Monica Seles

Born: 2-Dec-1973 Birthplace: Novi Sad, Yugoslavia Gender: Female Ethnicity: White Occupation: Sports - Tennis Level of fame: Famous Executive summary: Stabbed by Steffi Graf's stalker Monica Seles was a tennis wunderkind of the 1990s, and at the time was the youngest singles player ever to rank number one in the world (she was 17). Some fans hhave argued that she was the best tennis player ever, male or female, and she was considered the first female "power player." At 5'10½" and playing with both powerful fists, backhand and forehand, another Seles' trademark was that she grunted when her racquet hit the ball with full force. At 19, she was attacked by Günter Parche, a deranged fan of rival Steffi Graf. Parche stabbed her in the back with a boning knife during a changeover in a match against Bulgarian Maggie Maleena. Although it was captured on video, Parche was never sent to prison. Seles' physical recovery was tough -- it was several months before she could even begin hitting balls again -- but the psychological effects were crippling. She was treated for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by a sports psychologist. She remains one of the best players in the world, but has never regained the dominating form of her pre-stabbing game. "It was eating me alive," Seles has said. "I'd go out on the court, I could be playing great tennis, and it would all start coming back. I'd say, I can't do this. I pretty much moved to daylight sleeping times. I couldn't sleep at night. I saw shadows in every corner." In 1998, Seles had further psychological problems when her father and first coach, Karolj, died of cancer. In 2003 a foot injury sidelined her until an exhibit match in February 2005 against Martina Navratilova. Several opposing players have complained about Seles' grunts, and during the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 1992, French player Nathalie Tauziat asked that Seles not be allowed to make noises. She remained silent, and won the match.