Since that very traumatic event, Monica has been hit with more darts of adversity in her personal life and on the court. During her comeback to the sport, many questioned her physical condition and her ability to stay in long grueling matches. Monica dedicated herself to her sport once again. Restricting herself to one week off all year, Monica put herself on an exercise regime and quickly silenced her critics. "I wake up, I work out with weights, I play tennis, and then I run, or do exercise in the water. I try to mix it up so I don’t get bored."
The recent death of her father has also been a heavy loss to Monica. Karolj was Monica’s inspiration and mentor in tough situations. "He would spend so many hours day in and day out with me, and was there in the good times, but also at the same time, the bad times. As an athlete you have a lot of ups and downs," she stated. Even with her loss, Monica has funneled her sadness into her motivation.
Seles admitted that overcoming the odds in the future may require ad-ditional strength. "Today, you have to be in excellent shape because the ball is hit so much harder. You need a lot of upper body strength. Being a world class tennis player is becoming such a big business," Monica said. "If you are not exceptional by the age of 12 or 13, really, your time has passed." This reporter confessed of being overwhelmed by excellent younger players in tourn-ament situations. What is most difficult about tennis is that only a small percentage of aspiring players are able to make it to pro. "If you look at the big picture, there is such a small percentage that really become tennis champions and only top tier players make a living. There are so many struggling tennis players out there."
Monica gives her own advice to aspiring tournament players by explaining, "You need to be really anxious to improve and get better, and just be excited to play tennis." Most importantly, Monica Seles loves the game that has embraced her with unparalleled success. Seles has the determination and the competitive edge which has enabled her to stay in the top ten on the WTA tour for so many years. She is the role model parents are yearning to see on and off the tennis court, and she is certainly one of the best leaders by example of our time.
