Chris Evert vs 15-year-old Monica Seles 1989 Virginia Slims of Houston final

[@ericavalderrama2547]

Loved Monica Seles' moon balls that kept Chris Evert behind the baseline and then she executes her powerful ground strokes! At 15, she's phenomenal! Thanks for sharing this classic match.👋🏼😷🌹

[@CindyC71]

You're welcome, thanks for watching 😊

[@robertl426]

Thanks for the upload, Monica is probably my favourite player of all time. So interesting to see in her earlier days favouring her backhand, and using the moonball against Evert knowing that Chris hated moonballers. In her later career Monica greatly improved her serve and her forehand, it's just such a shame that the infamous Hamburg incident robbed her of her full potential.

[@jefholland999]

If I look at Chris Everts play it looks like if she is doing a tennis lesson, calm and graceful. Monica is trying out different things. She is seeking. But allready you can see that phenomenal talent of Monica. I loved her from day one I saw her playing. Such a unique style, to compare with nobody. Chris and Monica: 2 legends and heroes. Miss these epic matches.

[@paddylewis6818]

15yrs old.loved Monica Seles and her incredible tenacity

[@petermalcolm4437]

An important match that introduced Monica to the world. Exceptional, clear footage of a great moment in tennis history. Keep up the great posts!

[@michaelbarrette2516]

I was thinking the same thing. I think the green clay helps here. It is awful how hard it is to watch old matches on KZbin because the ball has all but disappeared!

[@mcoudeniii]

Wow! I really had no memory of pre 1990 Monica Seles. She really improved exponentially by the next Spring when she won the French Open! You can see small glimmers of the future dominant Seles but she really waited for the ball to come to her here. Her willingness to hit her groundies early by the next year made such a huge difference.

[@HermanWaldorf]

the elegance of Chris Evert is probably unmatched by anyone else

[@mascagniful]

HermanWaldorf Bueno and Goolagong were my favourites

[@networth00]

Hingis was elegant also.

[@marccianciola]

I just love watching some of these old matches with the greatest ladies. They're all inspiring in their own way. Chrissie is one of the most amazing champions ever and so is Monica. I remember when Monica started to dominate the game and it was something to behold. If the incident hadn't occurred, I think Monica vs Steffi would have been pretty similar to Chrissie vs Martina and Monica and Steffi would have both ended up with around 15-20 slam wins, much like Chris and Martina at 18 each. It's just a reasonable guess of course but Monica should be considered one of the greatest players of all-time without a doubt. Thanks Cindy for the great videos.

[@CindyC71]

+Guitar BS (Guitar Wiseass) I completely agree about Monica! And you're very welcome, glad you're enjoying them! :)

[@marccianciola]

+Cindy C Monica won 8 slams in her teens. Think about that for a minute. So awesome!

[@ExxylcrothEagle]

+Guitar BS (Guitar Wiseass) dude, i just thought about it , and ......it IS so AWESOME !!!

[@marccianciola]

+joey anthony Because the sample size was too small. After a while, other players and most especially Steffi would find a way to adapt to Monica's style of play and find a way to beat her sometimes. When Martina started to completely dominate the tour, Chrissie still found a way to beat her sometimes. Maybe Monica would have won 20 slams and Steffi 15 or Monica 22 and Steffi 13 or Monica 18 and Steffi 19. Who knows. Somewhere in that range is reasonable to assume. You can't forget that Steffi is considered by many to be the greatest female player of all-time so there's absolutely no way you can discount her accomplishments. As a great champion, she would have found a way to beat Monica some of the time. So I totally stand by my statement which gives credit and respect to both Monica and Steffi.

[@JamesHarris-hl2bm]

Had Seles not been stabbed, she would have won a grand slam, possibly two and might have done it in 1992. Think about the Wimbledon final against Graf. She was as silent as a lamb. Problem being, that's not her natural way to play and there had been complaining by Martina in the round before so Wimbledon got on her case about the grunting. Sad. Then, of course, the stabbing.

[@brandonkeisler86]

Jesus Chris Evert is so graceful. So effortlessly smooth in her preparation and execution. I need to watch more videos of her and Martina.

[@binkyxz3]

I got to see her live once and her footwork is even more stunning. She look like an ice skater gliding on ice.

[@vsavage9913]

No bat man you need to watch more Monica please thx🙏

[@brandonkeisler86]

v savage Hahahaha yeah lots of great players back in the day for sure. I'll never forget hearing about Monica being stabbed while I was in English class. I really enjoyed the Graf Sabatini rivalry as well.

