Tennis: February 2008 Archives

...Is that just the stupidest headline you've ever seen? Perhaps I am not firing on all cylinders this morning. But, I'm gonna leave it. While I was immersed in all the Oscar hoopla, cutie pie Andy Roddick decided to get his tennis career back in gear and won the men's tournament in San Jose. I'm looking forward to seeing hom this month at the tournament near Palm Springs!

Future hall-of-famer Monica Seles has not played a competitive tennis match in nearly five years but had hinted a few months back that she might come back for one last go-round at the age of 34. But the former number one player, plagued by a foot injury, has thought better of it and announced her retirement from the game she once dominated winning four Australian Opens, three French Opens, two U.S. Open and making it to the finals of Wimbledon in 1992.

"I have for some time considered a return to professional play, but I have now decided not to pursue that," she said in a statement. "I will continue to play exhibitions, participate in charity events, promote the sport, but will no longer plan my schedule around the tour."

I have many memories of Monica including the way she burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old in 1989 beating Chris Evert in a tournament final and the next month, making it to the semifinals of the French Open. a year later, she would be the champion in Paris at sweet sixteen. She'd giggle her way through press conferences, grunt her way through matches, and change her hairstyle every few months. She was a fun champion and contrasted nicely with the more serious Steffi Graf, her biggest rival. The two had seemed destined for a Chris Evert-Martina Navratilova type of rivalry with their most thrilling match was the epic 1992 French Open final. On an unforgettable Parisian afternoon, Seles prevailed 6-2, 3-6, 10-8.

By 1993, Monica had won had won eight of the sports majors at the age of 19. You wondered just how many she would go on to win. But during a match in Hamburg, Germany, a deranged Graf fan leaped from the stands and stabbed her in the back with a knife as she was sitting during a changeover. It was one of the most shocking attacks ever in pro sports.

Monica healed from the attack physically but mentally, she was shattered and afraid to return to the game. She was depressed, gained weight and stayed away for two-and-a-half years. But in August 2005, she was finally ready to come back and in her first tournament, she blasted through the field at the Canadian Open and a few weeks later, did the same thing at the U.S. Open until she was finally stopped in three riveting sets by Graf in the classic final.

I was at the U.S. Open a year later and watched Monica play an early round match and she looked sharp and fit and once again, reached the final where she again lost to Graf, this time in straight sets. But earlier in the year, she had won the Australian Open title (above) and at 22, you figured she had many more in her. But it was not to be. Monica, struggling with fitness and injuries, never again dominated but hung around the top 10 for six more years, won tournaments here and there and reached her last grand slam final at the French Open in 1998.

When Brazil's Gustavo Kuerten came out of nowhere to win the French Open in 1997, he was a wonderful breath of fresh air to the game of pro tennis. He was loose and mellow, loved to surf and played with great passion. Guga, as he is better known, went on to win to more French titles - in 2000 and 2001. He also won the men's tour's year-end championship in 2000 and was ranked number one in the world for a time.

He's had a hall of fame career but the sad part is, he wasn't able to go out on his own terms. He has battled serious hip problems since that third French Open win. On Tuesday, he played his last competitive match at the Costa de Sauipe Open tournament in Brazil.

He will be missed. My favorite memory of Guga came after he won that last French title: he drew a giant heart on the clay court with his raquet then laid down in the middle of it. He loved the tournament, loved the game and was beloved by the fans - including me.

Pictured below: Guga presented the champions and runner-up trophies at last year's French Open to winner Rafael Nadal and finalist Roger Federer.