Steffi Graf vs Monica Seles 1989 Roland Garros SF Highlights

[@uchihadayne6506]

One of the greatest sports tragedies is that Seles was never allowed to fully blossom into the phenom that she was. She was the most uniquely gifted tennis player I’ve ever seen, and her shots are still not replicated 30 years later.

[@laviniaparisi9154]

When the tennis was tennis. Steffi and Monica two superlative champions!!

[@tomgraham6071]

You'll never get another Monica Seles. Did a skinny 15 year-old with spindly legs really go after the world's most unbeatable player of the last generation in a first grandslam semi like that? You bet she did. Some of those moments when she just takes aim and fires the ball into a corner, early-hit and like a bullet are just breath taking. Nobody does it quite like that. Graf was rocked; she had finally met someone who didn't fear her and rose to the task. What a superstar she was. Her unmatched intensity, the grunt of sheer will and effort, and those electrifying bullet shots towards the corners will go down in history just as Graf's graceful athleticism and forehand will.

[@markuse3472]

Are you a bit stupid or just pretending? Is pop culture stupidity your main source for education? Just honest questions. The other Top players didn't fear Graf, or Anyone, which is really my point here regarding my questions. More so, it was Steffi who ended up winning 22 Gran Slams.

[@TheToanpy16]

@@markuse3472 the dumbest comment ever. Before being stabbed Seles won 7/9 GS titles and dominating Graf

[@markuse3472]

@@TheToanpy16 Steffi 6-4 agains Seles before food binging. 4-1 post food binging. Steffi the better in both periods.

[@valentinodelpiero4861]

One of the best comments I have ran into

[@markuse3472]

@timothy chung Steffi: 6-4 before Seles's eating. 4-1 after her long lunch break. The stab was a paper cut. Seles's time was up, as many, many athletes from other sports also thrive for a few years then fade away. It happens to many. Okay. Move on.

[@Volker7578]

Monica was/is unique. Everything about her has never been seen before or after. A complete unique style in every aspect. Added to that, she was always very respectful. A true Champion!

[@svenner80]

True!

[@valentinodelpiero4861]

Great comment!

[@jasminafuehrer]

And then She was attacked by some lunatic

[@murugandharmalingam8041]

Beautiful comment on a great champion and true sports person.

[@valentinodelpiero4861]

Murugan Dharmalingam couldn’t agree more! She made me into the sport

[@jm7804]

The best of all the phenoms. This was only Monica's third tournament after turning pro. Her first event she made it to the semis. Her second event she beat Evert on clay for her first title. Evert only lost 22 matches in total on clay in her entire 19 year career. Monica handed her one of those losses in her second event. And here is her FO debut. Only her third tournament and she pushed 2 time defending champion Graf to the limit. Monica was truly something special. We'll never see another like her again.

[@ipiap]

The Zina match actually was a walkover.

[@markdecena4559]

@@jm7804 his facts are correct you moron

[@markdecena4559]

@@jm7804 hahahahahahahahaha what a moron. Sad and pathetic like your posts.

[@kloatlanta]

She played 3 tournaments in 1988

[@jm7804]

@@kloatlanta Monica played as an amateur in 1988. She received no prize money or points. Her dad would not let her turn pro at 14, even though she could....unlike Peter Graf who encouraged his daughter to drop out of middle school at age 13 to turn pro, effectively ending her formal education.

[@keithjacobson1640]

This should have been as great a rivalry as Evert vs Navratilova. That monster in Hamburg ruined everything

[@slc2466]

I agree Keith. He cheated Graf as well as Seles- they should have been able to play each other uncompromised during this period, instead of having Monica taken out of the game, thereby leaving a question mark as to how things may have played out on both sides with a fit Monica left in the game for the next couple years to battle it out with Steffi.

[@jess4metoo]

Illya Kuryakin How do you explain Graf losing the next FOUR French opens, losing to Arantxa here and Seles winning the next three?

[@jess4metoo]

Illya Kuryakin Sure! And she came back strong in May of ‘93.

[@jess4metoo]

Illya Kuryakin Seles had taken Graf’s confidence, pure and simple. With Seles gone she regained it. Graf felt defeated and done and she was until the stabbing. We all know it, hence your need to try to explain it.

[@sds2954]

@Illya Kuryakin is correct. Steffi was on a 66 match winning streak at the German Open when the scandal broke during the tournament. In the semi finals if I remember correctly (including 3 wins over Seles). At this stage Steffi had also won the last 8 of the 9 GS she played in, making the final each time (only loss to ASV). After the scandal, Seles beat her for the first time at that German Open, again at the French and Steffi didnt win another GS until Wimbledon 1991. The scandal got so bad that she broke down in the 1990 Wimbledon press conference and threatened to leave Germany for the US. That slump of Steffi had nothing to with Seles. Not saying Seles would not have gotten better or beaten Steffi. But it is suspicious that Steffi's form took such a sudden dip, losing to players like Zina Garrison whom she had not lost to in the past 4 years.

