Monica Seles vs Martina Navratilova Extended Highlights | 1991 US Open Final

[@riccardombollani]

Monica, simply the best ever

[@carrerau7138]

In what, you sad clown?

[@RoamHockey]

ya ok lol..Mrs Overrated vs a legend in Martina you mean

[@uchihadayne6506]

You’re a delusional clown. Growing up I hated Monica because I was a Steffi fan, but people should be able to take a look back and say she would have probably been the best female tennis player ever if she weren’t injured

[@ivicaanic5213]

@@RoamHockey you are joking indeed

[@Ricky-mo6mv]

Monica showing the world just how good the game of tennis can be played!

[@carrerau7138]

Steffi had shown us that in her Wimbledon 88 & 89 finals against a 2 and 3 years younger Martina. And she did it again in 92 in the Wimbledon 92 final when she destroyed Seles with 62 61. Seles never came even close to that high level!

[@alokobaju8288]

@@carrerau7138 Graf's slams will always be a question mark because of Seles stabbing no matter what.

[@carrerau7138]

@@alokobaju8288 Same with ALL of Seles‘s slams. Apparently Steffi’s slams don’t have such a big question mark anyway since she is generally considered to have been the greatest ever according to polls.

[@alokobaju8288]

@@carrerau7138 When I say a question mark, I'm refering to the total count. I'm in agreement that Graf was better but had it not been for the stabbing, her slam count would have been less than 22 and Seles more than 9. Before the stabbing it was 6-4 in favor of Graf, that's why I don't know why that German imbecile stabbed her. He robbed the world of a great rilvalry and cut short the incredible run of a young champion.. This is my last word with because you seem to be confusing things in a biased way. Bye.

[@MoneyMatter-y2b]

@@carrerau7138 Steffi woudnt have won that many GS titles with Seles playing.....Except Wimby, Seles was beating steffi everywhere...........i remember those matches very well. Steffi took full advantage of Seles' absence and racked up GS titles. Seles was winning everything just everything back then. Seles was destined to become the GOAT . She was the one and only headache of Steffi Graf those days. So. all of Steffi's GS wins will DEFINITELY come with an asterisk. A delusional Steffi fan will NEVER understand or admit this

[@normadesmond6017]

she was unbelievable before she was attacked.

[@carrerau7138]

In 1991 Seles had a 74-6 win/loss record. Which was the worst win/loss record for a #1 player since Evert in 1982. And she even went 0-2 win/loss against the then #2 player, Steffi Graf.

[@guyinsf]

@@carrerau7138 Every time someone says something good about Seles you reply with a really annoying pro-Graf shade on Monica. Seles was quite amazing before she got stabbed because she was so young and had won so many slams already and that fact has nothing to do with Graf and takes nothing away from Graf's achievements. Grafanatics are so annoying!

[@alokobaju8288]

@@carrerau7138 Your point?

[@RoamHockey]

@@alokobaju8288 he was pointing out how the Seles cult followers overrate her, which they do..plain and simple..she is not and never will be a legend like Steffi or Martina..hell she is not even top 10 of alltime

[@alokobaju8288]

@@RoamHockey I'm glad we all have opinions, so I'll hold on to mine and you to yours. Monica was the greatest female sensation in women's tennis winning 8 slams as a teenager. If not for her stabbing Seffi would never have had 22 slams. She's definitely in my top 10.

[@Ricky-mo6mv]

Monica had very underrated movement back then and great anticipation. Too bad her second career was hindered by a significant decline in her athleticism. It’s like we didn’t realize how strong that aspect of her game was until she didn’t have it anymore.

[@joemarshall4226]

She gained so much weight because of her bulimia. That was the problem. The groundxstrokes were as good as ever, but the quickness and the endurance were not there.

[@chewy98ta28]

Fat tends to take away athleticism.

[@Mntguy-nr9vl]

That's not entirely accurate,Monica was very good side to side but she was not fast front to back. She also had a problem with her weight and I don't agree she would have been the best to have ever played. Her mobility is not good enough show me the greats and they move Monica could hit the ball fantastically but everyone caught up with her.

[@Ricky-mo6mv]

@ Well, you have the right to your opinion

[@frankiedelgadoes]

@@Mntguy-nr9vl I agree she wasn't that good moving forward but that wasn't important as she wasn't a serve and volleyer, and few could drop shot her or bring her in much. She was pretty good moving side by side when younger which is all that mattered for her.

