace to justice that her attacker got off with a slap on the wrist. Monica became a new person - so mature, so wise, and so caring for others. She is unique and will always be remembered as one of the greatest of all time. What a wonderful interview! WE LOVE YOU, MONICA!!!
Monica’s biggest strength was her mental strength she played the bigger points the best ..yes she anticipated very well and developed by 93 a really solid serve and hit the heck out of the ball but her mental ability is what got her to the top and kept her there for three years before Hamburg ..what a great interview
We don't really know. Without a doubt it was awful what happened to her. But she was even prior to that showing mental/burn out issues. It's hard to say how long she could have kept it up.
@@805Bruin No one is disputing her record at the time which was amazing. It's just always uncertain how long you can keep it up until you do. Injuries, burn out other life goals, mental issues etc can supersede continuing. It's a very rare athlete that can continue long enough to establish the records that puts you in the best of all time discussion.
Chris Evert is human, prone to bias, prejudice, hate. Again: she is human, prone to lies and deceit. Saying that, her statement "Had you not had your injury, I believe without doubt you would have been the greatest player ever" comes from those tendencies. I would humiliate Chris' pop culture stupidity sense for intellect one-on-one. The last thing I fear is stupidity. MANY athletes, in all sports, do well for some years then they descend. It happens and Monica was no exception. This is but one of many points against her mindless thinking. STEFFI GRAF had mental things to deal with and a knee surgery through her career. Had she not, she would have won more slams than anyone. Seles' wins did NOT come overall against Steffi but against others. Steffi had a winning record against Seles h2h before the cut and after. There is no opinion here but facts and evidence. Chris is just like those who say The Beatles are the best band/artists ever when they are obviously Not. Pop culture stupidity is killing the world.
Monica, you're a hero! Not just for me but for so many people including Novak Djokovic :) Through the pain and heartbreak, your strength and kindess shines through. I keep coming back to this interview and its so inspiring. Thank you Chrissy for this interview, you're a hero yourself! :)
Wow , my 2 favorite women players ! I know Chrissy was part of Monica's rise to greatness . You could see the sisterhood relationship as she taught Monica to relax and stay focused . So much love and respect between them. You both are great people ! ❤
Wow! Great interview & full credit to Monica for everything she has been through & the way she has handled it & herself! A true inspiration for all of us.
I too started playing tennis after seeing her play. I never watched or knew about tennis until then. That all changed and picked up the game. I always thought she could beat the guys but after I started watching more of the ATP players I realized I was way off that mindset. The gap is too big as far as their abilities comparatively speaking.
@@ConkySTi funny story, in one of Nick Bollettiere's Books he talks about many of his pupils and how he also learned from them. In one part he discusses The Seles Years, in which he had seen her as a Skinny Scrawny lil Girl with toothpick legs and a GRUNT. When she moved to his academy (full scholarship) he was In Awe of her Ability of Focus and How she would Repeat the same shot until she mastered it. Also that she would Spend endless hours hitting ,so much that the girls didn't want to hit with her and eventually he had to get Jim Courier and Agassi hit with her, They both eventually told Bollettiere that they were also done with her, because she would never get tired , would hit hard and so Close to the lines, that she had them running on the court like Rag Dolls 🤣🤣🤣
@@dvus1977 lol yea I heard Nick saying that in an interview that’s why I was certain she could hang with the guys in ATP. Being in the states I remember with difficulty trying to watch some of her matches over a dial up modem lan line. Oh that sucked. Just as the internet got better she started to wind down her game. I missed out on so many of her matches. Oh well I wish her happiness. She would have made a great mother if she opted to have kids of her own.
Chris talks to Monica with so much respect and love. Monica would have been the GOAT if that accident hadn't happened. Monica is a legend. She's a joy to watch and a joy to listen to. Thank you Chris Evert for this interview.
Monica Seles is my favorite tennis player of all time, male or female. Love her so much. I followed her career very closely and rooted for her in every single match. Was fortunate enough to see her play 2 live matches and was absolutely thrilled to see her in person. She's an amazing person.
Monica is just totally adorable; I especially love her sense of humour. And it's very gratifying to see how much Chrissie respects and even admires her.
Thanks very much for the perspective Chris, this answered some long-time questions about Monica I never understood too well then. Very informative series, love it ♥
Monica, what a lovely gracious person! Thank you for sharing your story with those of us who were bowled over by your game-changing play and your unrivaled competitive intensity on the courts.
She was our pride.Yugoslavia really adored her. Even after she moved to US and became american citizen and player we loved her so much..Monica forever in my heart.
I'd say Novak is mentally the toughest player who ever played, but Monika is right behind him. And, guess, what, they are both coming from the same country, from two biggest cities in Serbia (her from beautiful Novi Sad and him from Belgrade), 100 kilometers apart. There's something over there than makes people mentally tough.
Agree,it's our mentality,nobody teach us to be mentaly strong,we born that way.I'm also from Belgrade and allways loved and love Monika.I'm great fan she is the biggest one,like a person and wta player.She never give up every single point,even after all bad things that happend in her life,she come back,and win other gran slam and several tournaments.Hwo will do that?I think no one.Love you Monika so mutch
@@jpman2173 Monica was born and raised in Serbia. Nobody calls Zverev a Russian, or Petkovic a Serb, or Bencic a Slovak,...etc. And many of them were not even born in countries they are playing for.
What a great interview. Just thinking about the issues Naomi Osaka raised recently. I wish you all would work together to tackle stigma around athletes' mental health.
then what happened at the 1992 Wimbledon Finals when she was #1 and at her peak and then Graf destroyed her 6-2, 6-1??? please explain.. 🤔 I guess Wimbledon doesnt matter right? ..best ever at getting massacred by Graf at Wimbledon you mean lol
@@RoamHockeynice stat. Almost as good as the one of Monica not losing to Steffi, or anyone else at any grand slam in 2 years besides at Wimbledon. Grass was graf’s surface and perfectly suited to her game, but Steffi wasn’t winning another grand slam on hard or clay if Seles wasn’t stabbed. And she might have started to lose Wimbledon too depending how Monica matured.
