"I knew she was going to be a tough opponent, and she'll have a fantastic future"- Monica Seles on Maria Sharapova after their first match in 2002 Indian Wells
Tennis legend Monica Seles tipped Maria Sharapova for greatness when the two met at the 2002 Indian Wells Open.
Sharapova, who was only 14 at the time, received a wildcard and was up against Germany's Aubrie Rippner in the first round. Her 2002 Indian Wells appearance was her WTA tournament debut. The Russian lost a set but bounced back to take the next two sets and seal her place in the second round.
Sharapova then took on fourth seed Monica Seles. The former World No.1 thrashed the Russian 6-0, 6-2 to reach the third round. This was the only time the two players faced one another. Seles eventually went on to reach the semifinals of the 2002 Indian Wells Open. She was then beaten by second seed Martina Hingis.
Despite beating Sharapova comprehensively, Seles had a few words of praise for the then-teenager and tipped her to have a fantastic future in her post-match interview, quoted here on latimes.
"She played great , I've seen her game. I knew she was going to be a tough opponent, and she'll have a fantastic future."
07-03-2002
@MariaSharapova vs Monica Seles
@BNPPARIBASOPEN R2
#MonicaSeles won the match 6-0 6-2
" She played great , I've seen her game. I knew she was going to be a tough opponent, and she'll have a fantastic future " : Monica about Maria in her post post match interview. https://t.co/wEOVPNAIeq
Maria Sharapova retired with 36 singles titles
Maria Sharapova lived up to Seles' expectations as she soon became one of the best players in the world. The Russian won the Wimbledon in 2004 by beating Serena Williams in the final when she was only 17 years old. Sharapova soon became the World No. 1 and produced some scintillating performances before her retirement in 2020.
The Russian ended with 36 singles titles, including five Grand Slam titles. Apart from her Wimbledon crown, Sharapova won the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008 and the French Open in 2012 and 2014. She is among the few players to have completed a career Grand Slam.
Sharapova also won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics. She first became the World No.1 in 2005 and held the position for a total of 21 weeks in five different and short stints. She was the first Russian to be at the top of the ATP rankings.
The Russian announced her retirement in 2020 following her elimination from the Australian Open after losing to Donna Vekic in the first round.