[@ckkc6865]

I realised recently that Monica was excellent player. I love Seles's player!!

[@vijayabagul7398]

I love ❤️ the great Monica Seles ...the first hard hitter and inspiration to so many other tennis players.

[@Akenaten1]

Seles wasn’t the first hard hitter. Steffi was. Sales was the first hard hitter of both the backhand and forehand. Get your facts right.

[@eikaets]

I was and i am a big fan of both players. I love the elegance of Graf and the way Seles played both hands on both sides. Love it!

[@stevyyjay85]

Can I just say that the clip depicts a 19 year old and a 15 year old in the French Open semi-final? Unheard of quality for teenagers - even today. Also by the time Graf was 20 she was already a legend of the sport, by the time Seles was 20 she was also a LEGEND of the sport. They are impeccable. The only that was comes remotely close to them as a teen was Hingis. Her 1997 season has to be one of the best ever.

[@albertcheeni]

What most people miss is that Graf and Seles were EQUAL. Seles was the answer to Graf. Any match between them was Epic. A battle no less. The outcome could go either way. So I think they would have equally shared grandslam titles during 1993-94 had not Seles been stabbed. That means we have to minus some titles from Graf, and add some to Seles.

[@randyb5579]

Thanks for these incredible highlights. Boy, do I miss this business-like tennis - no stalling, no backcourt antics, no Diva-esque behavior, just pure hitting. Even though it's been nearly 30 years, I gasped along with the crowd at much of their hitting, especially Seles' out-of-nowhere winners. We'd grown accustomed to Graf's power, and Monica was a whole new deal. The rally at 16:05 defines this rivalry - all about power, placement and positioning.

[@Classclguy]

I agree 100% with everything said on top especially the "business-like" part. I also like to add that the tennis above is way more competitive than the ladies game today: these two were the hardest hitters in the late 80s and early 90s yet both of them were aiming at the side lines (!!!) for outright winners versus today where they hit 5-6 shots in a row that land one feet away from the center service line a la Sharapova. The Graf-Seles matches played wide and angled and to over-reiterate, they both had different styles. the 92 FO was the ultimate dogfight. Huge respect for these two players and their no-nonsense playing. Graf was always the superior server as in this match but by the time of the 93 AO open Seles had worked on her serve to out ace Graf in that final which showed her competitiveness to step up her game. And BOTH Graf and Seles tried serve & volleying a couple times in that match which was very progressive. Ladies tennis now: Serena still the only consistent big server for over 15 years and no one steps up ...

[@oza801]

Exactly - no spending minutes on toweling all the time.

[@loril6437]

Thank you for the16:05 prompt and comment

[@jmiller05]

Seles' timing and body weight transference at this age was phenomenal.

[@adolfinathamm5344]

Except for her grunting noise which is disturbing. Unlike Graf.

[@paulfish8057]

@@adolfinathamm5344 but legal

[@adolfinathamm5344]

@@paulfish8057 Legal or not legal is another question. The fact is is that it disturbs and distracts the other player. An an audience for me its not pleasant. That's my opinion. Legal or not legal is your problem

[@SaleSarajlija]

@@adolfinathamm5344 I love her grunting.

[@adolfinathamm5344]

@@SaleSarajlija understood ...... some sick people do. Usually Pigs grunt a lot.

[@ComplexNumbersUK]

I m so upset about how many great matches between these two legends we never had! Such a pity!💔💔

[@fuckurbody]

Illya Kuryakin french open 99 semi was a great match, so was 98 semifinal season ending champions in NYC. Graf won both in 3 sets.

[@fuckurbody]

Illya Kuryakin very true, you are right. After the stabbing and monica made her comeback, theres always so much hype when they’re playing each other. That long walk at the US open ground going into the center court in 95 final was LEGENDARY lol monica all smiles, steffi walking behind her... security around them, fans screaming.... they had been waiting for that steffi-monica showdown and they had finally gotten it. It was a great match and very emotional with the warm hugs at the end

[@doctorsteevo]

Ilya Kuryakin to be honest, and I am Steffi s fan but their matches post stabbing were not as good as pre stabbing ( French Open 1992 - even if it was heart breaking to see Steffi losing that match- it is on another level , and I am sure that we would have had other great final like that without the stabbing... Do you imagine French Open 1993 , what final would we have had? I m sorry but I never thought that Steffi would lose against Fernandez in the 1993 final even if it was tense, then US Open 1993 too and so on come on you know we ve been robbed of some amazing matches.... They should have been the Navratilova- Evert of the 80’s , the Federer - Nadal of the 90’s...

[@doctorsteevo]

Ilya Kuryakin I m sorry I don t see Monica as being the same pre and post stabbing so we ll never know, and you re only counting Slams though it could have been other matches Masters, Key Biscayne, Indian Wells.... so we ve been robbed to more than 6 matches unless you re talking per year...

[@fuckurbody]

Doctor Steevo yes we were robbed of a great rivalry.

