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by Christopher Gerby The second phase of Monica Seles's wildly successful tennis career has been hampered by a number of injuries. Most recently, a stress fracture in her right foot sidelined Seles for the end of the '99 season (including the prestigious Chase Championships) and the start of the 2000 campaign (including the season's first Grand Slam in Australia). With the foot finally healed, Monica's embarking on a rather ambitious comeback schedule. She returns to the tour at this week's IGA Classic in Oklahoma City and will follow with a rapid succession of events in Scottsdale, Indian Wells, Key Biscayne, Amelia Island, and Hilton Head. In her February 21st conference call with reporters, Seles sounded upbeat and cautiously optimistic. Asked why she chose to accept a late wild card into this week's tournament, Seles explained, "I feel I need some more matches." Rather than jump right back into competitive tennis against a star-studded field in Scottsdale, Seles felt she could "ease back into it" with a less daunting warmup in Oklahoma City, where she's the #2 seed. She was originally expecting to be back for the Australian Open and "almost made it," but the foot was still not quite 100%. In the meantime, she's been doing "a lot of rehab," spending time on her boat, and enjoying a break from the rigors of professional tennis. "It's nice to be home," Monica declared. Asked about the proliferation of injuries in the women's game of late, Seles chalked it up to the "eleven month schedule" which is "very tough I think on your body." Despite her split from former coach (and fitness guru) Gavin Hopper, Seles said she's still "working really hard" on her fitness and realizes "how important it is to stay to fit to stay at the elite level." The foot injury has prevented her from running (in fact, her running is still limited to that which she does on the tennis court), so her workout regimen has been "in the pool, on the bike, and the weights." When a reporter inquired about her long-term goals, Seles confirmed that her main hope is "to win Grand Slams at this point." Pressed on whether she considered that a realistic goal, Monica said, "only time will tell, it's anybody's guess" and cited Andre Agassi's comeback as proof that anything is possible. Seles has also been buoyed by the return to form of old rival Jennifer Capriati, saying it was "great to see that smile back on her face" during Capriati's run to the Australian Open semifinals. Recalling how much she seemed to enjoy the experience at the Olympics four years ago, I asked the Yugoslavian-born American if she was hoping to play again this time around. Monica confirmed that she's hoping to make the American team in Sydney. "I'm looking forward to it...I had a great time in Atlanta...it's a fantastic opportunity to play for the U.S." However, Seles also made reference to the "very tough schedule" in store for her this season, starting with this long run of American tournaments through April. It's sure to be challenge, but Seles is happy to face it. "I really appreciate more being able to play healthy." |