Monica the miracle...!! Wow, securing not one, not two & not three, but a total of eight slams in her teenaged years is simply awesome & spell bounding...💐 Can it get more miraculous than this? Definitely not....🙅 Love you Monica for such incredible achievements during 90s...✍🏼
Novak, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic all started playing tennis because of Monica. She was such an icon in Yugoslavia and still people talk about her with great respect. When she was stabbed there was literally a national mourning. She never went to Germany again. Ps: the background music is really not a good fit in these videos
I’m from England. If Monica Seles had been British and suffered that stabbing in Germany then England would have gone CRAZY!!!! The British tabloids would have started calling the Germans ‘Nazis’ again and the relationship between the two countries would have suffered greatly.
@@rgncajun21 She said once since she started at the age of 13 everybody used the term "Steffi", but she never used the name when answering the phone or else. After her career and especially now in her 50s she does not like the name. Andre always calls her "Stefanie", even already in 2006 when he introduces her to the Hall Of Fame
Such a wonderful and heartfelt interview Chris ! Your compassionate statements about Monica who I agree probably would have gone on to the greatest heights ! She is a wonderful woman and is so honest about her game ! She's hard not to admire ! Fantastic and I loved it ! 🤗👍🇨🇦🇨🇦♥️♥️
Love this interview. You can always tell the public figures or sports figures who have done a significant amount of therapy. They are able to talk about themselves and their experiences with the lens on both internal and external pressures. There is little to no "fake" humility. There is a deep knowledge about how they got in their own way. They don't focus on the superficial issues in their lives. They aren't afraid to talk about their pain and how they learned to integrate it into their lives for the better. Shamefully, I don't find many famous people or athletes who are able to do this.
I really enjoyed listening to this interview. I remember watching your tennis matches and appreciate your insights on tennis and mental and physical health. You are helping so many people’s lives . Thank you ladies !
This interview brings tears to my eyes, and I'm a grown man. Thank you so much Monica for your wonderful career and your triumphs over such adversity. I've never seen a player like you, and I believe you're the greatest of all time. Your professional and personal achievements inspire me and I draw strength from such a beautiful human being you are. Thank you so much Chris for using your platform in this manner, and acknowledging Monica's place in pioneering so many aspects of the modern game. I loved watching you back in the day, and I'm glad for all you continue to do in the world of tennis. We love you both and wish you all the best!
Hi Chrissie! FYI, you and Martina inspired me to learn to play the game. In my opinion both you and Monica will always be the two toughest mental players in the history of the women's game. No disrespect to Serena nor Steffi. But I marveled over how many times your minds got you both out of high pressure matches. I thank you both.
Well I just came across this. OMG , I have watched so many wonderful tennis champions. Monica Seles was such a handful on court , a true champion 🏆 , every ball she fought for . So thank you Chris Everett for this gem of an interview. A very insightful interview & it's true , every sports champion is also human , I think a lot of the time people forget that. When the match/tournament is over , whether won or lost , in the car , boat or plane our champion's, on that trip home , might just need a hug or someone to listen 🤗🤗🤗
A great interview between 2 legends, we all wish that the stabbing incident had not happened to see the possibility of her being the goat but will still be remembered as the greatest women's player to transcend tennis at that time with her unique aggressive style with mental toughness but to do what's she's done after retiring from tennis has been heartwarming and sums up the total human being she truly is
Thank you for this interview, Chris and Monica. That was the golden era of women’s tennis for me and watching Seles play was a huge highlight. She brought so much joy to the game as well as her grit and ferocity. The competitors of that time - the overlapping of the Chris/Martina rivalry with the emergence of the new great players, led by Graf, Seles, Sabatini, and Sanchez-Vicario, was thrilling to witness and actually got me hooked on the love of tennis my whole life. She was simply amazing to watch and such a lovely person. It was so heartwarming to hear that little giggle again that I remember from her match interviews. You are In our hearts forever, Monica.
Thank you, Chrissy, for inspiring me to play tennis. I learned how to be tenacious by watching you. Thank you, Monica, for the breathtaking tennis you played and for the fire you displayed on the court. Thank you both for being such great people and role models for so many others. You two, and Martina, are my all-time favorite players!
@@carrerau7138what are you even doing on this video? You have already been exposed that you absolutely hate Monica, think she was ugly, and think she would never have won anything if it wasn't for Graf's slump. You purposely came here just to make sure that no one is saying anything nice about Monica, And to make sure that no one is saying anything negative towards Graf. You truly are a psychotic person.
@@carrerau7138of course changed the course of history, shw won 8 G.S. before her 20's..before the standing she won the A.O., and R.G. and U.O. was an already seen movie.. maybe only wimbledon could be a different challenge..but it was just a matter of time.
27:17 What an iconic photo! So great to see Monica standing next to the fabulous Martina Navratilova! I have learned a lot about Monica Seles today. Monica is only 1 year older than I, and I remember watching her play in the early 1990's. She was fantastic to watch back then, and is great to watch in these interviews. Definitely an inspirational woman, who has been through a lot in her life and is living each day now, the best way possible. Thank you for this upload, I enjoyed learning more about this wonderful woman.
I will always love Monica 💖💖💖 she will.always be the example for me how to fight to the end ❤️❤️❤️❤️ I remember one of her matches when she was losing 4:1 in the last set and she came on top winning the hole game . I was crying so much ! Such an amazing woman !!!
I hope Monica knows by now how beloved she is. A true champion, a true inspiration! We need more interviews with Monica!
That's quite the compliment, "Had you not had your injury, I believe without doubt you would have been the greatest player ever." Another great interview and very touching at the end. Fantastic.
Yeah. An extraordinary statement. And if Chris Evert of all people says this...well.