[@JF-su9mb]

Honestly, this is just as good as anything you will find these days…in fact it’s even better…a 19 year old and a 15 year old playing absolutely ridiculous level tennis…

[@jess4metoo]

Amazing! Graf had just won the Golden Slam the previous year and Seles wasn’t the least bit intimidated. Going for all her shots.

[@stonew1927]

Hard to believe that it's been over 30 years now since this match was played. These two were the greatest of their generation. Rewatching the match, I noticed that Steffi would often serve with two balls in her tossing hand and play out the point with the one ball in her hand. Don't think I've ever seen that before. Nearly all of her backhands were with backspin. There was definitely one topspin backhand and it had so much power. Monica was barely able to get to it. I wonder why she didn't employ the topspin backhand more often? Enjoyable match. Thank you for uploading it...

[@garybarawidan9252]

Monica’s technique was so ahead of its time. She hit the ball with so much rotation. Her swing volley is the best and most lethal. Laid the foundation of modern shot that we see in 2021.

[@JohnSmith-qg3jb]

First time I have read a comment acknowledging this.

[@FrederickJohnSebastian]

No. She frequently was caught hitting the ball falling backwards with legs out of position and without proper weight transfer moving forward but compensated with excellent hand-eye coordination and last second wrist snap off both wings. Two hander off both wings allowed for last second decision-making and masked less-than- perfect movement/ footwork. Few, if any, would teach such stroke production at coaching level. She was singular and unique.

[@johnbrandolino1796]

I was 21 at UCLA - a tennis player and I will never forget my teammate and roommate John telling hey Brando watch this match....I'll never forget this match and the 5-3 game where Seles hit 3 winners to win the set...............

[@gardens5344]

I was late for work bcoz I couldn't take my off the TV. The match was soooo good.

[@gregkluge]

God I miss Monica. She was absolutely incredible!!

[@joeyconvery2055]

You just took the words out of my mouth. You will never see a player like Monica again.

[@joeyconvery2055]

@andy b Compared to the forced ridiculous grunting by Serena, Venus, Asarenka, Sharapova etc. Monica was quiet. Monica's grunting was a natural part of her game similar to martial arts. You're just mad because Monica beat the crap out of Steffi! 😆

[@joeyconvery2055]

@Biney Singh 4 years is a huge difference when you are 15. Monica was 15 and Graf was 19. Look at Graf play when she was a skinny 16 year old and then at 19...totally different player. After the stabbing , you know Monica was not the same. That is why Hingis beat her. Before the stabbing, Monica was nearly perfect in Grand Slams.

[@shihlin1]

Monica was quickly coming into her own by this time in 89. With one title and an upset win over Evert at Houston under her belt, it was only a matter of time. Graf would mention in post-match interview how impressed she was with Monica‘s play, and Graf is not one to dole out compliments lightly. Of course Seles went all the way the following year and beat Graf in the final.

[@ewardnolan6062]

These ladies were awesome! Monica was so tenacious while Steffi was strong especially that forehand-like misses! Thanks for the videos!

[@kritti1]

It is great to see the two ladies playing. This tennis is much more beautiful than today's monotonous power tennis and both ladies have wonderful personalities. And by the way: It is totally pointless to insist that Steffi or Monica would be the better player; they both were great, period.

[@ahmedhamamsy7251]

That’s pure art this match is more than 30 years old and the 2 are hitting hard ground strokes and having beautiful rallies 2 of the best in modern tennis history , Imagine they are playing with today Raquets technology they would have easily crushed any opponent

[@alexsdb9712]

A great rivalry's beginning. However Monica had two gifts at this point: her being new with her game and style not yet being known or adapted to, and secondly, pure youth. I miss these two and their matchups.

[@Uns_Maps_8]

Plus an annoying, and never heard of, distracting grunting

[@RicardoMaliano]

Come on guys, is this a 15 year old lady playing tennis like this? OMG I have never seen something like this in my life. It's difficult for her to make mistakes. Both players are so focused.

[@glennphillips843]

She had Only played a couple of main tournaments leading into this tournament Was amazing effort from someone so young

[@tomogden9503]

Exactly. Reaching the semis of a GS on DEBUT. I think only Chrissie managed that feat previously - back in '71. Such a shame we were cheated out of many more fine matches between these two greats!

[@minavamp2359]

@@tomogden9503 you forgot that jennifer capriati reached the 1990 french open semifinal playing against seles when she was barely 14 years old.

[@tomogden9503]

@@minavamp2359 Yes indeed that was wonderful too!

[@danielkriz7533]

rjm to encourage moonballing. This is RG.

[@luvdasitar]

Steffi’s footwork is like a ballet dancer. How she tries to get in position to hit the big forehand every point is just a sight to behold. Federer’s footwork is heavily inspired by her. Monica’s timing is out of this world, she tried to nullify grafs power by cutting out the angles and almost half volleying groundstrokes. Great great match up.