[@FREELUIGI89]

Hate it when they don't show the score in these summaries and even upon winning!

[@steeel]

it's moronic

[@zyngacita]

agreed! The point takes on so much more drama if it's a break point, set point, etc.

[@twinwankel]

Martina said that Seles would eventually get all of her records and be the GOAT and the Seles stabbing was the only thing to stop that. Martina was always honest and gracious. Seles had a game nobody had and that included men's. She could hit angle winners from nearly anywhere on court. She destroyed Graf before the stabbing and that was the motivation of her assailant. To stop Seles from destroying his obsessed over tennis star. I've been watching tennis for a long long time and I have never seen a better WTA player. When she was on, she was unplayable. She was the most talented WTA player I've ever seen.

[@mikebatlinh6650]

That is your opinion. I would not agree with it.

[@ouimette75]

I agree. The deranged German got what he wanted and wasn't even punished. It was beautiful to see Graf and Seles play against each other. I think Stefi would have continued to take Wimbledon and Monica the other 3 Grand Slams for 3 or 4 more years until Hingis arrived. Monica would had 16 or 17 Slams and Stefi maybe 14 or 15. Or maybe even. Watching Henin and Seles play is glorious. What Serena did in her 30s was unbelievable.

[@bogdantenev2764]

I agree 100 %!Monica was blessed to be the greatest champ ever,but it didn't happen...Neverthless players like Seles,Navratilova,Borg,Connors will never be forgotten!!!

[@gary8306]

@@mikebatlinh6650 smh dude, you ain't got a clue. Really smh. He said that's what Navratilova said and you think you know better than her. Oh dude.🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@missourimanful]

@Wally Friend - Thanks for sharing what Martina said. . I totally agree with her. Younger people have no idea how good Salas was. She won 8 Majors before she was 20 years old. Think about that. Then the stabbing occurs and she was never the same after that. No way Graf would have had 22 Majors if they would have been able to continue their great rivalry. Monica would have won many more.

[@zeddeka]

Such a shame that Martina was so exhausted from her previous couple of matches. She said after the match "Monica saved her best tennis for the final and I think I left mine in the semi final against Steffi".

[@gedshepherd3106]

She'd have still lost

[@paulkazakoff9231]

@@gedshepherd3106 Yep and Monica is to my mind one of the top 3 women players to have played the game.

[@zeddeka]

@@gedshepherd3106 Maybe - worth noting that Martina had won their last match on hardcourts earlier that year 6-2, 7-6 and would also go on to win their next match on hard courts 6-4, 6-2. But whatever the result, it should have been a much closer, more entertaining match than it was. A lot of their matches were really electric with some amazing tennis, no matter who won. We were really robbed of that. After such amazing semi finals, this was a massive anti-climax.

[@shihlin1]

Both coming from marathon semis just the day before. Keep in mind Martina played the first semi in taking out Steffi, and even tho it went three sets, the points were short. Monica's famous match against Capriati had rallies lasting over 30 strokes, finished just before dark. She only had about 18 hours to recover. But when you're 17 (Monica) vs. 35 (Martina), who do you think had an easier time recovering ?

[@shihlin1]

Martina didn't play badly, Monica was just too good.

[@8sabu1982]

Mónica Seles & Martina Súper players 🤩🤩

[@doctorsteevo]

The match that chaged my life: I became a net player after watching Martina...Monica was too good, such a shame what happened to her, I never saw someone so fearless as Monica specially on big points. Martina athletism changed tennis, Monica s power on both side changed the game too... Two legends of our sport.

[@oliverjuria993]

Evert and Navratilova both agreed that Seles would have been the GOAT...Graf knows that too.

[@jansnauwaert1785]

It's very likely.

[@Ricky-mo6mv]

@@jansnauwaert1785 Agreed.

[@normadesmond6017]

for sure. She was a killer.

[@zeddeka]

I don't think Steffi really cares. Tennis is a very long way behind her and she's not very interested in getting involved. She has her family now.

[@normadesmond6017]

oh yes. Graf would never have won as much as she did had Seles been there in full force.

[@mikejeweler]

I loved watching these two play. Monica was too good on this day but they had some great clashes. Martina had a 7-10 lifetime record against Seles -- quite respectable despite being past her prime.

[@juanantoniobl7550]

7-13

[@camgig9995]

@@juanantoniobl7550 incorrect 7-10 as Michael J originally sent!