I disagree... Competition was shit
Also Williams and other players would've destroyed her
@@varunshahvo-tv9854 but you're not Chris Evert, so your opinion is....irrelevant. Sorry.
@@jordanaus75 nooo every human being deserves a voice
I don't care if she's Chris evert and she says shit just to make seles happy as a guest
The bottom line is many legends who speak bluntly and honestly believe me too
And next time NEVER DISRESPECT THE VOICE OF THE HARD WORKING MIDDLE CLASS... IDIOT
@@varunshahvo-tv9854 there are people who know what they are talking about in relation to their expertise, eg Chris Evert here, and those who don't but want their irritating screams to be heard like a child having a tantrum who doesn't like someone/something, eg you. My original call was correct: irrelevant.
And next time: Never disrespect the voice of someone who knows more than you, and check to see if your self-entitled contribution is just taking the opportunity to have a bitch and be derogatory.
Thank you Chrissy for saying what you said about the course of tennis history and Monica.
And for pointing out Monica won 8 out of 9 Grand Slams, IN A ROW....as a teenager.
8 of 9? She won 7 of 8.
She won 7 of 8 in a row, but she still won 8 as a teen, and had just turned 19 before winning #8.
Chris Evert is human, prone to bias, prejudice, hate. Again: she is human, prone to lies and deceit.
Saying that, her statement "Had you not had your injury, I believe without doubt you would have been the greatest player ever" comes from those tendencies.
I would humiliate Chris' pop culture stupidity sense for intellect one-on-one. The last thing I fear is stupidity.
MANY athletes, in all sports, do well for some years then they descend. It happens and Monica was no exception. This is but one of many points against her mindless thinking. STEFFI GRAF had mental things to deal with and a knee surgery through her career. Had she not, she would have won more slams than anyone. Seles' wins did NOT come overall against Steffi but against others. Steffi had a winning record against Seles h2h before the cut and after. There is no opinion here but facts and evidence. Chris is just like those who say The Beatles are the best band/artists ever when they are obviously Not. Pop culture stupidity is killing the world.
She has 9
"As a teenager" should be in CAPITAL LETTERS as well.
As a fan of Monica Seles since 11 years old (Im 43 years now) is a privilege to see that amazing interview with a legend Christ Evert and magnificent Monica Seles. MONICA SELES is a unique gem of Women's tennis! Lovely human being indeed.
Such a great interview, thank you! We called Monika "Mala Mo" ("Little Mo") back in the days of Yugoslavia and she was our pride. I fell in love with tennis because of her and was watching that match in Hamburg on live television when that German madman stabbed her in 1993 - I felt sick just watching it, was in complete shock and disbelief about what happened to her that day. So relieved that she survived the attack and is here with us to tell her story. And it's so lovely to see what a beautiful human being she has evolved into. Thank you Monika for your honesty and for being you.
What a brilliant interview, Monica was an unbelievable player and Chris Evert is a great interviewer allowing Monica to talk for 90% of the interview. Really enjoyed that thankyou
I agree with Chris that Monica would have been the greatest player of all time if not for the injury/attack. I am her age and remember watching her with such appreciation. She was rolling through titles. I love her humanity. Great interview and thanks to you both!
I don't think we'll ever know, sadly. There were plenty of other factors that may very well have affected Monica before then. Firstly, it's just mentally and physically impossible to keep up the kind of winning run Monica had in the early 90s for more than a couple of years in a row. Players like Navratilova, Graf, Federer and Djokovic have all had big dips after runs like that because it's just too exhausting. As early as 1991, people were commenting on Monica's weight, and she talked openly back then about how she couldn't stop eating butter. So some signs were there that the stress was really building up. Perhaps there were also some signs showing that Monica finding it harder going in 1992. She went for a three month period, June to September, without winning anything - she looked very listless during that period - bored and tired with it all. Monica was also never blessed with the most robust health - in early 93 for example she had to take three months off the tour because of illness. That meant that in the year leading up to the stabbing, she went for six months of tour time without winning anything. Injuries were often a problem too - for example, the one that forced her out of Wimbledon in 1991. It's very possible that if she'd kept on playing, the injuries that eventually forced her out of the game would have started earlier. Finally, there were some signs that players were just starting to figure her out a little. In 1992, she lost easy straight sets matches to 4 different players, and also lost her first match to Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. In early 1993, she also very nearly lost to Brenda Shultz McCarthy. I guess we'll never know.
@@zeddeka Very thoughtful. Thank you for the insights! And yes, so true that we only know what came to pass, anything else is speculative. In the end I am so glad to see she is doing so well today. Cheers
@@zeddeka do you mean she "didn't win anything" from June-September 1992 because she lost in the FINALS of the big tournaments (1 Major) like Wimbledon (to Steffi) and Canada (to Arantxa, incredible player too often very little recognized) are? I appreciate your comment very much but don't agree here.