[@gk891]

Yes, both are outstanding tennis players albeit in very different ways. Steffi's athleticism and speed are awe-inspiring. And Monica's timing, balance, court positioning, and anticipation are out of this world. I wish they had played more often while at the peak of their games. I honestly don't think they ever did play one another while at their respective peaks.

[@samprovenzanorptr]

Wow. Seles was a talent

[@SW2504]

What a match!!! Lovely to watch!!! Both are true legends!!! A period of interesting womens tennis...

[@a.johnhsu5596]

Graf's footwork is the most memorable part of her game.

[@Munkyjoe1]

Adam Hsu and her forehand

[@pierdomenicosommati443]

I think actually her slice backhand is one of the most underrated shots in tennis history. Just look at Seles discouragement on some points, against that vicious shot relentlessly bouncing extremely low, radent, always placed near the lines... it was really wearing her knees. You should just try to play your tennis against a shot like that. Seles was often rather searching Steffi's forehand, rather than that backhand, which gives you more time for sure, but also makes you play awful and destroys your legs.

[@alexsdb9712]

Everything about her game was memorable. You need a chart. Ha ha. You can't talk about Steffi in that regard of just choosing one. These types of players and athletes are very rare and special, that something like that might not ever appear again.

[@cceverythinginredcc7769]

She also was solid all round. You would of know you had to play well or you won't get a chance to win. !

[@tuneaddicted]

Great footwork and forehand but I admire her backhand so much too! She slices with perfection and directs it to every inch of the court, truly amazing the control she has off of shots with lots of pace. In most of these rallies she was the one dictating and Seles although hit some great winners herself usually looked defensive. Graf was excellent in every stroke

[@amb817]

Graf's slice backhand was killer how it skid through the court and how fast it came back

[@gk891]

At that time Graf's backhand was amazing. It changed though after she broke her thumb in early 1990 (when she came back, she started hitting it much closer to her body and cross court almost all the time). Her slice backhand became killer again in 1995 though.

[@zoharrahdeguzman3499]

no, Justine Henin's backhand is better and a lot quicker than Graf's backhand..Graf's backhand is just like Irina Spirlea to control the ball..Graf's specialty was her forehand, not the backhand side..Henin's backhand was very much amazing, to think that Henin is just a shorter lady compared to Graf..

[@gk891]

Graf's backhand set up her forehand. Making the ball skid with her backhand put her opponents off balance as they would often have to dig it up from a very low position. I remember Seles once said that Graf's backhand never got the credit it deserved in terms of how tough it was as it was an incredible weapon. It stayed low and bites through the court. In terms of topspin backhands or backhand drives, Henin's was amazing but the topspin backhand and the slice backhand are two completely different shots and so you can't really compare them directly.

[@volvo1354]

80s and 90s were a special era for women’s tennis, so many competitive and powerful young players. I admire Monica’s cerebral approach to the game.

[@gardens5344]

That was the golden age of women's tennis. I miss those days.

[@zeddeka]

I think Monica can probably claim to be the best young player there's ever been in the women's game. A spectacular performance for a first grand slam.

[@anandparmeswaran6681]

Monica Seles was, will and would be the best tennis player. Amen

[@zeddeka]

@Ilya Kuryakin Monica had won 8 grand slams in her teens, 7 of them before she even turned 19. Of the people you mention above, only Maureen Connolly achieved that level of success so early and that was a very different era.

[@ubaidh66]

@Ilya Kuryakin Austin ? whos that?

[@peterhammer6915]

Martina Hingis

[@jskellyjskelly7708]

the match that changed women's tennis .... NOT the 1991 US Open Semi Seles vs Capriati. this was the first truly power women's baseline match that changed women's tennis forever.

[@joeyconvery2055]

Monica was so young...such a wonderful talent.

[@Skirne]

Thank you so much for uploading Monica matches!

[@Juanyo11]

Nunca olvidaré a estas grandes jugadoras de toda la historia del tenis .

[@riccardombollani]

I met Monica for the first time during this match, and was LOVE AT THE FIST SIGHT. MONICA THE BEST EVER

[@zeddeka]

Absolutely glorious match, particularly keeping in mind Monica was so young. Steffi coming through like she did so often when she wasn't playing her best tennis - by being fitter than virtually anyone else. When her game wasn't quite 100% she could usually just outlast people

[@robertopayao4728]

Thank you so much for this! I prob would've pulled off all my hair had I watched this live, man, there were so many delicious points!

[@zeddeka]

A great insight here into how Monica could retrieve so well. Martina Navratilova said Monica wasn't the fastest, but she was the "longest arm in tennis". She had an exceptional ability to stretch and reach for shots. It explains why she could also be so deadly when she was pushed out wide.

[@gk891]

Not only did she have very long arms but Monica also had phenomenal court positioning and anticipation. Although she wasn't a great mover, she reacted to the ball faster than almost anyone else out there.

[@philp3512]

I remember watching this match back in 1989. This is when I first saw someone who wasn't afraid of Steffi Graf, and knew this Monica seles girl was going to be something special.

