Latest news with #Seles
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Boisson joins select group of surprise Grand Slam semi-finalists
PARIS: France's 361st-ranked Lois Boisson on Wednesday became the first wildcard to reach the women's semi-finals at Roland Garros. Here, AFP Sport looks at women's players who overcame the odds to reach the last four and challenge for a Grand Slam title: Elina Svitolina returned in March 2023 after maternity leave following the birth of her daughter. The Ukrainian was not ranked high enough to make the Wimbledon main draw and was given a wildcard. She reached the semi-finals after eliminating world number one Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals. Czech Marketa Vondrousova, the eventual champion, ended her run in straight sets. Before Svitolina, Germany's Sabine Lisicki (2011 Wimbledon), Belgium's Justine Henin (2010 Australian Open), Kim Clijsters (2009 US Open), and China's Zheng Jie (2008 Wimbledon) also reached Grand Slam semi-finals as wildcards. Arriving at Roland Garros in 1989 to compete in her first Grand Slam aged 15, Seles reached the semi-finals, where she lost in three sets to world number one Steffi Graf. The young Yugoslav – who became a US citizen in 1994 – won in Paris the following year, gaining revenge on the German, defeating American Jennifer Capriati en route. Like Seles in 1989 and Boisson this year, Capriati also reached the semi-finals in her first major at Roland Garros in 1990. They are the only three players to have achieved such a feat in a Grand Slam tournament since 1980. At the 2021 US Open, 18-year-old Briton Emma Raducanu became the first player in history to win a Grand Slam as a qualifier. Ranked 150th in the world on her arrival in New York, Raducanu won the title against another surprise package, Canadian Leylah Fernandez – then ranked 73rd – without dropping a single set in 10 matches. In the past decade, two other players have come through the qualifying rounds to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam – Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska at the 2024 Australian Open and Argentina's Nadia Podoroska at the 2020 French Open. In 2022, Italian Martina Trevisan arrived at Roland Garros brimming with confidence. A week before the tournament, the world number 59 won her first and only title at the WTA 250 event in Rabat. Thanks to the early eliminations of Tunisian Ons Jabeur, then world number six, and 12th-ranked Raducanu, the 28-year-old from Tuscany enjoyed a draw clear of top seeds until the quarter-finals, where she eliminated world number 18 Fernandez. The next step was too steep with American Coco Gauff sweeping her aside 6-3, 6-1. In what was already her fifth appearance at Roland Garros, Pierce reached the semi-finals on the Parisian red clay at the age of 19 in 1994. After defeating world number one Graf, Pierce reached the final, where she lost to Spain's Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. Amelie Mauresmo was also 19 when she reached the semi-finals of the 1999 Australian Open – she lost in the final to Martina Hingis – and Brigitte Simon was 21 when she reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 1978. At 22, Boisson is the fourth-youngest Frenchwoman to book her ticket to the semi-finals of a Slam event.