@@zeddeka There are parts of your post that I agree with: sadly, we will never know, but just as sadly, there are people who pretend like her dominance was ending anyway and the stabbing didn't matter. I agree that no player, including Seles, has ever dominated for more than a few years. And even in 91-92, Seles wasn't as dominant as Graf in 87-90 or Navratilova in 83-86. I also agree that there were likely factors that would have impeded her dominance from being sustained - namely her father's first cancer diagnosis in '93 and Graf's resurgence/change of racket starting in '94; however, there are inaccuracies and far too much conjecture in your statement. The players you mention didn't have "big dips." Their dominance wasn't sustained, but they were still at the top of the game and in '93-95, the difference between Graf/Seles and everyone else was huge. Even with a "dip," she and Graf would have continued to dominate. She wasn't "athlete-fit" like Graf, but there were no comments about her weight in '91. Perhaps their were comments about her diet, but not about her weight. Look at her in '93: she's thin and wirey. Watch the '93 AO Final: it was hot as blazes and she dug out so many balls. She did have a lull in the summer of '92, but during the 12 months prior to the stabbing, she won seven tournaments, including the French Open, US Open, YEC, and Australian Open, and she made five finals - out of 12 tournaments played in those 12 months, she never failed to reach the final. If injuries were going to plague her in '93-'95 they would have already begun. She missed Wimbledon '91 due to shin splints and was out for a while in the spring of '93; however, she was not injury prone until her comeback. This might have been related to the extra weight, but bodies break down. She was 22 at that time and looking at other players, this is about the age that injuries start to kick in. This was also when her father's cancer returned. I think her focus and dedication to the game as well as her fitness would have waned in '96, but she would have continued to split slams with Steffi in '93-'95 and probably wouldn't have been so out of shape in '97-'98 when there was still a window for her to win slams. Of course it's all speculation and sadly we won't know what might have been, but based on what was actually happening, there is a reasonable alternate universe in which Seles won many more, and others won fewer than they did. Happy she is happy, but there are some signs in this interview that she, too, wishes history would have been kinder to her.
@@zeddeka I think your post requires a few clarifications..one in 1992 the period you mention Monica had lost for four months …the Wimbledon final Monica had a lot to deal with the whole grunting issue then lost in the finals of LA and Montreal as she was injured with an ankle injury .once those issues were resolved she paved the field until end of the year ..Monica did miss some time in early 93 due to a virus ( hardly uncommon) so not sure that she was prone to injuries ..I believe she could have managed her schedule and lastly a lot of her post stabbing injuries were weight related ( her constant foot injuries for example) .the true answer is that we will never know ..one thing I agree with Monica on, in early 93 she was on fire and was clearly head and shoulders above the field
Thank you chrissy for having monica here. Yes she is a game changer in the women world tennis. Monica we miss you so much
One of my favourite players ever - still to this day, no one can compete like Seles did in her prime
Totally agree. She was another level of intense and, even more than that, it was her boldness when her back was against the wall that makes her stand out. She'd aim for the lines or hit return winners when she was seemingly down and out.
Totally Agree Too... she is not mentioned enough when they talk about The Greats... if ever...
Crazy... Simply One of The Best of All Time... 8/9? Majors before the age of 20...
@@johnanderson8096 Agree. She was begining to dominate everybody, including Steffi, until her tragic stabbing, and she was never the same player after that. For her attacker only to receive a 2 year suspended sentence is still an incomprehensible decision. Great champion.
Chris Evert is human, prone to bias, prejudice, hate. Again: she is human, prone to lies and deceit.
Saying that, her statement "Had you not had your injury, I believe without doubt you would have been the greatest player ever" comes from those tendencies.
I would humiliate Chris' pop culture stupidity sense for intellect one-on-one. The last thing I fear is stupidity.
MANY athletes, in all sports, do well for some years then they descend. It happens and Monica was no exception. This is but one of many points against her mindless thinking. STEFFI GRAF had mental things to deal with and a knee surgery through her career. Had she not, she would have won more slams than anyone. Seles' wins did NOT come overall against Steffi but against others. Steffi had a winning record against Seles h2h before the cut and after. There is no opinion here but facts and evidence. Chris is just like those who say The Beatles are the best band/artists ever when they are obviously Not. Pop culture stupidity is killing the world.
@@markuse3472 When you get stabbed in the back, nothing anyone says can come close to making that better. Give Chris a break, and for goodness sake, we all should tell Monica she would have been the greatest. She was literally stabbed in the back, your comment is very unsympathetic.
The greatest competitor there's ever been on a tennis court. A legend.
You mean one of the greatest, not the greatest.
@@ig6894 nope greatest...
Monica is known by many in the sporting world as being the greatest competitor on a court ..it’s not one of those “out there” comments that a fan would make to support their player
@@davehill121 the greatest..periodt!
Which one are you referring to? I can't even tell as that could easily apply to both.
Had the pleasure of meeting Monica (Smytheson of Bond Street) after her retirement. She was so humble and gracious. Go Monica! Continued success and much love.
My original tennis love. I still remember sitting down to watch her beat the mighty Steffi Graf on TV in her first grand slam final in Paris. That scrawny looking kid who looked the way determination would look in human form. The toughest tennis and sports athlete I had ever seen. I could listen to her talk about her career for hours. Thanks Monica for your career, and for the great memories.
Chris Evert is human, prone to bias, prejudice, hate. Again: she is human, prone to lies and deceit.
Saying that, her statement "Had you not had your injury, I believe without doubt you would have been the greatest player ever" comes from those tendencies.
I would humiliate Chris' pop culture stupidity sense for intellect one-on-one. The last thing I fear is stupidity.
MANY athletes, in all sports, do well for some years then they descend. It happens and Monica was no exception. This is but one of many points against her mindless thinking. STEFFI GRAF had mental things to deal with and a knee surgery through her career. Had she not, she would have won more slams than anyone. Seles' wins did NOT come overall against Steffi but against others. Steffi had a winning record against Seles h2h before the cut and after. There is no opinion here but facts and evidence. Chris is just like those who say The Beatles are the best band/artists ever when they are obviously Not. Pop culture stupidity is killing the world.
Yesssss Queen 👸🏼!!!!!! From the moment this series was announced, the one player I wanted to see Chrissy interview more than anyone else was Monica Seles!!! Many reasons for this, but i really do believe that she does not get nearly enough credit for how incredibly talented & innovative she was, & how much she truly did change the way women’s tennis was played. She was incredibly unique, so authentic, truly one of a kind, never replicated!!! It’s so very tragic how the course of history changed, because the current tennis generation most likely has no idea how truly special she was, how insanely amazing her trajectory was heading, especially after ‘93, which she briefly mentions here. She was really only just beginning to “come into her own”, she was only 19 yrs old!!!! Ppl talk as if she was in her prime, that’s just ridiculous!!!! She was only beginning to scratch the surface of it. Watch the ‘93 Oz-every aspect of her game was getting better, most notably her serve where she out-aced Graf! She was hitting w more topspin on her FH, and was even coming to net slightly more. Had she continued that sort of development, her true prime, IMO, would’ve been ‘95, with her peak prob around when Hingis began to succeed, ‘97. I mean she won the ‘96 Oz, made the ‘96 US Open final (often forgotten), and was a finalist at the ‘98 FO!!! Ultimately, I seriously wish ppl would give her the much needed respect & admiration she deserves, as what she accomplished should never be taken lightly, & the tennis community needs to mention this woman’s name much more often than they do, bcuz today’s game is owed to her, plain & simple.