[@danielkriz7533]

Ilya Kuryakin yes they were.

[@POObumpoopo]

Queen Stefi's groundstrokes are beyond flawless. You don't see finals like this any more...

[@maskellmaolseachlainn6347]

@foxyjohnuk Queen Stefi's groundstrokes are beyond flawless. You don't see semi-finals like this any more...

[@88feji]

This was Seles's first year turning pro, she has not developed parts of her weapons yet .. over the next few years she would return her shots a lot earlier as soon as it bounce off the ground and had a deadlier killer instinct in her shots, we saw that when she beat Steffi in 1993 just before the stabbing occured ...

[@kazuakigabychan8147]

@@88feji , Yes, Monica's amazing at this early age. Just imagine how many Grand Slam titles she would have won had there not been that terrible stabbing! More than Graf's titles for sure! She was by far the best player in 1991 and 1992 till she was stabbed a d she was not at her peak yet. Graf was by far the second best player around this time.

[@peterhammer6915]

@@kazuakigabychan8147 it was a small wound, she was more hurt mentally. With her eating disorders and other problems I doubt she would have won more Slams, maybe 1-2 more, maybe..... People talking about 20 Slams are hallusinating

[@kazuakigabychan8147]

@@peterhammer6915 , Thank you for your opinion. Let's look at the figures. I hope you believe in facts and figures and statistics as well. Between 1990 and 1993 before Monica was stabbed, she won 8 Grand Slam titles out of 9 she participated in. Whopping 88.88 %.! Sorry my calculation is correct. Graf, I think 1 out of 10. Mere 10 %. Again if I were wrong, please point it out to me. In the GS finals, Monica Seles beat Steffi Graf three times out of four meetings. 75 %! Not too bad! How could you deny that Monica would have won at least 20 GS's. Are you ready to argue with these facts and statistics? Facts and figures do not lie, but some people do.

[@agentclark99]

2 amazing legends. Really a shame that some organizations are trying to delete these historical matches.

[@WONGLER]

in HD !!! thanks soooo much !! Monica was so cute here when she was young

[@namu6175]

MONICA SELES....what a wonderful women and an Attitude......period

[@Tjordful]

Monica showed some amazing defense here at times ... thanks for the upload

[@skylaxx]

Great match. Neither of them could be mentally intimidated. Top concentration and focus by both and a typical women's handshake at the end. Dunlop max200g and Prince POG in action 👍 🎾 💪

[@markuse3472]

Tennis was at it's Golden age in the 1990's. Before the screaming and howling (except for Seles at times), and after the wooden rackets and after the "lady-like" tennis. More so, Steffi was outstanding, without the screaming and arguments, she won 22 Gran Slams and many more titles. Beautiful.

[@danielkriz7533]

Markus E WTA peaked in the 90's, ATP in the 80's.

[@andrews6341]

Graf could be a total btch if she lost , i remember one match where she basically stormed up to Amanda Coetzers face and threw her hand , Coetzer looked intimidated and it was not fair. She tried something similar to Sabatini but Gaby was not so easily intimidated. Seles before the stabbing was also a very bad loser and did similar things would throw the opponents hand and walk right in front of them. Capriati was the mother of them all swearing and intimidated Hingis despite fact she won in the end.

[@andrews6341]

Also Seles ( at times screaming?) We were at a match in 2000 in Rolland Garros when she beat Mauresmo and the screaming was so bad it was literally echoing around the complex

[@edmundsiegle1103]

Stefi ist die Beste aller Zeiten!!! Bravo Stefi!!!

[@ericavalderrama2547]

I miss their rivalry. Grew up watching them early in the morning prior to going to church 😂😘 loved them both xoxo.

[@johnbrandolino1796]

SELES - is the GOAT of Women's Tennis - it is not determined by titles but by tenacity...athleticism - and grit- to comeback after her stabbing and win more titles to me makes her the BEST player ever.....She controlled and beat the BEST .....

[@johnbrandolino1796]

@Ilya Kuryakin IDIOT- it's not about titles and if it were: if it wasn't for being stabbed by a whackjob from Germany - she owned everyone from the lates 80's and 90's and even upon her return won I think 2 more Grand Slams...so until you can find me a better story and comeback and head to head ownership for that long- you won't be an IDIOT any longer - as the announcer says "extraordinar"

[@SaleSarajlija]

By far the greatest. Had it not been for the stabbing by a deranged Graf fan, Monica would have been the greatest ever in all categories.

[@Dave-ud2rh]

Graf wasn't ready for the likes of Monica. Especially on the red clay . What a bloody shame the world will never ever know what titles Monica would have won. We will never know !

[@MrDonanthony]

Really? Is that why Graf won this match?