[@vsavage9913]

THE BATMAN right on but the stabbing had to happen. Here already at only fifteen you can see the pieces slowly starting to come in place. What gets put together is what the game of tennis could never have even dreamed of seeing thus far, basically an otherworldly event. Certain numbers and stats will show you a glimpse of this, but to perceive the whole thing basically the way all the pieces came together to create something so extraordinary, some careful study and watch is required indeed. This is what the stabber had perceived and so he had to stab. Really he had no choice in the matter only super keen vision. basically he saw the future clear as day and set it all straight again . Enjoy the watch friend 🙏

[@zeddeka]

You'd never teach anyone to hit like that these days. In particular, Chris couldn't hit the ball on the rise. That's one of the reasons she struggled so much with the heavy topspin moonballs. She couldn't step in and take them early, she backed away instead

[@yuttasakarakkitsakul4288]

The strategy for playing tennis at that time is so impressive and beautiful.

[@user-gu1un7pb7k]

Yep even the "ballbashers" like Seles used strategy and tactics. Nowadays barely anyone on the tour does.

[@anthonysandonato3590]

Love watching these two. A different and better era of tennis for sure. Chris is a class act.

[@Pablo-vr8sv]

Smart, nice, revolutionary player with the eye of the tiger. Great Monica !

[@jess4metoo]

The nicest quality I've seen of this match. My two favorite players too. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@CindyC71]

You're very welcome, glad you enjoyed it! :)

[@highhighway]

No one has the elegance of Chris, and DDE (determination, dedication, execution) of Monica.

[@robertsteinberger5667]

So sad that Seles never was the same again after the stab incident

[@douglasbrown5671]

It is not like that was the only thing she dealt with or reason for her decline. It was a big part of her of course, but the tragedy of losing her father to cancer was a big part too. Remember that began in early 1994 and carried out all the way to mid 1998. She had never dealt with something like that before either. And by mid 1998 is when the huge hitters who idolized the power games of Graf and Seles and took it to an even higher place like Williams and Davenport had already emerged. Very different from the early 90s when you had Graf, Seles, baby Capriati as the big hitters and the rest of the top 15 women played with spin and finesse but little power.

[@grantgoffin4774]

Very true. The stab incident, and her dads long illness and eventual death from cancer which I think lasted 4 years if I recall correctly. Some bad luck with injuries too which might have been the by product of poorer fitness due to these things, or just bad luck, but that too.

[@fuckurbody]

She couldn’t stop eating n got fat

[@JSmith-zr2ve]

@@douglasbrown5671 But the stabbing was the main thing.

[@thebiofile17]

The truth has to be learned, it's never told... Monica Seles was the greatest player of all time.

[@regworld1167]

You never know. She was definitely better than Graf. Still pains me when I think about how her true career was taken from her...

[@cjd9271]

She was definitely great for a period of time. I’m happy with that memory. We can “say what if...?” but it doesn’t change history sadly.

[@stephenmeitai7622]

@@regworld1167 You never know. Graf is much better than Seles

[@hanajinks1044]

Monica was a freak from outer space...at least that's how it seemed for a while...the best by a mile.

[@stephenmeitai7622]

@@hanajinks1044 Yes. Best for not winning Wimbledon and Olympic Gold Medal. And got beaten 6-0,6-0. 6-2,6-1 and 6-2,6-0 by Hingis

[@petere4585]

Always instructive to watch Chris. Her technique was impeccable. She was like a ball machine, and I mean that as a compliment.

[@kloatlanta]

Peter E her shots so deep

[@zeddeka]

It's interesting, but you'd never teach anyone to hit like that these days. In particular, rather than take the ball on the rise, Evert would usually back off it and let the ball bounce. That made her particularly vulnerable to high bouncing, heavy topspin shots. It pushed her right off the court. There was one famous point when Chris played Monica at the US Open in 1989 when Monica hit a heavy topspin moonball. Chris moved so far back that she ended up against the stands, and the ball bounced right over her head. Her stroke mechanics were from the days of wooden racquets, when nobody hit with heavy topspin.

[@LordStanley94]

@@zeddeka I understand where you are coming from, but your assessment respective wooden racquets is flawed. Topspin can/was/still would be generated with Wood or T2000 or any other racquet from the era. Give Roger a wooden racquet and he will hit is as well as he is now. Would it be an overwhelmingly powerful stroke while he plays someone who is playing (and I believe Babolat killed and is killing the game slowly with their racquets, but that is another story for another time) with a Babolat and he will be overpowered. Two different materials. The technique to hit a ball has not changed. The beauty of seeing Chris hit the ball is how she is positioned while striking the ball. Fantastic. And she is so still while hitting it. She was well taught, unfortunatepy with no or very little top on the ball. The strings, as you would agree, have also changed and made the sport completely different. I believe the women today play very stereotypically. There is no more finesse or strategy. There is no more serve and volley, ala Jana Novotna, Martina Navratilova, Lori McNeill, and many more. It is just who can hit whom off the court. I don't even watch the women. Going back to Chris, the fact that she was pushed to the back fence and the ball bounced over her head has nothing to do with technique or with the era. As for your statement that her strokes are or were initiated from a wooden racquet is partially true. Mr. Evert brought her up hitting very flat. Though, that does not mean that people who were raised on a wooden racquet can not hit top.