I always loved to see her parents at her games. Her mother was lovely. Monica is my favourite player of all time.
Speaks so articulately and eloquently - and very gracious about coach Nick B.
Been a huge Seles fan for many years. Everyone lost when she was attacked, but thank God she'd already built a Hall of Fame career, with eight major titles to her credit about a month after she turned nineteen. Wonderful to see this great interview with Chrissie covering Monica's incredible life and career!
Thanks Chris for this. She's the ultimate warrior 💓. So raw, so unique, such genius. My all time favourite player🥰
Warrior is a good description. I put her right there with Nadal when it comes to heart and willingness to chase down every ball.
A true Queen amongst Queens. As eloquent and gracious a person as she was a tremendous player. I loved her from the minute I saw her as an 8 year old in 1989. I’ve still never felt the way I did about Monica, about any other player and I am huge Djoko fan but tennis started with Monica for me and she will always have a special place in my heart.
Love Monica! She seems to be happy in life and always such a humble champion. One of the greatest to ever play the game.
This was so enjoyable. What a player she was and what a fighter! When her back was against the wall she just refused to give in. Thanks for the amazing memories Monica!!
Always had a soft spot for Monica. As well as being an excellent player, she always had a smile and always exhibited good sportsmanship. Such a shame her career was taken away from her sooner than it should have been. She has matured beautifully. This was a pleasure to listen to. Thank you.
The best ever right here. Monica will never be equaled.
yes zero Wimbledons = best ever 🤣 gimme a break..she is not even top 10 of alltime..she was to busy lining up the old rich guys lol
The loveliest tennis player ever. We are coming from the same city, Novi Sad 😊
Was waiting for this .... One of the greatest...She is so so sweet and gracious 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Monica was my favorite tennis player of all time. I loved her unique style of play and the "grunts" on her return volleys. She was so much fun to watch.
A great player and an even greater human being.
She's such a joyful woman. You wouldn't know the hardships she went through just by looking at her. So courageous and inspiring.
I fell in love with the game watching Monica! We love you!
Hands down the Greatest teenage phenomenon in the game’s history. There will never be another 8 time teenage slam champion again because there never was before and there’s only ever one. The Icon. TheLegend. Monica Seles ❤️
But she didn't win eight straight. What are you talking about?
Markus E I never said 8 straight you imbosole lol I know she never won Wimbledon 🤪
@@markuse3472They didn’t say consecutive. Take a reading comprehension course.
This brought tears to my eyes at the end. During their playing days Chris was SO strong and SO focused as was Monica. And to see them both open up in the end is really a treat. Thanks Chris, for acknowledging why Monica is so important, that is very cool of you, very gracious, and very intelligent.
Chris and Monica are both true champions, and they both transcend the sport.
Incredible interview. Monica's Dad would be so proud of the amazing human being that Monica Seles has grown to be.
Another gem from Serbia. The first one in the crown. We love you , Monika, and we're so proud of you, not only for your success as an athlete, but as a great human being.
Modern power tennis really was birthed through Monica Seles. Her approach was different, she wanted to hit winners within the first 2 or 3 shots. She took the ball early and stepped in consistently on 2nd serve returns. And obviously she made the grunt acceptable and even popular. She's more of a trail blazer than people understand
I agree completely. Beyond the power she had all of those crazy angles and could drag her opponent beyond the doubles alley trying to retrieve her shots. When she would get into trouble she would hit the ball even harder. She was not afraid to play to a player's strength.
@@jm7804 No question. She was better than Steffi Graf because she would punish Steffi on the backhand exchanges and could get in control of the points the sooner. The stabbing and Monica's mid career weight issues really changed history. She should have more Grand Slams than Steffi
@@seanjenkins331 Saddens me so much, every time I think of it. That monster who killed her career, only got 2 years. Should have been 20! Btw (forgive my shallow thought), drop dead gorgeous woman, now, too.
@@dandecastro51 She lost the weight but u can also tell she feels good about herself too
Amen
Best ever. Such class and so humble. She would have been the player with the most slams had she not been attacked.
We´ll never know.
Agree she won 8 GS as a bloody kid , imagine if Hamburg didn't happen ? i guess she would won close to 30 GS if things were going normal routine .....but that is just my opinion , i could be wrong of course but that girl had Steffi in her pocket before stabbing
@@halidmujkanovic9783 She didn't, actually. H2h was 6-4 in Steffi's favor, who had completely destroyed her in their next-to-last match at Wimbledon. Not easy to see how Monica could have turned that around.
@@fundhund62 difficult to say but i think Monika has the power to become greatest of all time ....we will never know ......
@@fundhund62 of course she did. Steffi's fan didnt stab her for free you know. She had won 7 out of 8 consecutive GS she played beating Steffi in 2 of them.
my two tennis loves! super interview Chris. Monica has charm, well thought out answers and NEVER at a loss for words. you two are truly, truly champions. well done
The angles she could create with such pace and accuracy are still unmatched. ❤ for Monica forever.
WOW! Genuinely wonderful interview. what I take from it... love the game first.
Crissy many many thanks for doing an interview/ catch up with Monica, there's just so much to love about her, as a player and a person.
The way she played and continually conducted herself on the court and the true sportsmanship she always displayed is truly incredible.