[@davy7mah748]

don anthony well tbf, Seles was 15 and only starting, she ended up winning the next three finals in a row beating Graf in the final twice before the incident

[@jackreacher9531]

Dave 2112 maybe not. Graf was leading their head to head records, 10-5 for Graf. So your analysis is definitely incorrect. 😀

[@jackreacher9531]

timothy chung Graf won 9 GS at age 20. Achieved the Golden Slam at 19 and won her first major French ‘87 at 17 years old against number one Navratilova. Head to head against Seles was 10-5, for the great Graf. 👍

[@flavieflo848]

I litteraly fell in love with Monica when I saw her for the first time during this match in 1989 ; she was so different..so youg and obviously not scared...she ruled the woman tennis world and inspired so many other players to hit the ball on the rize and play an agressive tennis...we can say that Monica is a legend ! 😍

[@flavieflo848]

@Max E no its better on the rize for different reasons..the ball goes much quicker ; besides, you can surprise your competitor..you also can find better angles..etc..there are so many reasons.

[@stwaters1147]

6:25 look closely at Steffis sliced backhand Four times she sliced the ball and watch how low the ball bounces as Monica returns with a top spin high ball bounce before Steffi drop shots the ball forcing Monica to run with a return and Steffi hits a clear winner out into the open. This goes to show how effective Steffis backhand was during this match.

[@Elfenspiegel]

Watch from 16.50! Both players doing unbelievable shots, in the end Steffi hot the point! But highly respect for both of them! One of the best rallyies ever

[@al1976-v7m]

Yeah that 35 shot rallye is incredible

[@miali1869]

This match was better than 1992 FO final. What a point at 16:06. Both are awesome legends.

[@Lakigigar]

they both deserve a statue

[@brianflanagan4931]

Miali iiiii

[@garym6338]

Graf's forehand is a thing of beauty. It just looks so powerful and dominating just in the way Steffi hits it. Best forehand in tennis no doubt.

[@peterhammer6915]

1992 final was nothing special. Steffi played one of her worst GS games

[@diegogabri7316]

como haces falta monica. una verdadera campeona!!!!!!!! solo 15 años... te extraño y te voy a extrañar siempre

[@labtee9549]

So sad. We were robbed of a player who surely would have been one of the greatest. Not Steffi Graf fault, what happened. But my goodness did she take full advantage of it to fill has boots. We were also robbed of a great rivalry.

[@markuse3472]

No on e really knows. You make it sound as a matter of fact. This is a fact: there have been MANY athletes from many sports who have been very good but only lasted for a few years, then they go down to a degree. This statement suits Monica, too. The thing is: we don't know.

[@valentinodelpiero4861]

Markus E we clearly know she was stopped. No question there

[@markuse3472]

@@valentinodelpiero4861 Seles stopped herself and was stopped by better players.

[@valentinodelpiero4861]

Markus E well not only did she not choose to be stabbed in a tennis court at the mere age of 19 in front of a stadium full of espectators, but to see her attacker spend 0 days in jail for what he did to her. And better not talk about fellow WTA players who voted not to protect her ranking except for Argentinian Gabriela Sabatini. Glad she came back and while several lbs overweight, depressed, and after a 2.5 year hiatus she managed to stand as last woman of 128 to win AO 1996. Fighter on and off the court.

[@valentinodelpiero4861]

timothy chung she changed the women’s game

[@SunshineSurfsup1]

The way they were... the times when tennis players made reasonable noises and played at net too... Though I love the power moves of today, I miss the elegance of classic tennis

[@almawalker1432]

Today’s tennis is too boring with a few rallies. They all play the same..like clones. Lost interest since the oldies retired..men and women.

[@rishi8333]

Graff was forehand queen

[@enjangyusuf2ndchannel468]

Little.Monica with.167cm.height and 46kg.againts Steffi.with.176cm/58kg. Monica is so uniqe. She grew up so fast become 177 cm within 3years and become.the number one.player.in.the.world. I love Steffi and Monica rivalry... but the history had changed and robbed after Seles got stubbed in Hamburg, Germany. They met only 15'times within 1989-1999 while.Martina and Chris had meet hundred times.

[@Plushteddybear69]

Illya Kuryakin you just love hating on Seles don’t you? I see you comment on all her videos 😂 👀

[@Plushteddybear69]

Illya Kuryakin well who knows since she got stabbed! She’s definitely the best in my books, and many know she would have won more slams if it wasn’t for the ‘93 incident.

[@enjangyusuf2ndchannel468]

@Illya Kuryakin plus all selesian also says that Graf took the advantage of Seles absense. It's so ridiculous. How about Arantxa won FO and US Open in 1994, how about Conchita Martinez won Wimbledon in 1994 and how about Mary Pierce won Aussie Open in 1995. And if we compare with Petra Kvitova issue is big difference. Petra defends herself from someone who would killed her. Her fingers destroyed by knife to defense her live.. So horrible. But she can regain to the previous performance. I love Seles very much but I don't like selesian nutters who descredit Graf.

[@danielkriz7533]

Best part is that freak that stabbed her is walking free on the streets today. Thanks Germany.

[@pueraeternus111]

The first time they met on court (1989) and the last time they played (1999) were both at Roland Garros, with Steffi having won those two semifinal matches. But Steffi would lose twice to Monica here when they were playing in the finals.