[@joemarshall4226]

@@camgig9995 But two of those wins by Martina came when Monica was 15, and one only two months after she turned 16. Martina's level of play , even at 34, was still very close to her prime. Monica is only 17 in this match, still improving.

[@CSV1973]

either way… Martina was great against a player who was better than Graf and she was way past her prime

[@jm7804]

The paycheck in 1991 was $400,000. In 2024 adjust dollars that's $925,000. The prize money for the USO in 2024 was $3.6 million. It's just gotten absurd how much the top players make and the lower ranked players don't even make enough to cover expenses.

[@syrinx9196]

And people like to claim tennis can't afford grass courts, when people complain about the injuries from all of the hard courts' shock to the joints. People are doing the splits and sliding on them!

[@abdiver12]

Just imagine what Monica would have achieved if she hadn't been stabbed by that crazy idiot about 1 year after this match. She had won 8 Grand Slam titles before the age of 20 and there's no doubt in my mind she would have well over 20 had that tragedy not happened. Maybe even more than Serena. Great memories of watching these great champions and its incredible how quickly time flies.

[@stevena.2306]

so true; I think about that every time I watch one of these videos featuring Monica

[@archangelmusic13]

she won 8 by the age of 18

[@joemarshall4226]

She won her 8th title in Australia in 1993, at the age of 19 years, one month, but still...it was amazing @@archangelmusic13

[@zeddeka]

The sad thing is that we'll never know. There were a lot of things though counting against Monica achieving that, and it's possible that her career may have tailed off like Martina Hingis's did. Firstly, Monica's dad's illness massively affected her, I think more than the stabbing. That would have happened in any event. Secondly, Monica has talked at length in her books about how even before the stabbing she was having real problems coping with the stress of the tour. She said her eating disorder started many years earlier when she was still at the Bollettieri academy as a means to cope with the loneliness of it all. As early as 1991 a lot of commentary was made about her weight and she said that she was 'addicted to butter'. The next factor is illness and injury. Monica was always somewhat fragile and it's possible that the injuries that drove her out of the game may have started earlier. If we look at the 12 months leading up to the stabbing, there were some signs that all was not 100% well. Monica had a title drought from June 1992 to September 1992. A period of 14 weeks that was the longest title drought for any world #1 since Martina Navratilova had lost the #1 ranking in 1987. In early 1993, Monica took what was then the longest ever absence from the tour for a world #1, not playing from February 1993 until late April 1993. Hamburg was her first tournament back. The result of all that was that in the 12 months leading up to the stabbing, Monica won 7 tournaments (of course three of them grand slams) whereas Steffi had won 9 plus the Fed Cup. It's the main reason why Steffi got the #1 ranking back so quickly - she was very close to Monica in the rankings anyway. Finally, there's just no way that any player can keep going years after year winning so many slams. Each player who's had a run like Monica did has then had a big dip. We've seen it with Steffi, Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Serena. You name it. I suspect Monica would have had a similar dip, and by the time she got out of it she would have been facing a new generation of incredibly tough players in the later 1990s (all of whom she ended up with a losing head to head with) such as Hingis, Davenport, and the Williams Sisters. I just cannot see her dominating the tour against all those players like she did in the early 90s.

[@archangelmusic13]

@@zeddeka nobody is reading all of that.counting her losses to inferior players after the stabbing like losing to sanchez vicario, a player she dominated before the stabbing only proves seles wasnt the same player when she came back.and not an indication of what she would have done if she hadnt been stabbed.the fact sanchez could beat serena on clay says it all about how monica would have been a much better player to beat them had she not been stabbed.

[@Luca33600]

Seles won 3 out of 4 Grand Slams in 1991 and was just 17 years old. Unbelievable. Nobody will ever achieve something like that. Monica the best ever 🔥

[@CarloChapelle]

That was an amazing record. However, Hingis did the same feat in 1997. She was 15 when she won Australia and then she was 16 when she won Wimbledon and the US open that same year.

[@Luca33600]

@@CarloChapelle I forgot that, you are right

[@uchihadayne6506]

Hingis was 1/2 the player Monica was. Don’t care what similar records were. Mentally, Monica played like a 20 year veteran while Hingis was lazy, entitled, and soft

[@zeddeka]

​@@uchihadayne6506whatever you think of Hingis, she managed what Monica managed in 1991 at a younger age

[@erryan10]

I remember this match like it was yesterday.