She's the reason I started to play and my game is very much modeled on hers.
What Monica has had to go through in her life is nothing short of amazing on so many levels.
Unfortunately out of alot of the legends of the sport Monica is one of the least talked about for the greatness she always showed. She will always be my favorite 🥰
8 slams before the age of 20. A phenomenon for sure.
I don't think they is another person to do so.
She's the Greatest
@@jamesdavidkmoss there is actually. Maureen Connolly won 9 when she was still a teenager. From 1951 to 54 every slam she entered she won and then a horse riding accident finished her career at 19. Different era of course but still a phenomenal achievement ( opponents would say it was like trying to beat a brick wall - the ball ALWAYS came back)
Probably she was about to make 3 GS per year
At that rate she would of had 20+ by 25 years old she would of dominated the 90s
What a fantastic interview. I grew up watching Chrissie, but it was Monica who truly cemented my love for the game and I followed her career from her debut in 1988. What an extraordinary woman and a remarkable tennis player. No one could match her intensity, grit, determination and courage - nor her killer ground strokes, returns and those incredible angles. And such a gracious, humble and thoughtful human being. My number one... always ❤️
As a tennis player probably the best ever in women's tennis.Don't worry about the Grand slam numbers. GOAT.
She was rather one-dimensional, though. Difficult to call her the GOAT. But for some time, she was the only one able to compete with Steffi Graf. Which is an accomplishment in and of itself.
@@fundhund62 Put it this way she is up there with the best of them.
@@fundhund62 She didn't compete with Graf. She surpassed Graf and won almost every important final they played for 3 years. Graf's record has a great big asterisk next to it because of Monica's stabbing.
@@jondavwal13 That's nonsense, and you know it. Graf led the h2h 6-4 prior to the stabbing, and had won three out of their last five matches.
I'm a big Serena William and Novak Djokovic fan, nevertheless, I think Monica Seles was even greater than Federer, Laver, or Margaret C, Graff or Serena. Why? Because in addition of living in a sexist society, she had to endure a personal attack, blocking her success.
You have to be the greatest to be violently stopped, because they knew she was going to continue winning titles. Serena and Venus dealed with sexism and racism, that's why both are greater than Graff in my view, but not greater than Seles.
Besides, Slams being a teenager? That's unbelievable!
If Monica Seles hadn't been stabbed, she would have gone down in history as the GREATEST female tennis player ever! No one ever hit the ball as hard and as accurately as Monica did. It was an absolute disgrace to justice that her attacker got off with a slap on the wrist. Monica became a new person - so mature, so wise, and so caring for others. She is unique and will always be remembered as one of the greatest of all time. What a wonderful interview! WE LOVE YOU, MONICA!!!
Monica’s biggest strength was her mental strength she played the bigger points the best ..yes she anticipated very well and developed by 93 a really solid serve and hit the heck out of the ball but her mental ability is what got her to the top and kept her there for three years before Hamburg ..what a great interview
We don't really know. Without a doubt it was awful what happened to her. But she was even prior to that showing mental/burn out issues. It's hard to say how long she could have kept it up.
@@johniii8147 Well said
She had a 55-1 record in Grand Slams in 1991, 1992, and 1993 before the stabbing. The only loss was to Graf in the Wimbledon final in 1992.
@@805Bruin No one is disputing her record at the time which was amazing. It's just always uncertain how long you can keep it up until you do. Injuries, burn out other life goals, mental issues etc can supersede continuing. It's a very rare athlete that can continue long enough to establish the records that puts you in the best of all time discussion.
The best one yet. I adore Monica Seles - and you.
What happened to Monica and the impact it had on her career really is heartbreaking. I'm glad she seems to be doing well and enjoying life now.
Chris Evert is human, prone to bias, prejudice, hate. Again: she is human, prone to lies and deceit.
Saying that, her statement "Had you not had your injury, I believe without doubt you would have been the greatest player ever" comes from those tendencies.
I would humiliate Chris' pop culture stupidity sense for intellect one-on-one. The last thing I fear is stupidity.
MANY athletes, in all sports, do well for some years then they descend. It happens and Monica was no exception. This is but one of many points against her mindless thinking. STEFFI GRAF had mental things to deal with and a knee surgery through her career. Had she not, she would have won more slams than anyone. Seles' wins did NOT come overall against Steffi but against others. Steffi had a winning record against Seles h2h before the cut and after. There is no opinion here but facts and evidence. Chris is just like those who say The Beatles are the best band/artists ever when they are obviously Not. Pop culture stupidity is killing the world.
Monica's story is so inspiring!
God bless her
Monica, you're a hero! Not just for me but for so many people including Novak Djokovic :)
Through the pain and heartbreak, your strength and kindess shines through. I keep coming back to this interview and its so inspiring. Thank you Chrissy for this interview, you're a hero yourself! :)
My all time favorite tennis player - Monica, you're a legend!
Love this interview. Monica is amazing. Hands down my favourite all time player.
Loving these interviews and hearing Monica's story has been truly inspiring. What an incredible champion. She truly is a legend of the game!
Wow , my 2 favorite women players !
I know Chrissy was part of Monica's rise to greatness . You could see the sisterhood relationship as she taught Monica to relax and stay focused .
So much love and respect between them.
You both are great people ! ❤
My favorite player of all time, period! Thanks Monica!
Wow! Great interview & full credit to Monica for everything she has been through & the way she has handled it & herself! A true inspiration for all of us.
Monica Seles is the reason I fell in LOVE 💕💕 with tennis. I remember watching the 91 U.S. Open Semis against Capriati and 🤯🤯🤯😳😳🤯🤯🤯.
I too started playing tennis after seeing her play. I never watched or knew about tennis until then. That all changed and picked up the game. I always thought she could beat the guys but after I started watching more of the ATP players I realized I was way off that mindset. The gap is too big as far as their abilities comparatively speaking.