[@swalterstennis]

Thanks for posting! Wonderful tennis history. I ballboyed for Chris in Seattle in 1980 and got to train/drill her brother in 1989 at Saddlebrook. What a tennis family.! Jimmy Evert, their dad was a pro player too as well as Chris’ sister Clare.

[@CindyC71]

You're welcome! And what a great story 🤩

[@networth00]

Jimmy Evert tennis courts are in Fort Lauderdale Florida.

[@swalterstennis]

@@networth00 That is true but the Evert Tennis Academy is in Boca Raton. I strung the USTA Futures Tour event there in 1999.

[@ilariac_dnewpjct]

The 2 best players of all times

[@ilariac_dnewpjct]

@Illya Kuryakin ahahahahahha

[@ilariac_dnewpjct]

@Illya Kuryakin 😂

[@networth00]

@Illya Kuryakin Thanks to the German stabber, or Graf wouldn't have done so well. She beat Monica once by complaining on her grunts.

[@aleksthegreat4130]

Ilya Kuryakin Evert didn’t play AO in 70’s,also missed couple RG during her prime,made 52 out of 56 GS semifinals,11 of 24 Court’s GS wins came in AO,winnnig a AO wasn’t a big deal then.

[@roobookaroo]

A jewel of a video. A treasure in the archives. And Monica as a very mobile triumphant Amazon over the aging champions of the past, with a floating dark mane which suits her far better than the bottle blonde she soon after affected. Who could then resist falling in love with this new heroine of the courts?

[@drewhendley]

Chris had such great feel touch finesse and a brilliant tactician

[@nataliaoleksander6386]

We'll never know her total greatness but she was the best I have ever seen while she was at her peak before the horrific attack.

[@arthurnewmanltd5670]

We do know. Completely dominated tennis and was number 1 for 178 weeks in a row. Graf was in her prime when Seles dominated slams. No reason to believe that the 19 year old winner of 6 slams in two seasons would not have dominated for years except for the act of a deranged fan. Monica beat all the best players in Tennis prior to stabbing consistently. As good as any player ever and it was proven on Court.

[@Aquaseventytree]

So much slower than today but just beautiful to watch. Chris's base line play is astonishingly accurate.

[@hugorincon2473]

NO. La muchachita de 15 años era muy superior, y lamento decirlo, ya que Chris fue una muy hermosa dama del tenis, pero Monica Seles era un VOLCAN que las impactó a todas

[@nightfury4756]

Thank you for uploading this wonderful match.

[@CindyC71]

You're welcome, thanks for watching!

[@grantp4022]

The psychological effect of the stabbing affected Monica far more than the physical part of it, which she recovered from. Also in that period, her dad died after a long battle with cancer. Monica was never the same after this, and it's too bad, as she may have won more majors than any other player. I loved to watch Seles play, as she brought incredible desire, grit and will to win, the likes of which I've never seen before. Too bad this incident happened. Seles was without a doubt my favourite player all time, in the women's game.

[@Blinkncali21]

I agree she would have won at least 20 and taken a lot from Graf I think she would have dominated the AO and French for many years. Won a few wimbledons and a lot of us opens

[@stephenmeitai7622]

Why you bring always that Topic ? Why don't you visit Germany to search that Guy ? This match is between Seles and Evert. Why you bring that fucking topic ?

[@stephenmeitai7622]

@@Blinkncali21 Seles can never win 20 Grandslam. Seles can never win Wimbledon.

[@grantgoffin4774]

@@Blinkncali21 LOL at the idea of Seles winning "a few Wimbledons". Maybe 1 if she were lucky.

[@GottdieEhre]

@@Blinkncali21 Sure - and the earth is a plane disc... 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@tonyalder]

Watching these old games you have to admired evert as one of the great female tennis players,she moves better than any player I’ve seen

[@BTURNER1961]

Another few stats for you Evert nerds. In 20 years on the pro tour, 1970-1989, Evert played 220 3 setters in US team (Fed Cup, Wightman cup) and WTA tournament play . She lost 49 (22 %) of those 220, and won 172 matches (78%) of those matches. She won the first set, and still lost the match 21 times in 20 years of play. Further, only 7 times in Evert's career, was anyone ranked outside the top eight in the world, able to defeat a set deficit to take Chris down! This match, this player was one of those!

[@douglasbrown5671]

This match showed young Seles was not only going to emerge into an extremely hard hitter, but she was quite smart too. She recognized in the first set Evert at this phase of her career prefered shorter harder hitting rallies, and she liked to also redirect and use an opponents pace to help with their own shots, similar to how Hingis did. So in the 2nd and 3rd sets she took some pace off and extended the rallies which annoyed the fuck out of Evert who no longer had the patience for that, while still crunching the ball for a winner when she got a short ball or open court.