[@shihlin1]

If Monica came back post-stabbing, a year earlier in 94 instead of 95, she wouldn't have lost as much precious time. Her conditioning wouldn't have deteriorated as much either. She came back overweight and poorly conditioned, something she never recovered from. Today she looks fantastic !

[@kloatlanta]

She discusses her eating disorder in her book that was caused by the trauma of the stabbing

[@tillgehad1194]

Its good to see them play again!

[@gk891]

I love watching Graf's incredible slice backhands at around the 6:21 mark. They skidded off the court and put players off balance really well.

[@kmnewyork7167]

NB. Post stabbing. Only 1 player. Gabby Sabatini agreed that Seles's ranking should be frozen @ Number 1 due to the circumstances of the stabbing during a tennis match. Think it through. Seles got treated badly by her peers. Especially after all, her stabbing was committed by a crazed Graf fan in order that Graf will overtake Monica in ranking.

[@thanikaiveludorairaj5841]

Excellent game by Steffi 👍

[@Yeah23H]

More beauty in tennis is not possible. They are like two goddesses

[@silviatennismusic]

Steffi graf thank you for your amazing career .❤️🎾

[@nishantsaurav8338]

Monica Seles-'The only Tennis player who challenged the legacy of Steffi Graff'. Although my favorite is Steffi but no doubt Seles is also one of the legends in women's tennis history 🙏

[@goliathsparrow1082]

can we just remember seles as she was and stop bringing up the incident- she was awesome

[@tomasgrimm3086]

a 15 yo. against a 19 yo. in the SF of a GS, ridiculous, by today´s standars, you don´t even see a teen battle in the qualis of a mandatory event

[@chrisdiaz587]

I know Maria Sharapova was the last teenager to win a grand slam!

[@_o..o_1871]

Chris Diaz Ostapenko has just won a Grand Slam this year as a teenager...Times changed...Now players retire when they are way older than before and they also do their important results later in their careers...

[@chrisdiaz587]

Laur 20 isn’t a teenager...

[@chrisdiaz587]

foxyjohnuk But she was 20 when she won that’s not a teenager.

[@chrisdiaz587]

Bryguy Bry The only point I’m trying to make is that 20 isn’t a teenager lol

[@happyhypie6843]

I miss this style of playing. Now I feel it’s all power and less about technique 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@zeddeka]

I think Steffi became a much smarter player and got better court sense in her later years. Lots of times here, there's an open court one way, or it's crying out for a dropshot, but Steffi keeps hammering away in the same place, almost expecting Monica to collapse. In later years, she'd become much smarter at exploiting the gaps.

[@fushanzhou8823]

Miss the golden age of women's tennis and the two greatest rivals. After that, women's tennis is literally a crime.

[@arathgomez615]

Fushan Zhou This is your “golden age” most people would agree that the real golden age was 1998-2004

[@viz1]

@@arathgomez615 Exactly this wasn't a golden age. It was one dominant player who later started to get owned in the slams by one player before she was stabbed. Hardly golden.

[@viz1]

Illya Kuryakin She shouldn’t have with the tomato cans she played most of her career.

[@viz1]

Illya Kuryakin Navratilova and Chrissi were in their twilight years. Seles was her main rival as far as both being in their prime. Hingis, Davenport, Capriati were pretty much kids. Serena had prime Davenport, Hingis, Capriati, Venus, Henin, Clisters, Pierce, Sharapova, Azarenka all will be in the hall of fame and she owns them all in H2H.

[@viz1]

Illya Kuryakin she played Serena twice and lost once. Serena definitely was not in her prime.

[@TheSluremus]

Of course we'll never know, but imo Monica Seles would have probably won 25-30 slams if not for that horrendous knife attack. Her top level is the highest ever produced in women's tennis.

[@andyroo9381]

Great match! You forget these champions until you see the highlights, again.

[@Freezin_blue]

16:40 OMG, that rare steffi's topspin backhand! 😍😍😍

[@davrosdalek5548]

Graf reminds me of federer. Very graceful and a great inside out forehand

[@greatriffishere]

I agree !!! Graf is like Federer and Seles is like Nadal !!! Monica Seles dominated Graf before she was stabbed by some crazy German fan !!

[@minavamp2359]

not even close. graf is more of a djokovic like than federer. she doesn't have a reliable volley and doesn't have a reliable top spin back hand that she can uses consistently.

[@davrosdalek5548]

mina vamp wrong back then even federers forehand and backhand were both flatter. It’s called evolution . Federers changed his style loads since he first started . Djokovic 😹😹

[@Elfenspiegel]

Hingis was a poor sportsman! Your are one of the best!

[@Cyndimansfield]

This was Monica's debut tournement. And she bullied the no 1 player and Steffi must of been thinking omg here's trouble lol. !