[@shihlin1]

Keep in mind both players had marathon matches just the day before. Martina played the first semi taking out Steffi, and even tho it went three sets, the points were short. Monica's famous match against Capriati had rallies lasting 30-40 strokes, finished just before dark. She only had about 18 hours to recover. But when you're 17 (Monica) vs. 35 (Martina), who do you think had an easier time recovering ?

[@zeddeka]

The points were a much quicker pace and hugely energy draining in the Navratilova Graf match - a series of very intense sprints. The match went over 2 hours. Also, Martina had also tough three setters in the fourth round against Manuela Maleeva (who'd beaten Martina the year before) and then against Arantxa Sanchez Viacrio in the quarter finals, who came within 2 points of winning after two long tiebreak sets in the first two sets. Monica had much the easier path to the final and as you rightly say, much harder for the older Navratilova to recover.

[@Ricky-mo6mv]

They both had tough semifinal matches. Monica’s match with Jennifer was definitely the more mentally and physically draining of the two though. They were both teenage phenoms with so much to prove even off the court. Steffi and Martina had been doing this for years, so it was quite routine for them. 35 really isn’t that old, and Martina was in great shape. Honestly, I’m surprised Monica was able to come out on this day and be at the top of her game after her truly epic semifinal. Challenging for both women though to be sure.

[@kidpagronprimsank05]

@@Ricky-mo6mv in the era where most top athletes retired at late 20s/early 30s, 35 was really old. Her contemporaries by this point were retired or shadow of themselves.

[@Music2Painting]

If Monica is not stabbed, I think the longest streak of no. 1 would have stretched to 1999 at least.

[@tasibho]

Thanks to players like Seles, serve and volleyers had to adapt and develop a game from the baseline. Now its all about powerful groundstrokes

[@syrinx9196]

Actually, Navratilova had to develop a solid baseline game to deal with Evert. The issue is that the grip Navratilova used (continental), which made volleying and serving easier, made groundstrokes more difficult. Everything has pros and cons. The bottom line is that the big light stiff racquets Seles used gave her an edge, especially on high-bouncing surfaces like her beloved Rebound Ace. Put a wood racquet in Seles' hands and place her on indoor carpet and things would have been different, especially if Martina had been closer to her age. I think Seles is a very gifted player but she also had the advantage of the equipment against Martina, not just age.

[@StewNWT]

what's wonderful about these matches is that both women are always trying to create and construct winning points. Always trying to make something happen. No shade to Wozniacki but they both would have destroyed her

[@lucaantonelli1511]

What Martina played, that is tennis.

[@MrRosenleaf406]

Both players are great in this final. Martina, yes, was "past her prime," but even with that, she was contending for grand slam titles until she retired from Singles and then won doubles titles into her 40s. This could be a textbook match of baseline vs. serve and volley tennis. I, too, wonder what would have happened had that lunatic not stabbed Monica. If she and Graf (and Navratilova) had been able to continue the rivalry that gave air to women's tennis at the time and without it, caused a Graf dominance that was unmatched. What if...

[@davidkaiser]

While I appreciate seeing these two great players in action, I wish that the editor would have taken some more time to let us know what the score was at various points. The beauty of the play is there; the drama of the match is not. The first time that you hear the score in this video is at 7-6, 4-1!

[@rppn6987]

Had sales not been stabbed 1993 in Germany.... she would have more slams to her name. ... therefore Graf wouldn't be at 23 slams to her tally count

[@gyozop]

Two polar opposites styles, yet both hyper-aggressive mentalities. We will never see that again.

[@Andrea-cp8ng]

It is really a pity that in these highlights we can't see more of Seles winners. The match was full of them. This looks like Martina won the match. 😅

[@sergioricardoasgiselealves5336]

Uma das minhas ídolos do tênis!além de que eu também bato com as duas mãos

[@oliverjuria993]

Both Evert and Navratilova believe Seles could have been the GOAT, and graf benefited from her stabbing.

[@syrinx9196]

Not greatest in doubles. Navratilova completed the boxed set. It matters that she would play and win in singles, mixed, and women's doubles at the same tournament. That's a lot more than just playing the singles.

[@bh5606]

Had to turn off the sound. Carillo spoils everything.

[@syrinx9196]

She made a cute observation about Martina needing to create things and Seles' responses being better than the creations.

[@tomgraham6071]

Navratilova was such an elegant player, but Seles was a monstrous competitor with eyes on the return sharper than any other. Navratilova's net rushing style was hard to implement against someone who returned as aggressively as Seles.

[@syrinx9196]

And Seles had a giant stiff light racquet to bludgeon returns with.