[@roobookaroo]

Excellent analysis. Seles soon refused to play Evert's game. After all those years, this is still an exciting match to watch. Perhaps, with hindsight, one of Seles's greatest wins. It changed her life.

[@Skirne]

Apparently I am alone in thinking Seles's moonballs were actually really clever. At this point, she just wasn't physically strong enough to belt the ball as constantly and as hard as she was able to do only one year later. This match, possibly more than the matches in her prime, demonstrate that Seles was always thinking on the court. She *didn't* simply bash the ball. She was observant, she was creative. And, as always, Evert is nothing less than pure class.

[@michaelbarrette2516]

I've never seen this match before. I am shocked by all of Monica's moon balls because she hardly ever moon-balled throughout most of her career. Maybe she wasn't strong enough or maybe just not confident enough yet in her power game. Glad I was a spectator at this match though. Moonballs are boring.

[@theexmann]

@@michaelbarrette2516 Monica and Tracy Austin both hit these stupid moon balls all the time.

[@Andrea-xs4ks]

@@theexmann all the time? Change your glasses!

[@joeyconvery2055]

@@Andrea-xs4ks 😀😀

[@endokuken1678]

I think any multi grand slam winner has to think on court. Pure ball bashers never make it

[@spadehaze0873]

One of the best if not the best.

[@ΝτίναΔρένου-ω5ψ]

A star is born

[@Bubbles99718]

Both of them really run down those wide angle shots. Crazy speed

[@maestrodimente]

A nice match played by two of my favourite players. Alas they could never face off when either was at their career peak; nonetheless, thanks for posting!

[@CindyC71]

maestrodimente You're very welcome!

[@effiesaliora1910]

Monica Seles was the best,after the stubbing was different & that was the end for her I think 🤔

[@glennphillips843]

thanks so much Cindy for the videos :)

[@sagaenjoy9488]

Monica The beginning of the legend

[@onthe4572]

I can remember seeing brief highlights of this on Eurosport channel back in 89. I'd never heard of Seles before.

[@alexduio7639]

seles a 15a qui fait des ronds ! alors la bravo cindy cette video est collector !

[@marko3281]

Date on that winning check was 30th April. Very strange coincidence. Her career began and almost ended on the same date.

[@CindyC71]

Wow didn't realize, how sad :(

[@alexjeremic9580]

I was there sitting with her father, he and I are from the same country

[@vsavage9913]

Alex Jeremic you are? is hugoslavia?

[@williammazur3099]

Seles changed baseline forever, so aggressive and so dominant. She became such a force and was cut down in her time. Every/ Navratilova couldn’t cope with her power, only Steffi.

[@williammazur3099]

Illya Kuryakin Navratilova & Evert both say it. She's Serena's idol so she did change baseline game because now players imitate Serena. Steffi & Seles took tennis to a new level, Martina & Chris couldn't cope with their power. Younger players now dominate from baseline & not serve & volley.

[@garym6338]

Chris Evert's groundstrokes were solid as fuck. She didnt hit them especially hard, but they were so consistently deep. Very few short balls for opponents to pounce on.

[@JD-jc8gp]

Damn, I just love 70s/80s tennis. Points are constructed, methodical, gradual. It's beautiful. Contemporary tennis has devolved into ping pong mostly because of changes to racquets.

[@effiesaliora1910]

J D think about how Pam Shriver would play today !!!!

[@JD-jc8gp]

@@Kelvin-ed6ce Nah.

[@luca07081973]

Monica, I love you

[@bilouti8]

Oui mais Elle t'aime pas loool

[@highhighway]

Me too

[@aleksandrafilipovic758]

How obvious is influence of coach Jelena Genčić on both young Seleš and Đoković.. it was (and still is) superior style, and both of them were absolutely dominant on court.

Monica is teaching Chrissy and dethroned her as the best ground stroke player in women’s tennis. Seles’ tenacity and tactically superior playing style was demonstrated here.

[@jamespeyton7312]

Evert played a very different match against Seles at the Open. Evert stated in 88 she no longer had the patience to play the long rallies, the agony exacerbated here by Seles' moonballing, a good tactic against Evert at this time.

[@fjosephgonzales6870]

Here's video proof: Yes, Seles won her very FIRST pro final, ever...and look who she beat! (Monica would also go on to win in her very FIRST GS final, the 1990 FO over none other than Steffi Graf, and in her next 5 GS finals after that! No one can touch that record!). I was there in person for this one in Houston, the only pro tennis match I've ever attended, and what an historic match it turned out to be! I went as a huge Evert fan and certainly was not expecting this, but by the next tournament, I had turned into a huge Seles fan, too. Chris may have been a smidgeon past her prime, but Seles simply outplayed her on the critical points and deserved it...and on clay, no less!. On this day, Chris' exquisite placement and depth wasn't enough for Monica's pace. Wise beyond her years, Monica didn't forget to think out there, throwing "junk" at Chris (like the moon balls) as part of her game plan, and it frustrated Chris just enough to let Monica back in the match, though Chris asserted herself in their next and final match at the U.S. Open, only losing 2 total games to Monica. Still, the torch had been passed. (BTW, great editing, Cindy C!)

