"I wanted to be just like her, hit like her, play like her" - When Serena Williams spoke about wanting to emulate Monica Seles
Monica Seles has received accolades for her contributions to tennis from spectators, commentators, and even her opponents, including Serena Williams, who has previously said that she aspired to be like Seles when she was growing up.
Seles became a pro in 1989 and won the French Open at the age of 16. She would go on to dominate the sport for several years, earning 53 WTA titles, including nine Grand Slams. Her career came to an abrupt halt when she was stabbed in her back during a match in 1993, and her competitive life would never be the same again. Though she made a comeback to the sport and won a few more titles, she was not the same player she was before the incident and she retired from the sport in 2008.
In an interview for GQ Sports in 2018, Serena Williams acknowledged that Seles was her favorite player growing up and even aspired to play like her.
"I always really loved Monica. I always wanted to just play like Monica. She was my favorite player growing up, and I wanted to be just like her. I wanted to hit like her, and I wanted to play like her," Serena Williams said.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion added that having the chance to play Seles was important and confessed that she was familiar with her playing style since she had admired and watched her game.
"Having the opportunity to play her was like, all right, cool, I got this. I knew her game because I watched her so much, and I wanted to go into the next Grand Slam and not have to be in the qualifying, so for me, it was like, I have to win these matches; I have to do well in this tournament," she said.
A look at the head-to-head record between Monica Seles and Serena Williams
Serena Williams and Monica Seles are two of the most accomplished WTA players in history. During their playing careers, the two clashed five times, with Seles managing to win only once.
They locked horns for the first time at the 1997 Chicago Open. Williams, then just 16 years old, defeated Seles in three sets 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.
Later, in 1999, Williams twice defeated the nine-time Grand Slam winner. In the Miami Masters second round, the 23-time Major winner won 6-2, 6-3, before coming from a set down to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the US Open quarterfinals.
In the Los Angeles Open quarterfinals in 2001, Seles defeated Williams to earn her first, and only win, against her. Later that year, the two faced off in the Canadian Masters' semifinals, where Williams triumphed 7-5, 7-6(5).