@@ConkySTi funny story, in one of Nick Bollettiere's Books he talks about many of his pupils and how he also learned from them. In one part he discusses The Seles Years, in which he had seen her as a Skinny Scrawny lil Girl with toothpick legs and a GRUNT. When she moved to his academy (full scholarship) he was In Awe of her Ability of Focus and How she would Repeat the same shot until she mastered it. Also that she would Spend endless hours hitting ,so much that the girls didn't want to hit with her and eventually he had to get Jim Courier and Agassi hit with her, They both eventually told Bollettiere that they were also done with her, because she would never get tired , would hit hard and so Close to the lines, that she had them running on the court like Rag Dolls 🤣🤣🤣
@@dvus1977 lol yea I heard Nick saying that in an interview that’s why I was certain she could hang with the guys in ATP. Being in the states I remember with difficulty trying to watch some of her matches over a dial up modem lan line. Oh that sucked. Just as the internet got better she started to wind down her game. I missed out on so many of her matches. Oh well I wish her happiness. She would have made a great mother if she opted to have kids of her own.
Monica ❤️❤️ The best player of all time
A very enjoyable interview especially listening to Monica reflect so thoughtfully about her life and tennis career. Took tennis to a whole new level.
Chris talks to Monica with so much respect and love. Monica would have been the GOAT if that accident hadn't happened. Monica is a legend. She's a joy to watch and a joy to listen to. Thank you Chris Evert for this interview.
Monica Seles is my favorite tennis player of all time, male or female. Love her so much. I followed her career very closely and rooted for her in every single match. Was fortunate enough to see her play 2 live matches and was absolutely thrilled to see her in person. She's an amazing person.
Monica is just totally adorable; I especially love her sense of humour. And it's very gratifying to see how much Chrissie respects and even admires her.
Thanks very much for the perspective Chris, this answered some long-time questions about Monica I never understood too well then. Very informative series, love it ♥
Monica, what a lovely gracious person! Thank you for sharing your story with those of us who were bowled over by your game-changing play and your unrivaled competitive intensity on the courts.
Wonderful interview. Haven’t heard from Monica for so long 💕👍👏
She was our pride.Yugoslavia really adored her. Even after she moved to US and became american citizen and player we loved her so much..Monica forever in my heart.
What a champion and inspiration! I hope she's well
Seles was a remarkable player....mentally probably the toughest player ever to play the game.
I'd say Novak is mentally the toughest player who ever played, but Monika is right behind him. And, guess, what, they are both coming from the same country, from two biggest cities in Serbia (her from beautiful Novi Sad and him from Belgrade), 100 kilometers apart. There's something over there than makes people mentally tough.
Agree,it's our mentality,nobody teach us to be mentaly strong,we born that way.I'm also from Belgrade and allways loved and love Monika.I'm great fan she is the biggest one,like a person and wta player.She never give up every single point,even after all bad things that happend in her life,she come back,and win other gran slam and several tournaments.Hwo will do that?I think no one.Love you Monika so mutch
@@musiciansdice You also gotta think that Monica’s also Hungarian. I remember when Ana Ivanonic first started, she said her inspiration was Monica.
@@jpman2173 Monica was born and raised in Serbia. Nobody calls Zverev a Russian, or Petkovic a Serb, or Bencic a Slovak,...etc. And many of them were not even born in countries they are playing for.
So sweet when she talked about her dad. He seemed like a good man and a perfect dad!
What a great interview. Just thinking about the issues Naomi Osaka raised recently. I wish you all would work together to tackle stigma around athletes' mental health.
No one could beat Monica Seles in her time. She IS best ever female tennis player. We from Yugoslavia will always be proud of her.
Како ко?! Неко јој није заборавио америчко држављанство.
And she wasn't even in her prime when she was unbeatable. Her prime was after 1993 but she was stabbed and she couldn't recover that same form.
Btw, she looks like she's sick here. I hope she is OK, health wise.
then what happened at the 1992 Wimbledon Finals when she was #1 and at her peak and then Graf destroyed her 6-2, 6-1??? please explain.. 🤔 I guess Wimbledon doesnt matter right? ..best ever at getting massacred by Graf at Wimbledon you mean lol
@@RoamHockeynice stat. Almost as good as the one of Monica not losing to Steffi, or anyone else at any grand slam in 2 years besides at Wimbledon. Grass was graf’s surface and perfectly suited to her game, but Steffi wasn’t winning another grand slam on hard or clay if Seles wasn’t stabbed. And she might have started to lose Wimbledon too depending how Monica matured.
It looks like she was fighting back tears at 26:44. Thinking of everything she went though at such a young age is really heartbreaking.
there is a humility to this woman that is so inspiring. She has never lost it. God Bless her!
Monica the miracle...!! Wow, securing not one, not two & not three, but a total of eight slams in her teenaged years is simply awesome & spell bounding...💐 Can it get more miraculous than this? Definitely not....🙅 Love you Monica for such incredible achievements during 90s...✍🏼
Novak, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic all started playing tennis because of Monica. She was such an icon in Yugoslavia and still people talk about her with great respect. When she was stabbed there was literally a national mourning. She never went to Germany again.
Ps: the background music is really not a good fit in these videos
I’m from England. If Monica Seles had been British and suffered that stabbing in Germany then England would have gone CRAZY!!!! The British tabloids would have started calling the Germans ‘Nazis’ again and the relationship between the two countries would have suffered greatly.
@@jagjitsinghmanku2283 germans are moving like "natsi" these days tbf
Was waiting for this one...
Such an amazing, humble and wonderful human being. Love you Monica!
She's so sweet.
I loved how Monica says Stefanie Graf. 🤣
lol me too
That was actually really nice of Monica because Graf HATES being called “Steffi”
@@iwantafennec9577 oh wow I never knew that!