[@senorgato70]

Fred Gonzales LOL. Chris was more than a "smidgeon" past her prime. She was well past her prime (mentally) and was ready for retirement. Not to mention the fact that dating back to 1987 she pretty much loathed playing on clay.

[@CindyC71]

Fred Gonzales Thanks Fred!

[@fjosephgonzales6870]

senorgato70 Chris Evert "loathed playing on clay" since 1987??? What??? Everyone knows that clay was always Chrissie's favorite surface, probably *especially* later in her career, since it's easier on your body and gives you more time to react and certainly less impact than hard courts or even carpet or grass (too much knee-bending and less reaction time on carpet and grass). And of course, she JUST had a 125-match win streak on clay earlier in her career, the longest win streak for any player on a particular surface.

[@senorgato70]

Fred Gonzales You need to learn your history. Yes, Chris hated playing on clay in the latter part of her career because she no longer had the patience for it. Has nothing to do with what she accomplished during her career. She was quoted several times stating exactly that.

[@fjosephgonzales6870]

senorgato70 She hated playing against fellow baseliners like herself (the Maleevas, Zvereva, Sabatini, etc.), not the clay surface itself, because if she hated clay so much, she could've and would've avoided it in her schedule late in her career, which she did not, playing and making 3 straight Houston finals on clay at the very end of her career, including this one, her last year on tour, winning 2 of those 3 (over Navratilova). And, of course, her last 2 GS titles were on clay, the 85 FO and 86 FO. I was always a huge fan and never heard such a quote. Name your source, specifically.

[@carseye1219]

Once Seles perfected rolling her top hand over off both sides and started creating angles, her opponents were on a windshield wiper track meet.

[@shihlin1]

Chris later said this match played a part in her decision to retire at the end of the year. She did not have the patience to stay in long rallies against Monica. Clay was Chris's best surface yet she let this match slip away. Not to take away Monica's victory, but this match was clearly one that Chris lost. She just couldn't deal with Monica's constant moonballing nor figure out a way to close out points when she was ahead. Even tho Chris got sweet revenge against Monica later at the U.S. Open, she could not accept her own inconsistent play. Consistency was always something she prided in her game, but with the onset of age and increasing unforced errors, she knew it was time to hang it up.

[@politicaefutebolsediscutem1157]

I watch this with sadness!

[@vincenzodimartino7327]

Graf has incredible records like 13 gs finals in a row and winning 3 out of 4 in a year at least 5 times (88 89 93 95 96) . She won 22 slams out of 53. In 87 88 89 she lost only 7 matches (276 played)!!!!! She was so elegant like a gazzelle and her forehand was the best female shot to see. She retired at 30..she could have played longer miss u steffi, the greateast ever

[@greatriffishere]

Seles was better than Graf !!! Seles is GOAT!!

[@jimmybrice6360]

i did not like graf's forehand. it was effective, but her form was terrible. i think it would have been better, if her form could improve. she had a terrible jerk with her shoulder when she hit it.

[@jimmybrice6360]

@@greatriffishere i think i would take either margaret court, billie jean, or navratilova - because all had complete games. you gotta be able to come to the net. borg wasnt real good at the net, but he could get in and at least make the other guy think about it. connors was very good at the net, when he came in. of course, he wouldnt usually come in until setting it up with his groundstrokes. most of your truly best players could come to the net to finish the points, when they had the opportunity. agassi was another player who did not have any sort of effective net game. it makes it much more difficult to win, if you cant play from both the back and front courts.

[@richardross4677]

@@greatriffishere Seles is definitely the GOAT of cheeseburgers.

[@richardross4677]

@@jimmybrice6360 King had an awful forehand and was mediocre overall from the baseline, she was not a complete player. Court and Navratilova had pretty complete games yes.

[@danieljeremias5298]

Amazing player Monica Seles

[@paulkazakoff9231]

Monica Seles is in my opinion one of the top 3 players to ever play the game.No matter if she only won 8 grand slams !

[@englandcalling9721]

Clearly Epilady made all the difference.

[@lenwelch2195]

Seles here plays with no nerves. 5 months later Vintage Evert showed Monica just how great an all timer she was - above Seles. 6-0,6-2. Evert will go down in top 5 woman players of all time. Serena , graf navratolva evert Seles. Court doesn’t belong in top ten with 11 Australians beating Jane Lebanese a local 5 -6 times. Even Chris beat court at 15 just after court won grand slam with kingher only real opponent.

