What if Monica Seles never got stabbed on that unforgettable day in 1993? The biggest ‘what if’ in women’s tennis always surfaces whenever one tries to recall the tragic Hamburg incident from three decades ago. The then eight-time Grand Slam champion was stabbed by an obsessed fan of her rival and another WTA icon, Steffi Graf. April 30 marked the day the world lost an unparalleled talent that had the potential to be an all-time great. When you look at the numbers Seles amassed early in her career, there remains no doubt to believe what could have been. Perhaps her good friend and former American great Chris Evert knows it, too. She just reminded everyone what made Seles one of a kind, why deeming her “the best.”

To put things into perspective, Monica Seles, the 3-time back-to-back French Open winner (1990, 1991 & 1992), tops the all-time list when it comes to win percentage in the first 100 matches. She won 93 while losing just 7. Her closest competitor was Evert herself, accumulating 90 victories against 10 defeats. In third comes Steffi Graf, who won 87 matches in her first 100 professional appearances. Moreover, Seles had won eight slams already before the stabbing incident. She was 19 then. The tragedy left her struggling to find the sensational form and performance level she once possessed.

After taking breaks of two years, she returned in 1995. Although her intensity wasn’t the same, she still made it to the finals of the US Open twice (1995 and 1996). Her last major win was at the 1996 Australian Open. In the summit clash, she beat Germany’s Anke Huber in straight sets (6-4, 6-1). It was the ninth and last slam of Seles’ career before she retired in 2003. Due to the stabbing incident, her WTA Grand Slam journey had since been reduced to just 211 matches, in which she still snatched 180 wins. Stunning stats, aren’t they? During her prime, she also enjoyed a 178-week reign on the No. 1 position in the rankings.

While she’s not active anymore, her impact can still be felt. And it becomes evident from Chris Evert’s reaction. On Tuesday, the Tennis Hall of Fame’s IG account shared a clip featuring Monica Seles. The caption read, “@monicaseles10s didn’t just show up, she showed out. Practice or match, she gave 110 percent. That kind of dedication and effort doesn’t come with a switch; it’s just who she was 💪🎾”

Seles was seen reflecting on her skills and high intensity that distinguished her from the fellow icons back then. She revealed, “I played every single point of every single match with 110%, really. That’s kind of how I practiced.”

She also threw light on the fact that many “people didn’t like practicing with me because I (was) very intense, and every ball was like the last ball hit, and I kind of carried that intensity, I guess.” She added, “They always compared me to Connors because he was the same intensity both practice and matches. And really, that just gave it my all, and most importantly, that I loved playing tennis.”

Indeed she did, and Evert rightfully made it clear in the comments. Reacting to Seles, the 18-time slam winner simply declared, “Monica is the BEST! Love my friend ❤️️.” But it’s not the first time Evert has expressed her sentiments on Seles.

When Chris Evert accepted Monica Seles’ prowess

In 2009, during an interview with ABC News, Chris Evert recalled the time she was stunned by Monica Seles. “She beat me when she was 15. I’ve never seen anybody play like that in my life,” she said.

The match she referred to took place in 1989 during the Virginia Slims of Houston tennis tournament, as reported by Deseret News in May 1989. In the summit clash, a 15-year-old Seles beat Evert with a score line of 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. “When I was 15, I beat Margaret Court when she was number one in the world,” said Evert after the match. “Now the shoe’s on the other foot. When you lose to someone who’s not a good player, then you should be distressed. But she’s good.”

After facing Seles’ wrath in this encounter, Evert even made a top 10 prediction for her. “I’ve played Tracy (Austin), Andrea (Jaeger) and Steffi (Graf) at 15 and Monica is very similar to them,” she added. “I don’t see why she shouldn’t be projected to the top 10 or top 5.”

Years later, earlier this month, Evert reached out to Seles again on the forgettable anniversary of the day when she was stabbed. After she took over the No. 1 spot from Steffi Graf, a deranged fan expressed his anger. Seles was playing against Magdalena Maleeva in the Hamburg Citizen Cup.

During the match, a person named Guenter Parche entered the court area and attacked her. Later, he told the police that he wanted to “hurt Seles so much that she couldn’t play tennis for a long time.” Remembering this tragic incident three decades later, Evert took to her X. She simply wrote, “just …. diabolical and horrendous… We love you, @MonicaSeles10s.”

What are your thoughts on the unfortunate moment in Seles’ career? Do you think she would have ruled the tennis world like no other had it not been for the accident? Let us know in the comments below.