"Venus & Serena Williams, Martina Hingis, all have that one person who just is there" - When Monica Seles opened up about missing her late father

Monica Seles once opened up about how her father's death affected her and how she keenly felt his absence throughout the years.

Seles undeniably stands among the greatest players in tennis history. She won nine Grand Slam singles titles in a career that lasted almost two decades, with eight of them coming before she turned 20.

Seles excelled at the Australian Open, winning the trophy four times (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996), and showcased her clay court mastery with three French Open victories (1990, 1991, 1992). She also secured back-to-back US Open titles in 1991 and 1992.

However, what might not be widely known is that the key to Monica Seles' success was her father, Karolj, who served as her coach since childhood. The former professional cartoonist played a pivotal role in shaping his daughter's distinctive two-handed style for both forehand and backhand, taking her to great heights.

However, in 1998, Seles' father passed away at the age of 64 after a five-year struggle with cancer. The tennis legend openly shared that Karolj's death took a toll on her mental health in an interview with Sportstar in 2003.

"My father was diagnosed with cancer of the stomach," Seles said. "The next two years were very hard, on my mind, not on tennis. What we went through as a family was tough enough and who knows. I'm not saying that if my dad were alive today, I'd be No. 1, but he was the glue to my tennis. I know I would have had a better career if he were there the whole time."

Monica Seles also expressed how she struggled to fill the void left by her father as she didn't have anyone to share her feelings with. This contrasted with her rivals at the time, including Venus and Serena Williams, Martina Hingis and Jennifer Capriati, who had individuals in their lives for support.

"The thing is, you need that one person. You look at Jennifer [Capriati], Venus [Williams] and Serena [Williams], Martina (Hingis). All of them have that one person who just is there, and it doesn't have to be the greatest person on earth as long as you know they want what's best for you," Seles said.

"And you can't buy that kind of trust, not from the most talented coach. For me, that person, my father, was taken at a very young age for both of us," she continued.

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Monica Seles - "I'm amazed at how well I did when my father was ill"

Monica Seles

Monica Seles disclosed in the same Sportstar interview that her father, Karolj, wasn't just a parental figure but also her "best friend":

"He was my dad. But he was my best friend, too, and my coach. We had an extremely close relationship, but separate lives."

The 50-year-old also felt proud of how she stayed strong and gradually coped with the situation while her father was ill.

"He filled so many roles in my life that when I look back I'm amazed at how well I did when he [her father] was ill. And I'm just proud that I've come out of it. It didn't put me into heavy depression or stuff like that," Seles said.

Seles retired from tennis in 2008, with her final tour-level match taking place at the 2003 French Open where she was defeated by Nadia Petrova in the opening round in straight sets.