[@osdafranco29]

I mis you...Stefy.Monica, Gaby, Martina N., Cris, Arantka, Conchita.Jana, Mary jo,Las Malevas.Zina,Mary Pierce,Kimiko,Zukova, 😢😢😢😢😢

[@dogidosun2796]

No matter people can say... Monica's dominance has scared more than one player. technically the best player of all time. Monica is the real number one tennis player.

[@ralphbourgeois5875]

"technically the best player of all time". Based on what, only 9 slams, and 0 Wimbledons. I guess anyone can call their favorite player technically the best of all time. I like Halep, I should just call her technically the best player of all time just because I feel like it.

[@sagitariano9925]

Partidazo la Yugoslava Mónica Seles la mejor singles dé la historia hasta qué la apuñalaron en Hamburgo Open hubiera sido 1 por mucho tiempo qué innecesario le cortaron la carrera.

[@jimchristi2633]

Graf is the GOAT. She was a champion on every surface and how she won the golden slam was exceptional. She took the crown from Martina and held it for so long. She had great rivalries with Martina & Seles. Serena didn’t have any great rivalries, she was in a class of her own.

[@rattata30]

Mind you at Steffi's best...after that year it was Monica. Regardless of what people say, Monica was robbed of being in Serena position. Remember Monica was a thinking machine not only ground strokes.

[@rattata30]

@Illya Kuryakin I don't know when that started.

[@rattata30]

@Illya Kuryakin so your telling me she was.doimg this and killing every opponent nat the same time! She is even a better goat then I thought. Remember capriati was smoking pot and never amounted to anything!

[@rattata30]

@Illya Kuryakin who had cancer and what does that have to do with my comment?

[@rattata30]

Obviously you know more than me! Good for you.

[@NOTHEOTHERGUY]

The color contrast between the French network and the American network is ridiculous!

[@wales01]

Wow only 15 at semi final of a grand slam

[@zvonimirpetrov610]

the best

[@JF-su9mb]

10:51 perfect example that shows Seles was the real deal. Facing Graf who had won 5 slams in a row and clearly showing her baseline game would turn out to be superior to Graf's.

[@domenicoabdulmadjid]

The story of the Women tennis might be much different if seles never had been Stabbed .... And...wow Seles has so many Haters lol

[@burizaemon9305]

Much different..

[@silviatennismusic]

Dexterity Adroitnes Deja de decir tonterías venga.

[@mirrorkk]

Greatest Doubles Player of All Time | Top 10 Deadly Doubles Duos, kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4aQhpp_ftRpeMk

[@michaelreilly3513]

It was only a scratch.

[@Volker7578]

Yeah, in San Antonio Texas, lol.

[@allanhee]

Sad that she was attacked and struck down at the peak of her powers less than 4 years later.

[@ΝτίναΔρένου-ω5ψ]

When Monika began to shine almost dazzingly

[@shravkumar55]

Monica is just an outstanding unique and incomparable sportsmen of our generation...they could only destroy her stats with a stabbing..not the legacy

[@RobertDavis-qh1ry]

Steffi will always be my favorite. However, Monica was never the same after the sick, twisted attack. Her shoulder never felt as strong, or as loose and flexible. And the stress of such demanding movements as swinging a tennis racket with all your strength had to be painful at times. Along with the emotional trauma, it effectively ended her career. And that is a shame and a travesty.

[@MrDonanthony]

She did win the AO when she came back.

[@MrDonanthony]

@timothy chung No, she made the final twice where she lost to Steffi in "95" and "96". She also made it to the FO final in "98" where she lost to Arantxia Sanchez-Vicario. You can see her results on her Wikipedia page.

[@fuckurbody]

The stabbing was such a big deal until we saw what happened to petra kvitova. The attacker actually injured her playing hands among other body parts. Petra’s damage was way worse than seles. Yet petra recovered & got into the best shape of her life while monica got fat.

[@Romans8-9]

@@fuckurbody Nice victim blaming there mate.

[@nickhorgan4349]

​@@MrDonanthony Seles did win the 96 Australian open

[@leolight5369]

That handshake... Priceless

[@foritisi]

They would meet again for the final time 10 years later. Graf won both these matches, they had some fine battles. 93 Aus Open final is my favourite, this was peak Seles. Tennis has not been good to Seles.

[@vincenzodimartino7327]

they re like nadal=seles and federer=graf. I think graf is the goat the elegance the power of that incredible forehand and amazing footwork is like nobody else. Seles was a great fighter. But nadal is not better than federer.

[@michaellee888]

The WTA needs to revise their age restrictions rule aka the Capriati Rule. 13, 14 should definitely be restricted. 15 looser restrictions. 16 and up should be able to play full time. Both Seles and Hingis were at their peak at 16, but they wouldn't be at their best if they didn't get to mature their games at 15 playing on the tour. Playing on the tour is a lot different than the clubs. Graf peaked at 17 and 18. If the age restrictions rule been in place during the Graf, Seles and Hingis cycle, they might never win their greatest achievements at their peak strength. And this match between Seles and Graf in 1989 might not have happened had the WTA implemented their age restrictions rule.