@@rgncajun21 She said once since she started at the age of 13 everybody used the term "Steffi", but she never used the name when answering the phone or else. After her career and especially now in her 50s she does not like the name. Andre always calls her "Stefanie", even already in 2006 when he introduces her to the Hall Of Fame
@@likuidtalent4818 nothing to lol about
Such a wonderful and heartfelt interview Chris ! Your compassionate statements about Monica who I agree probably would have gone on to the greatest heights ! She is a wonderful woman and is so honest about her game ! She's hard not to admire ! Fantastic and I loved it ! 🤗👍🇨🇦🇨🇦♥️♥️
Love this interview. You can always tell the public figures or sports figures who have done a significant amount of therapy. They are able to talk about themselves and their experiences with the lens on both internal and external pressures. There is little to no "fake" humility. There is a deep knowledge about how they got in their own way. They don't focus on the superficial issues in their lives. They aren't afraid to talk about their pain and how they learned to integrate it into their lives for the better.
Shamefully, I don't find many famous people or athletes who are able to do this.
I really enjoyed listening to this interview. I remember watching your tennis matches and appreciate your insights on tennis and mental and physical health. You are helping so many people’s lives . Thank you ladies !
As Tina Turner once sang...Your simply the BEST ! My fav One-on-One !
This interview brings tears to my eyes, and I'm a grown man. Thank you so much Monica for your wonderful career and your triumphs over such adversity. I've never seen a player like you, and I believe you're the greatest of all time. Your professional and personal achievements inspire me and I draw strength from such a beautiful human being you are.
Thank you so much Chris for using your platform in this manner, and acknowledging Monica's place in pioneering so many aspects of the modern game. I loved watching you back in the day, and I'm glad for all you continue to do in the world of tennis.
We love you both and wish you all the best!
Much respect for Monica Seles. Very much a class act and true champion. Thank you
The two mentally strongest women’s tennis players in history. Fantastic interview.
Hi Chrissie! FYI, you and Martina inspired me to learn to play the game. In my opinion both you and Monica will always be the two toughest mental players in the history of the women's game. No disrespect to Serena nor Steffi. But I marveled over how many times your minds got you both out of high pressure matches. I thank you both.
What an awesome interview. I loved Monica when she was playing.
Well I just came across this. OMG , I have watched so many wonderful tennis champions. Monica Seles was such a handful on court , a true champion 🏆 , every ball she fought for . So thank you Chris Everett for this gem of an interview. A very insightful interview & it's true , every sports champion is also human , I think a lot of the time people forget that. When the match/tournament is over , whether won or lost , in the car , boat or plane our champion's, on that trip home , might just need a hug or someone to listen 🤗🤗🤗
A great interview between 2 legends, we all wish that the stabbing incident had not happened to see the possibility of her being the goat but will still be remembered as the greatest women's player to transcend tennis at that time with her unique aggressive style with mental toughness but to do what's she's done after retiring from tennis has been heartwarming and sums up the total human being she truly is
Thank you for this interview, Chris and Monica. That was the golden era of women’s tennis for me and watching Seles play was a huge highlight. She brought so much joy to the game as well as her grit and ferocity. The competitors of that time - the overlapping of the Chris/Martina rivalry with the emergence of the new great players, led by Graf, Seles, Sabatini, and Sanchez-Vicario, was thrilling to witness and actually got me hooked on the love of tennis my whole life. She was simply amazing to watch and such a lovely person. It was so heartwarming to hear that little giggle again that I remember from her match interviews. You are In our hearts forever, Monica.
how could you not love Monica Seles? omg!
Monica we know the amazing greatness you hold, you will always be in our 💜
Great interview from my 2 favorite players ever, lots of respect!
Thank you so much for this interview.
I was really hoping that Seles would be part of this series.
you could never do a series of champions and not include Monica
@@tuneaddicted of course not, but that doesn’t mean Seles agreed to be part of this series.
Bless her,what a powerful interview. Thankyou
Great interview Chris. You are both great inspirations.
Monica Seles is one of GOAT. she change a game to the next step She dominated 1991-1992 like Hingis in 1997 too.
Thank you Chris for this interview we have found out much more about Monica.... miss her
Thank you, Chrissy, for inspiring me to play tennis. I learned how to be tenacious by watching you. Thank you, Monica, for the breathtaking tennis you played and for the fire you displayed on the court. Thank you both for being such great people and role models for so many others. You two, and Martina, are my all-time favorite players!
The younger generation has no idea how good Monica was, and how the stabbing changed her career forever. There was no one like Monica.
We don’t know whether the stabbing changed her career.
@@carrerau7138what are you even doing on this video? You have already been exposed that you absolutely hate Monica, think she was ugly, and think she would never have won anything if it wasn't for Graf's slump. You purposely came here just to make sure that no one is saying anything nice about Monica, And to make sure that no one is saying anything negative towards Graf. You truly are a psychotic person.
Fool
@@carrerau7138of course changed the course of history, shw won 8 G.S. before her 20's..before the standing she won the A.O., and R.G. and U.O. was an already seen movie.. maybe only wimbledon could be a different challenge..but it was just a matter of time.
@@criotermic What has winning 8 slams in 3 years to do with what would have transpired in the next 3 years?
Do you have any empirical evidence?
She has really blossomed and is so gracious and thoughtful and lovely and brutally honest it’s wonderful to see
27:17 What an iconic photo! So great to see Monica standing next to the fabulous Martina Navratilova! I have learned a lot about Monica Seles today. Monica is only 1 year older than I, and I remember watching her play in the early 1990's. She was fantastic to watch back then, and is great to watch in these interviews. Definitely an inspirational woman, who has been through a lot in her life and is living each day now, the best way possible. Thank you for this upload, I enjoyed learning more about this wonderful woman.
I will always love Monica 💖💖💖 she will.always be the example for me how to fight to the end ❤️❤️❤️❤️ I remember one of her matches when she was losing 4:1 in the last set and she came on top winning the hole game . I was crying so much ! Such an amazing woman !!!