"I never had the option of teenage freak outs... I didn’t have any scandals": When Monica Seles spoke on the media inventing 'crazy' stories about her

Monica Seles catapulted to fame at a young age after her meteoric tennis success, making her no stranger to intense public attention. The former World No. 1 once reflected on the challenges of growing up in the spotlight and dealing with relentless media scrutiny.

Seles announced herself on the world stage by winning her maiden Grand Slam title at just 16 years old, beating Steffi Graf 7-6(6), 6-4 in the 1990 French Open final. She quickly built on the success, clinching seven more Major titles before she turned 20.

The former World No. 1's career took a devastating turn after she was tragically stabbed on court in 1993. The Yugoslav-born American returned to win her ninth and final Grand Slam crown before playing the last match of her illustrious career in 2003.

In a May 2009 interview with Inside Tennis, Monica Seles opened up about enduring the ups and downs of life in the public eye, acknowledging that being in the spotlight was something she would have to deal with for the rest of her life.

Seles also shared that she never had the freedom to experience a rebellious teenage phase, since anything she did would be instantly reported in the press. However, the nine-time Grand Slam champion pointed out that she wasn't involved in any scandals, leading the media to cook up "crazy" stories about her.

"I look back and know it’s going to continue on for the rest of my life. As we grow older, we realize that’s life – we get highs and lows, and as the top player it’s all very public. I never had the option of having my teenage freak outs at home, or it would have been written about right away," Monica Seles said.

"But I didn’t have any scandals, so there really wasn’t much to write. I always thought it was funny when crazy [stories] were made up. Still, my highs and lows were different. I picked up a racket because I loved the sport. Now I go anywhere in the world and I have fans," she added.

---

Monica Seles on growing up in the public eye: "The biggest deal was when I cut my hair, all of a sudden people were commenting on how I looked"

Monica Seles - Source: Getty

During the same interview, Monica Seles opened up about the criticism she faced regarding her looks, especially after she cut her hair. The former World No. 1 emphasized the difficulty of dealing with the negative remarks when she was already struggling with self-esteem issues as a teenager.

However, Seles acknowledged that such scrutiny came with the territory of being the best player in the world, highlighting that every player wanted to be World No. 1, even if it came with drawbacks.

"I learned my lesson at an early age. I had to grow up in the public eye. The biggest deal was when I cut my hair. All of a sudden people were commenting on how I looked. There I was, just a teen struggling with my own [self-worth] issues of how I looked," Monica Seles said.

"I didn’t need strangers telling me about it. But that comes with the territory, whoever’s No 1. Of course, every player wants to be No. 1. That’s why we play. If we weren’t competitive, we wouldn’t be where we are," she added.

Monica Seles has also spoken about how difficult it was to endure the harsh comments about her weight and appearance when she returned to tennis after her tragic stabbing incident.