France 24
5 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
Boisson joins select group of surprise Grand Slam semi-finalists
Here, AFP Sport looks at women's players who overcame the odds to reach the last four and challenge for a Grand Slam title: Elina Svitolina, mother of comebacks Elina Svitolina returned in March 2023 after maternity leave following the birth of her daughter. The Ukrainian was not ranked high enough to make the Wimbledon main draw and was given a wildcard. She reached the semi-finals after eliminating world number one Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals. Czech Marketa Vondrousova, the eventual champion, ended her run in straight sets. Before Svitolina, Germany's Sabine Lisicki (2011 Wimbledon), Belgium's Justine Henin (2010 Australian Open), Kim Clijsters (2009 US Open), and China's Zheng Jie (2008 Wimbledon) also reached Grand Slam semi-finals as wildcards. Monica Seles, a precocious talent Arriving at Roland Garros in 1989 to compete in her first Grand Slam aged 15, Seles reached the semi-finals, where she lost in three sets to world number one Steffi Graf. The young Yugoslav -- who became a US citizen in 1994 -- won in Paris the following year, gaining revenge on the German, defeating American Jennifer Capriati en route. Like Seles in 1989 and Boisson this year, Capriati also reached the semi-finals in her first major at Roland Garros in 1990. They are the only three players to have achieved such a feat in a Grand Slam tournament since 1980. Emma Raducanu, qualifier to champion At the 2021 US Open, 18-year-old Briton Emma Raducanu became the first player in history to win a Grand Slam as a qualifier. Ranked 150th in the world on her arrival in New York, Raducanu won the title against another surprise package, Canadian Leylah Fernandez -- then ranked 73rd -- without dropping a single set in 10 matches. In the past decade, two other players have come through the qualifying rounds to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam -- Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska at the 2024 Australian Open and Argentina's Nadia Podoroska at the 2020 French Open. Martina Trevisan, last surprise Paris semi-finalist In 2022, Italian Martina Trevisan arrived at Roland Garros brimming with confidence. A week before the tournament, the world number 59 won her first and only title at the WTA 250 event in Rabat. Thanks to the early eliminations of Tunisian Ons Jabeur, then world number six, and 12th-ranked Raducanu, the 28-year-old from Tuscany enjoyed a draw clear of top seeds until the quarter-finals, where she eliminated world number 18 Fernandez. The next step was too steep with American Coco Gauff sweeping her aside 6-3, 6-1. Mary Pierce, youngest French woman In what was already her fifth appearance at Roland Garros, Pierce reached the semi-finals on the Parisian red clay at the age of 19 in 1994. After defeating world number one Graf, Pierce reached the final, where she lost to Spain's Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. Amelie Mauresmo was also 19 when she reached the semi-finals of the 1999 Australian Open -- she lost in the final to Martina Hingis -- and Brigitte Simon was 21 when she reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 1978. At 22, Boisson is the fourth-youngest Frenchwoman to book her ticket to the semi-finals of a Slam event.
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.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Emma Raducanu stalking case illustrates dark side of women's sport
Emma Raducanu's second-round match at the Dubai Tennis Championships was only minutes old when she became visibly distressed. After swatting a return into the net, the Briton walked over to the umpire and, clutching the top of her visor as if to try to shield her face, appeared stricken with panic. She took refuge behind the umpire's chair, as if hiding from someone, while her opponent Karolina Muchova offered some words of comfort. Credit: Lisa_Talking/X It is now known that a man who 'exhibited fixated behaviour' had been watching Raducanu courtside. The unnamed individual was swiftly removed from the court by security staff after Raducanu raised the alarm and the umpire had radioed in her concern, but the incident nevertheless made for disturbing viewing. It was confirmed by the Women's Tennis Association hours later that a man who had approached Raducanu the previous day had been ejected and banned from the tournament. Even before the WTA's statement confirmed the pattern of events, the episode smacked of stalking, an issue that has long cast a shadow over women's tennis. Ever since the stabbing of Monica Seles by Günter Parche, a German man infatuated with Steffi Graf, in 1993, tennis has had an unwanted association with obsessed, and in some extreme cases depraved, spectators. Seles struggled with both her physical and mental health after the incident, never reaching previous heights. Security measures have been increased over the years – for example, in 2008 the WTA introduced background checks for those who want access to secure player locations at events – but the proximity of spectators to players is still a cause for concern. As Seles herself said in 2011: 'I do worry and hope that no other athlete has to go through what I went through. You are out there by yourself. It's you and your opponent. And in tennis, the distance from the fans is pretty close.' The rise of social media, increased visibility and wall-to-wall coverage of the sport has made it easier for