[@shihlin1]

Watching Monica across the net, bet Chris was thinking back to Forest Hills 1971 cept this time the shoe was on the other foot. I'm pretty sure before the match, Monica's dad told her to moonball Chris to death as a tactic mixed in with some short, sharp angles to keep Chris on her toes. Obviously the tactic worked. Chris said later this loss was one of the factors in her decision to retire later that year, she simply ran out of patience to rally against Monica.

[@highhighway]

Well said, totally agree.

[@3883melange]

So incredible!!

[@tannergauge9374]

I was obsessed with chris back then.

[@frontrowtennis]

This was obviously before Monica had her incredible power tennis game, yet she still won

[@zeddeka]

This is one of the only green clay court tournaments I ever saw Monica play until much later in her career. She skipped the two big green clay tournaments in her glory years of 91-93 when all of the other top players were there, and I'm not quite sure why.

[@lenwelch2195]

Seles was tireless here and Evert although playing well is hitting too often off her back foot so she lacked penetration giving Monica more control of the rallies. Vintage Evert came prepared to win her last pro match against Monica at 89 Open.

[@DannieNg926]

Ms Evert was so elegant

[@coupelikeacaravan]

What anticipation Monica had!!! Amazing...

[@operaoaf]

A changing of the guards. Monica just kept pounding the ball harder as the match progressed and Chris could not keep up. 50K prize? still more than what most teenagers make today.

[@laviniaparisi9154]

Monica Seles was the biggest istint killer than the history of the tennis. Already to 15 years had an incredible tenacy.

[@Kevinsf]

Monica watched too many of Andrea Jaeger's old matches.

[@zeddeka]

It was totally deliberate from Monica. Chris had said some time before that she just didn't have the patience to deal with moonballing from kids half her age anymore. Monica tried her normal game in set one and Chris loved the pace. So Monica started moonballing everything to wear Chris down

[@swalterstennis]

Andrea Jaeger is one of the greatest teenage women’s tennis players ever. She beat Martina 4 times in her teens and was clearly Top 5 throughout her short injury plagued career. At 14, she was about the 6th or 7th best player in the world.

[@lenwelch2195]

I was expecting an off form Chris but she was 75 percent , Monica was just a tad better this day -vintage Chris played one of her top 5 matches of her career in the last match of her career that she won which was against Seles in the 89 Open , losing this match provided Chris the motivation to show us one last time just how great she was in her last tournament

[@Ignaciovargaspkmn]

the strongest mentally female players of all the time!!!

[@garygary7550]

These rallies were mental warfare

[@networth00]

@Illya Kuryakin People like you don't realize it wasn't about the "stab wound" but about being attacked on the tennis court... it had nothing to do with the injury dumbass. Her dad had also died during that 2 year time frame.

[@networth00]

@Illya Kuryakin I like Steffi also. So what she had an eating problem. People deal with things differently in life. Tennis was her whole world. Don't you think she wanted to come back sooner but just couldn't? The stabbing had horrible mental effects on her. It happens like that sometimes. Ever heard of PTSD?

[@manupeni]

Off all time. Really

[@TennisTrollChannel]

Which video in your collection is your favorite? Many good ones to pick from.

[@CindyC71]

Hi, funny enough, probably this one! Chris was my favorite player until Monica came along, so the two of them playing each other is awesome 😁 Thanks for asking!

[@TennisTrollChannel]

@@CindyC71 I was guessing it may be this one. I think this has to be one of the more popular ones - 15 year old vs a legend.

[@tomasgrimm3086]

Wow, the moonballings between Seles and Evert in ´89 are epic, Evert Seles in USO ´89 must have been the moonball peak of tennis history.

[@josephrocha142]

I used to love watching tennis played like this i.e. long rallies, strategy, etc..instead of the mindless banging you see in today's game. I like Serena Williams but I wonder if her fitness could endure over time with this equipment and this style of game play.

[@williammazur3099]

Everts serve was so bad. Everybody thought Seles was a new Tracy Austin or Andrea Jaegar. She beat Evert at 15 and she said she had never played anyone like Seles. Seles was also Serenas idol.

[@williammazur3099]

Illya Kuryakin Check Serena interviews

[@attyjosh]

@Illya Kuryakin grunting not screaming 🙄

[@maximilian2974]

@Illya Kuryakin ya screamed like your mother you troll

[@maximilian2974]

@Illya Kuryakin do you have a job? You truly are troll.

[@saltnugget]

What surface is this? Cement?

[@CindyC71]

Green clay i believe

[@dbeasleyphx]

Wow! I haven’t seen moon balls in ages. Can you believe that was a real tactic back then?