[@tomgraham6071]

@syrinx9196 whatever she hit with, she did it bloody well.

[@ralfbeckmann597]

❤❤❤

[@Gimli1732]

So she was double-handed on both sides?

[@CSV1973]

when serve and volley died, and the racquet tech changed the game forever

[@riyasharma242]

I love tenis

[@Music2Painting]

Monica relentless focus and intensity eventually wore her opponents down. Her anticipation is the best. In the 90s, Martina finally wore Steffi down. She knew how to play Steffi already. With Monica, she knew she couldn't take her eyes off when she is at net and she hit a less powerful shot, there will be consequences

[@zeddeka]

Monica and Steffi's head to head in Monica's best years (1990 - 1992) was completely even. 3-3

[@AbbaFan-ib4sf]

Agree with the comments about Seles. She had Graf’s number for sure. Probably the second best player I’ve ever seen after Justine Henin.

[@zeddeka]

Their head to head was pretty much dead even back in the early 90s. Neither player had the other one's number whatsoever.

[@MsKaystra]

I didn't even know tennis players grunted back then in 1991

[@Crypto.spaghetti]

D’un côté le tennis moderne, de l’autre le tennis académique plus beau visuellement

[@8sabu1982]

Two left hands

[@tomgraham3206]

Serve and volleying must have felt like suicide against Seles. It was probably the worst thing to do against her when she was in her prime. There just wasn't the time to get the racket and the legs set up.

[@carrerau7138]

When Seles was in her prime in 1991-93 she lost FOUR times against a 34/37-year-old Navratilova, the best S&V player ever. 😂 Can you imagine what Martina of 1982-89 would have done with Monica??

[@syrinx9196]

The surface and the equipment make a difference. If Martina had been fresh and this match would have been on indoor carpet, the outcome could have been in Martina's favor. The giant stiff light racquet Seles was using also helped make her groundstrokes more dominant. If she had played with Graf's midsize high-flex heavy Dunlop she would not have been able to produce such easy power.

[@syrinx9196]

@@carrerau7138 In Monica had been able to use the racquet she's using in this match in 1982 she would have had a strong chance against Martina on hard courts. On indoor carpet I'd say Martina most of the time.

[@Jasinjames-y9l]

Seles a stylish player

[@cush6827]

Martina lost a step after the Graf match the day before. She was too slow to get to the net here and had to volley up.

[@Music2Painting]

I ll go with 1. MONICA SELES 2. MARTINA NAVRATILOVA 3. STEFFI GRAF

[@RoamHockey]

the grunter vs the legend

[@Music2Painting]

I do not see Steffi would dominate because Steffi lost to Sabatini, Sanchez and Navratilova more than Seles lost.

[@佐野俊介-c8w]

グラフの狂ったファンが憎い

[@RobertKalauz]

Jen Monica Seles a Asleyh Barthyova. A pak dlouho nic

[@dawidtrybula]

Still hate Seles double handed style. Looks (and sounds) awful.

[@brianmcinerney3455]

Good thing tennis isnt a beauty pagent.

[@theroadrunnerjarhead4109]

I’m sure seles is very hurt that you hate her style of play.

[@Ricky-mo6mv]

@@theroadrunnerjarhead4109 Haha!

[@carrerau7138]

Certain people love ugliness. Says a lot about them.

[@syrinx9196]

It's better for the body, though, in terms of the mechanics. However, the lack of reach might put more strain on certain things, like the feet. That might explain why Seles developed foot issues.

[@carrerau7138]

I think Seles is the most overrated player of the open era. Won her slams against zero competition.

[@alokobaju8288]

Nonsense - I guess Graf and Martina are zero competitions.

[@carrerau7138]

@@alokobaju8288 Seles won only 2 slams when Navratilova was in the draw (USOs 91 & 92). And only 3 slams against a Steffi who was not hampered by a nasty blackmail scandal (FO & USO 92, AO 93) - but still not in top form again. Seles had a window of opportunity in the early 90s and used it to the max. Nothing wrong with that. Comparable to Hingis a few years later.

[@alokobaju8288]

@@carrerau7138 She won only 2 slams, and then she won only 3, totalling 5 wow! Ooh, that's just a minimal number for that minimal amount of years except thousands of players have zero slams. Please try to make sense.

[@carrerau7138]

@@alokobaju8288 The point was whether Seles had strong competition or not.

[@syrinx9196]

@@carrerau7138 Seles at her best was one of history's most talented players.