Monica Seles’ rise to the top of women’s tennis was meteoric, thanks in large part to her remarkable work ethic according to her former coach, Nick Bollettieri. Seles became a professional at just 15 years old and quickly made her mark in the sport, winning the 1990 French Open and becoming the youngest Major champion at the time.
Seles’ Work Ethic
Bollettieri reflected on Seles’ work ethic, joking that her boyfriend was the ball machine due to the countless hours she spent practicing. He said, “She will not accept that she can’t do something and she’ll spend 40, 50, 70 hours working just to get one shot. I used to tell her: ‘Your boyfriend is your Prince ball machine’, she spent so much time with the thing.” This relentless effort led Bollettieri to have a hard time finding any weaknesses in her game.
Compensating for Athleticism
While Seles may not have been as naturally athletic as some of her opponents, Bollettieri believed her tenacious attitude made up for it. He stated, “Monica Seles was far from being athletic. Yet once again, she was not one to say, “WHY me?” Instead, she agreed to find a way to offset her lack of athleticism.”
Learning from Seles
Bollettieri revealed that he even learned from Seles during their time working together, particularly when it came to accepting his “unorthodox” body and focusing on strengths rather than dwelling on weaknesses. Their time together also helped him better understand Seles’ technique of making early contact with the ball, which limited her opponents’ ability to position themselves for a return shot.
Seles went on to retire with nine Grand Slam titles to her name and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009.