[@manupeni]

These days, a moon ball will be handing an opponent a point

[@zeddeka]

Evert was from an era when nobody hit with heavy topspin. Her whole stroke mechanics really struggled to deal with it, as she couldn't really step in and take the ball on the rise. It was a definite strategy by Monica here, to wear Chris down but also go take advantage of a real technical flaw in her game

[@olaraay]

how ironic that is was on the 30th april

[@joeyconvery2055]

Sad..27 years ago today was the stabbing.

[@olaraay]

@Illya Kuryakin blah blah blah

[@Ricobaca]

Sema finals?

[@ericcrittenden7553]

Just like golf, power through equipment has changed the game to where shot making and strategy are no longer paramount. It's just smash and gouge.

[@swalterstennis]

I ballboyed for Evert, Jaeger, Mandlikova and Austin and defeated Capriati. . . In billiards and water volleyball! Not tennis! I think I beat Pierce in mini tennis but not sure. Might have lost. Women’s tennis in the 1980’s and 1990’s was awesome.

[@vsavage9913]

Haha little Mon! Superstar in the making

[@maxime7]

Anyone know what the colour of this court was? Is that grey or is the footage so worn out that it does not capture the correct colour?

[@charleshebert4168]

C'est de la terre battue américaine (Har-Tru). Gris-verdâtre en vrai vie, normalement pas aussi gris que dans la vidéo. J'ai joué sur cette surface ce matin!

[@maxime7]

@@charleshebert4168 aw ok merci

[@networth00]

Green clay.

[@torbenm2375]

Only Chris could turn Monica into a moonballer. Didnt only happen here but also in Boca Raton if I remember it correctly.

[@zeddeka]

it was a very deliberate tactic on Monica's part in this match, and not her normal game. Chris had said some time earlier that she no longer had the patience "trade moonballs with kids half her age". In the first set, Monica tried her usual game and Chris loved the pace. So Monica started moonballing and it really wore Chris down.

[@harrymartin2459]

3:16 "19 years old Monica Seles" Not sure when the commentator comment to this video, but if it was VSlim tour in 1989 according to the tournament shown, Seles was only 16 years old as she was born in 1973.

[@leonardofibonacci8665]

The commentator is correctly saying that Chris was 19 years old when Monica was born, but the first half of his sentence is cut off due to video editing.

[@harrymartin2459]

lukas fischer that make sense.

[@zeddeka]

To all of the people asking why Monica is moonballing so much - it was a deliberate tactic. Chris had gone on record saying that she no longer had the patience to Trade moonballs with kids half her age. Monica tried her normal game for a while in the first set and Chris loved the pace, so Monica went to plan B and started moonballing everything. It worked and wore Chris down. If you watch their following match at the US Open in 1989, Monica tried moonballing everything there but Chris was ready for it.

[@craftypromise7814]

Wow , was only fifteen.

[@guicon2007]

The same date, four years earlier...😪😪😪😪

[@oktayyilmaz5134]

15:20 what a shot!!

[@FerrariCarr]

God, Seles' lobs were pissing me off. When I play against players like that, it's so frustrating cause it breaks pace, and YOU start to wonder "should I hit it soft or hard?"

[@FerrariCarr]

^ Wow, you mad? And that's not true at all. Plenty of younger players can hit fast, hard hitters against adults. Tennis, like many other sports, thrives on the youth of their players. Have you ever even played a match against someone legitimately good? Or do you still hold your Wal-Mart racquet by the neck?

[@amaiurjarauta969]

The Last Armadillo He actually doesn't.😬

[@binkyxz3]

Eddie Dibbs moon balls xD

[@zeddeka]

it was a very deliberate tactic on Monica's part in this match, and not her normal game. Chris had said some time earlier that she no longer had the patience "trade moonballs with kids half her age". In the first set, Monica tried her usual game and Chris loved the pace. So Monica started moonballing and it really wore Chris down.

[@zeddeka]

@@FerrariCarr who mentioned young players? Calm down. Stop being so unnecessarily aggressive.

[@jamesc7019]

Evert hit the ball so late , you can’t do that anymore. Seles took baseline to next level and hit ball on the rise

[@mediascribble]

Monica Seles is the real deal here. You see all those loopers she sent Chris' way, then fires one low. She seemed like an MLB pitcher. Chris was probably thinking, "Where did this kid come from?"

[@bonhamhouse1169]

What’s with the moon balls? Coach told her to do that?

[@markuse3472]

Some think it was Seles' "game plan" to annoy Evert. Seles was simply new at this stage in her life.

[@zeddeka]

It was a deliberate tactic. Chris had said some time before this match that she no longer had the patience to "trade moonballs with kids half my age". Monica tried more of her usual attacking game in set one and it didn't work - Chris loved the pace. So Monica started moonballing to wear Chris down, and it worked. Very clever play by Monica.