perpetrators to follow players, yet it is also worth noting the circumstances that preceded the Raducanu incident. Her match with Muchova had been rescheduled several times on a rain-affected day in Dubai, with organisers deciding to change courts late on. The low-key and intimate nature of the event – the players were on a court sandwiched between others which had relatively small seating areas at both ends – allowed someone to slip through unnoticed. Raducanu deserves huge credit for the way in which she handled proceedings after being rattled by the incident, which ultimately left her chasing the match. The British No 2, though, is no stranger to the perils of having to live her life in the public eye. Mere months after her US Open triumph in 2021, in addition to a portfolio of multi-million partnerships and new-found fame, she gained a stalker. Amrit Magar was handed a five-year restraining order after walking 23 miles to her Bromley home and sending her unwanted cards and gifts. A court heard how his behaviour left the then 19-year-old paranoid and 'constantly looking over her shoulder'. It was a case that highlighted the often precarious reality of female players on tour, but the alarming reality is that Raducanu is not alone. Last year, compatriot Katie Boulter spoke about people following her, while American Danielle Collins was refreshingly open about security issues faced by female players in an interview with Telegraph Sport last summer, in which she detailed how she had spent the majority of her career dealing with crazed fans. The individual nature of tennis might serve as the obvious clue as to why stalking is so prevalent, but it is something that sportswomen, irrespective of their rank and profile, have had to endure for years. While Raducanu's incident involved an individual approaching her in a public place, incidents of cyber-stalking are also on the rise. Telegraph Sport spoke to a relatively unknown but promising British middle-distance runner, Sabrina Sinha, four years ago. Sinha received unwanted emails from a man who began stalking her online, the full contents of which were too explicit to be printed. In January 2019 her perpetrator was sentenced to 14 years in prison after cyber-stalking women across the United States over a 12-month period. Some of America's top Women's NBA players have been targeted by stalkers on an extreme level, including the sport's global icon, Caitlin Clark, who was sent multiple threats and sexually explicit messages by a man who now faces a criminal conviction. Such has been the deluge of cyber-stalking cases among some of America's top players that on the eve of this year's Unrivaled three-on-three basketball league, organisers held a security briefing with players to discuss their safety. All 36 competitors discussed not posting anything on social media that showed where they were living or their locations in real time, such as at restaurants or other public places. There is also the recent case of three-time Olympic gold medallist Gabby Thomas, who last month was so desperate for advice on how to deal with groups of men who she claimed were stalking her at airports across the US that she posted a video on TikTok. Who was among the high-profile sporting names that offered their solidarity to the track-and-field star? Coco Gauff. 'This happens to me too, I don't know how it happens; my theory is maybe someone at the airport tips them off,' bemoaned the 2023 US Open champion. Thomas's cry for help seemed like a last-ditch effort to shed light on an issue that sport is constantly learning how to navigate. Social media now plays such a big role in how people can contact or discuss sportspeople that it is not uncommon for governing bodies to enlist external help to guarantee their athletes' safety. The Football Association, for example, uses a third party to monitor its official channels, as well as those of their female players, with any threatening material passed to the UK Football Policing Unit for possible prosecution. Tennis, meanwhile, has benefited considerably from Project Matrix, an initiative the sport launched last year which monitors social-media posts and predicts threat levels to players who participate at tour-level events and grand slams. But as Raducanu's tearful incident this week has shown, sometimes sport has to accept that it is playing catch-up. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. 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Telegraph
19-02-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Emma Raducanu stalking case illustrates dark side of women's sport
Emma Raducanu's second-round match at the Dubai Tennis Championships was only minutes old when she became visibly distressed. After swatting a return into the net, the Briton walked over to the umpire and, clutching the top of her visor as if to try to shield her face, appeared stricken with panic. She took refuge behind the umpire's chair, as if hiding from someone, while her opponent Karolina Muchova offered some words of comfort. It is now known that a man who 'exhibited fixated behaviour' had been watching Raducanu courtside. The unnamed individual was swiftly removed from the court by security staff after Raducanu raised the alarm and the umpire had radioed in her concern, but the incident nevertheless made for disturbing viewing. It was confirmed by the Women's Tennis Association hours later that a man who had approached Raducanu the day previously had been ejected and banned from the tournament. Even before the WTA's