"They said I wanted to be a starlet, my hitting partner made me pregnant": When Monica Seles was 'hurt' by media rumors about her Wimbledon withdrawal

Monica Seles once opened up about the challenges of being in the media spotlight, especially during her mysterious withdrawal from the 1991 Wimbledon Championships. Seles expressed frustration with the wild speculation from the press, as journalists sought the reasons behind her withdrawal.

Seles made waves when she won her maiden Grand Slam title at just 16 years of age, beating Steffi Graf in the 1990 French Open final. She quickly proved her dominance, as she triumphed at the Australian Open and the French Open in 1991. The Yugoslav-born American was also considered a title favorite at Wimbledon, especially as she had a shot at completing the coveted Career Grand Slam, given that she won the US Open later that year.

However, Monica Seles shockingly withdrew from the grasscourt Major just three days before the tournament began, citing an injury she suffered in a "minor" but unspecified incident. Although it was later revealed that she had shin splints, Seles' decision to keep the nature of the accident a mystery caused speculation to run rampant.

During a 2003 interview with Sportstar, Monica Seles lamented how the press sensationalized her withdrawal, describing it as the first time she had encountered the vast power of the media as they turned the situation into a "huge controversy."

Seles also recalled the barrage of "hurtful" rumors and accusations she faced, including claims that she felt she was above the sport, preferred fame over tennis, and that she was pregnant by her hitting partner.

"A few things happened all at once; it was weird. I skipped that Wimbledon (in '91, Seles pulled out expectedly without explaining that she had shin splints). The press made a huge issue out of it, and, for the first time I experienced their power," Seles said.

"It was a huge controversy and the rumours, and accusations were flying. They said I thought I was bigger than the game, I wanted to be a starlet and not a tennis player, my hitting partner had made me pregnant. Some of that was really hurtful," she added.

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Monica Seles: "I was totally unprepared for the circus-like atmosphere"

Monica Seles (Source: Getty)

During the aforementioned interview, Monica Seles recounted being taken aback by the "circus-like" atmosphere she encountered when she made her return to the court at an exhibition event in New Jersey, weeks after her Wimbledon withdrawal.

The former World No. 1 also asserted that the episode proved her mother correct regarding her lack of self-confidence, acknowledging that she was naive about her popularity before that experience.

"When I made my comeback a few weeks later, I was totally unprepared for the circus-like atmosphere. My mom always said I lacked self-confidence, maybe she's right. It was a little naive of me, for sure, not to see that coming. It made me realise how big I was in the public eye," Seles said.

Monica Seles further expressed her belief that the only other player who endured similar media scrutiny was Russian star Anna Kournikova.