[@stephencross4277]

why all the moonballs? they are not deep enough and keep losing points? good match though

[@zeddeka]

Chris had said some time before this match that she no longer had the patience to "trade moonballs with kids half her age". Monica tried her normal game in set one and Chris loved the pace - so Monica started the moonballs to wear Chris down mentally and physically and it worked.

[@MA-yh2ko]

It eventually paid dividends by wearing Evert OUT.

[@swalterstennis]

Incredible match. Beat Players Ever: #1-6: Lenglen, Wills, Court, Navratilova, Graf, Seles, Serena. #8-10: Evert, King, Connolly. Chris Evert had a STRONG forehand. It was pure precision too. Serve was adequate. But, so solid on ground strokes. And Mentally a rock. Too bad Seles took so long to come back. She would have won 16-20 Majors. Graf’s total would have been 15-18, instead of 22.

[@Imarkal]

Seles would have won 30 grand Slam.

[@swalterstennis]

I’d say 20-22 but you may be right. Graf would have won 18-20 if Seles didn’t get stabbed.

[@burninglightfire]

Chris got the last laugh at the Open ....it was a different match where Chris played as good as ever and showed Monica that she had to work on her court speed and shot placement ....it is significant that Monica changed her tactics after that memorable loss and later admitted that she knew she had to become more agressive ... the transformation process from the early way more passive Seles into the great agressive fireball then started!! But still at this stage one could see that she was a player with tremendous amount of talent!!! Probably one of the only players who ever came close to chrises mental strenght. Chrissie knew how to hurt her but could not execute it at this occasion!

[@Volker7578]

I never heard that Monica said after the US Open match 89 that she had to become more agressive. She was always a player with an agressive style of play by nature. When she got taller and physically stronger, that's when she could play the game that was in her. In 88, 89 she was physically not quite strong enough, she had to play moonballs, and against Evert, it was the only tactic that gave Seles a chance to win. There was no way she would wipe Evert off the court, as Monica did with other players, early on in her career already. Also, this is 1989 - racket industry changed Tennis over the years. These days, 14 year olds can hit bullets. That wasn't possible then.

[@RichardsWorld]

Burning Lightfire Monica had something in her favor. AGE! If she wasn't going to win at 15 years old, she would win within a few years as she got stronger and older ladies got more slow.

[@mjf2366]

Chris Evert was no Monica Seles !!! Monica was more powerful and mentally stronger !!

[@tylerbam7183]

@@mjf2366 Seles is no Chris Evert. Chris Evert has twice as many slams despite skipping the Australian and French in her prime years in the 70s, otherwise she would have 3 times as many.

[@mjf2366]

tyler bam at Seles best Chris Evert wouldn’t have had a chance !!! 1991 1992 Seles would destroy Chris Evert !!!

[@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568]

Seles goat tennis !

[@olgicasandor8222]

Princeza jugoslovenskog tenisa.. ostaces zauvek prva i jedina....e nebi bilo kraja tvojim pobedama da nije bilo....dozvoljeno monstrumu da krvnicki zaustavi tvoje neprevazidjene rezultate...ostala si zauvek u mom srcu...

[@hanajinks1044]

She was a freak...the best by a mile.

[@davideferrari5702]

Monica per sempre 🎾 🏆

[@KH-sn2sj]

Angle at 12:29 is absolutely sick

[@jonathankieranwriter]

Evert probably ought to have pulled-out this match; she was playing more than well enough to win the third set. But the feisty young Seles tested her legendary patience and threw everything but the kitchen sink at Chris: moonballs; sharp-angled drives; drop shots; down-the-center jammers; etc. As a game-plan, it was brilliant in terms of keeping Evert just a bit off-rhythm and on defense, when Evert ought to have been following more of her own big groundies into the net for putaways in that final set, just as she was doing so effectively in Set One. This was Evert’s closest shot at a title win in the final year of her stunning career, but Seles took it away from her. I guess the writing was on the wall for Evert at this stage.

[@sww770]

surprised by how many moon balls Monica plays in this match? Don't remember her doing that anywhere near as much a couple of years later.

[@NOTHEOTHERGUY]

Monica tried it at the 1989 US Open in their round of 16 match, and Chris simply demolished Monica that day. Never saw the moon ball strategy after that.

[@bruno83r05crom]

@@NOTHEOTHERGUY so true Definitely, she understood that day at the US89... no more moonballs🤗

[@MonteeGeo]

I just love the moon balls rally...😁

[@Martinus74]

It was 1988 not 1989.

[@jm7804]

That's a lie. It was April 1989. Please actually do some fact checking before you correct anyone.

[@Martinus74]

@@jm7804 LOL

[@richtensail]

nice 2 c monic whn shes developing, not yet dominating wit here 2 hander pwr shots, we only c it ocassionally here, suprisd she ever played chris, nvr seen vis surface b4. chris hitng vos dwn v lne shots like a metronome, n such gd control of v ball. monica even seems farliy quiet here haha!