statement confirmed the pattern of events, the episode smacked of stalking, an issue that has long cast a shadow over women's tennis. Ever since the stabbing of Monica Seles by Günter Parche, a German man infatuated with Steffi Graf, in 1993, tennis has had an unwanted association with obsessed, and in some extreme cases depraved, spectators. Seles struggled with both her physical and mental health after the incident, never reaching previous heights. Security measures have been increased over the years – for example, in 2008 the WTA introduced background checks for those who want access to secure player locations at events – but the proximity of spectators to players is still a cause for concern. As Seles herself said in 2011: 'I do worry and hope that no other athlete has to go through what I went through. You are out there by yourself. It's you and your opponent. And in tennis, the distance from the fans is pretty close.' The rise of social media, increased visibility and wall-to-wall coverage of the sport has made it easier for perpetrators to follow players, yet it is also worth noting the circumstances that preceded the Raducanu incident. Her match with Muchova had been rescheduled several times on a rain-affected day in Dubai, with organisers deciding to change courts late on. The low-key and intimate nature of the event – the players were on a court sandwiched between others which had relatively small seating areas at both ends – allowed someone to slip through unnoticed. Raducanu deserves huge credit for the way in which she handled proceedings after being rattled by the incident, which ultimately left her chasing the match. The British No 2, though, is no stranger to the perils of having to live her life in the public eye. Mere months after her US Open triumph in 2021, in addition to a portfolio of multi-million partnerships and new-found fame, she gained a stalker. Amrit Magar was handed a five-year restraining order after walking 23 miles to her Bromley home and sending her unwanted cards and gifts. A court heard how his behaviour left the then 19-year-old paranoid and 'constantly looking over her shoulder'. It was a case that highlighted the often precarious reality of female players on tour, but the alarming reality is that Raducanu is not alone. Last year, compatriot Katie Boulter spoke about people following her, while American Danielle Collins was refreshingly open about security issues faced by female players in an interview with Telegraph Sport last summer, in which she detailed how she had spent the majority of her career dealing with crazed fans. The individual nature of tennis might serve as the obvious clue as to why stalking is so prevalent, but it is something that sportswomen, irrespective of their rank and profile, have had to endure for years. While Raducanu's incident involved an individual approaching her in a public place, incidents of cyber-stalking are also on the rise. Telegraph Sport spoke to a relatively unknown but promising British middle-distance runner, Sabrina Sinha, four years ago. Sinha received unwanted emails from a man who began stalking her online, the full contents of which were too explicit to be printed. In January 2019 her perpetrator was sentenced to 14 years in prison after cyber-stalking women across the United States over a 12-month period. Some of America's top Women's NBA players have been targeted by stalkers on an extreme level, including the sport's global icon, Caitlin Clark, who was sent multiple threats and sexually explicit messages by a man who now faces a criminal conviction. Such has been the deluge of cyber-stalking cases among some of America's top players that on the eve of this year's Unrivaled three-on-three basketball league, organisers held a security briefing with players to discuss their safety. All 36 competitors discussed not posting anything on social media that showed where they were living or their locations in real time, such as at restaurants or other public places. There is also the recent case of three-time Olympic gold medallist Gabby Thomas, who last month was so desperate for advice on how to deal with groups of men who she claimed were stalking her at airports across the US that she posted a video on TikTok. @itsgabbythomas They know the airport, day, time, gate, everything!!! Who do I report them to?? #fyp ♬ original sound - Gabby Thomas Who was among the high-profile sporting names that offered their solidarity to the track-and-field star? Coco Gauff. 'This happens to me too, I don't know how it happens; my theory is maybe someone at the airport tips them off,' bemoaned the 2023 US Open champion. Thomas's cry for help seemed like a last-ditch effort to shed light on an issue that sport is constantly learning how to navigate. Social media now plays such a big role in how people can contact or discuss sportspeople that it is not uncommon for governing bodies to enlist external help to guarantee their athletes' safety. The Football Association, for example, uses a third party to monitor its official channels, as well as those of their female players, with any threatening material passed to the UK Football Policing Unit for possible prosecution. Tennis, meanwhile, has benefited considerably from Project Matrix, an initiative the sport launched last year which monitors social-media posts and predicts threat levels to players who participate at tour-level events and Grand Slams. But as Raducanu's tearful incident this week has shown, sometimes sport has to accept that it is playing catch-up.
