Latest news with #MonicaSeles
CNN
18-05-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Jasmine Paolini beats Coco Gauff in Italian Open final to become first home winner in 40 years
Jasmine Paolini beat Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 in the Italian Open women's singles final on Saturday to become the first Italian player to win the tournament in 40 years, before repeating the feat in the doubles final on Sunday. In doing so, Paolini became the first woman since Monica Seles in 1990 to win both the singles and doubles titles at the Italian Open, and the first player to do so in any WTA 1000 series tournament since Vera Zvonareva at Indian Wells in 2009. With Italian President Sergio Mattarella in attendance for the match against Gauff, Paolini fed off the energy of the home crowd and looked a class above her opponent to claim what is arguably the biggest win of her career. 'It doesn't seem real to me,' the 29-year-old said, per AP. 'I came here as a kid to see this tournament but winning it and holding up this trophy wasn't even in my dreams.' Neither player could hold their serve across the first three games, but Paolini won the fourth to take a 3-1 lead and was in command for the remainder of the set. The Italian then broke her opponent twice at the beginning of the second set to take a 3-0 lead, before Gauff broke back. But Paolini remained composed, re-establishing her three-game lead in the very next game and cruising through the rest of the set, eventually clinching the victory with a big serve down the middle on her second championship point and raising her arms in celebration. Paolini, runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon last year, is the first Italian winner at the Italian Open since Raffaella Reggi won the women's singles tournament in 1985. She is only the fourth Italian winner overall since the tournament began in 1930. The victory means she will move up to fourth in the world rankings ahead of the French Open, which begins on Sunday, May 25. 'Maybe I could have served better and put more balls in the court,' said Gauff, who had 55 unforced errors and seven double faults. 'I definitely could and can. But she played to win today and she deserved to win.' 'With the double faults, it's something I know I have to improve,' she added. Then, on Sunday, Paolini and Sara Errani, the reigning Olympic champions, twice came from 4-0 down to win the women's doubles final 6-4, 7-5 against Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens. Men's world No. 1 Jannik Sinner is hoping to complete a first ever Italian sweep of the Rome singles titles when he faces Carlos Alcaraz later on Sunday. The last Italian man to win the tournament was Adriano Panatta in 1976.
CNN
18-05-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Jasmine Paolini beats Coco Gauff in Italian Open final to become first home winner in 40 years
Jasmine Paolini beat Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 in the Italian Open women's singles final on Saturday to become the first Italian player to win the tournament in 40 years, before repeating the feat in the doubles final on Sunday. In doing so, Paolini became the first woman since Monica Seles in 1990 to win both the singles and doubles titles at the Italian Open, and the first player to do so in any WTA 1000 series tournament since Vera Zvonareva at Indian Wells in 2009. With Italian President Sergio Mattarella in attendance for the match against Gauff, Paolini fed off the energy of the home crowd and looked a class above her opponent to claim what is arguably the biggest win of her career. 'It doesn't seem real to me,' the 29-year-old said, per AP. 'I came here as a kid to see this tournament but winning it and holding up this trophy wasn't even in my dreams.' Neither player could hold their serve across the first three games, but Paolini won the fourth to take a 3-1 lead and was in command for the remainder of the set. The Italian then broke her opponent twice at the beginning of the second set to take a 3-0 lead, before Gauff broke back. But Paolini remained composed, re-establishing her three-game lead in the very next game and cruising through the rest of the set, eventually clinching the victory with a big serve down the middle on her second championship point and raising her arms in celebration. Paolini, runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon last year, is the first Italian winner at the Italian Open since Raffaella Reggi won the women's singles tournament in 1985. She is only the fourth Italian winner overall since the tournament began in 1930. The victory means she will move up to fourth in the world rankings ahead of the French Open, which begins on Sunday, May 25. 'Maybe I could have served better and put more balls in the court,' said Gauff, who had 55 unforced errors and seven double faults. 'I definitely could and can. But she played to win today and she deserved to win.' 'With the double faults, it's something I know I have to improve,' she added. Then, on Sunday, Paolini and Sara Errani, the reigning Olympic champions, twice came from 4-0 down to win the women's doubles final 6-4, 7-5 against Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens. Men's world No. 1 Jannik Sinner is hoping to complete a first ever Italian sweep of the Rome singles titles when he faces Carlos Alcaraz later on Sunday. The last Italian man to win the tournament was Adriano Panatta in 1976.
Gulf News
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Gulf News
Looking back: The day that changed Monica Seles' life — and women's tennis
Dubai: It was April 30, 1993. Monica Seles was at the peak of her powers, having dominated women's tennis for two years after becoming the youngest-ever French Open champion at the age of 16. But that day would change her life forever. The Serbian-American star, who held the world No 1 ranking in women's singles for 178 weeks, was the victim of an on-court attack during a match in Hamburg, Germany. An obsessed fan of Steffi Graf — Seles' great rival — stabbed her in the back with a boning knife during a changeover, plunging the blade between her shoulder blades to a depth of 0.5 inches (1.3cm). The incident left Seles traumatised both physically and mentally. She struggled with depression and eating disorders and did not return to professional tennis for more than two years. Although she made a comeback in 1995 and went on to win a ninth Grand Slam at the 1996 Australian Open, she was never quite the same. Her consistency waned, and she played her last professional match at the 2003 French Open. Widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Seles was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009. Seles had won her first Grand Slam singles title at the 1990 French Open, defeating world No. 1 Graf in the final. She saved four set points in a first-set tiebreak, which she won 8—6, and went on to take the match in straight sets. At just 16 years and six months, she became the youngest-ever French Open singles champion. She would win eight Grand Slam titles during her teenage years — a record in the Open Era. Between the 1990 French Open and the 1993 Australian Open, Seles captured eight of the 11 Grand Slam singles tournaments she entered. Her extraordinary run was abruptly halted by the attack that changed everything — for her, and for women's tennis. Seles was a baseline player known for her power-based, highly aggressive playing style. Her unconventional double-handed forehand and backhand — both struck flat — were delivered with relentless speed, depth, and precision. This ferocious groundstroke game allowed her to dictate rallies and overwhelm opponents, making her one of the most formidable players of her generation. Seles may have been denied her peak years, but she was never forgotten. Her courage, her power, and her teenage dominance continue to inspire — a symbol of both what was, and what might have been.
