‘She Was Revolutionary’- Young and Starry-Eyed Venus Williams Once Revealed How She Imbibed ‘Controversial’ Tennis Habit From Steffi Graf’s Legendary Opponent

In the early 1990s, Monica Seles was one of women’s tennis’ most dominant forces. The former World No. 1 served as an inspiration for several women tennis players from future generations, which isn’t surprising. After all, she amassed 9 singles Grand Slam titles during a stellar career at the summit of women’s tennis. 7-time singles Grand Slam title winner Venus Williams was one of the prominent names to be inspired by Seles’ scintillating displays. On several occasions, Williams spoke highly of Seles and the influence Seles had on her game.

On one particular occasion in 2002, Williams mentioned during an interview that Seles was her favorite player growing up. Williams also revealed in the interview that her loud grunts during matches were inspired by none other than Seles.

Venus Williams revealed how she loved Seles’ rivalries with Steffi Graf and Jennifer Capriati

During Seles’ period of dominance, she was engaged in some of the fiercest rivalries women’s tennis have ever known. Seles’ closest competitors were Steffi Graf and Jennifer Capriati, and Venus Williams loved to see their matches when she was a youngster developing her own game.

In the interview from 2002, Williams said, “I remember all those matches in the French Open when she was down 6-love and the tie breaker with Steffi, and of course, when she played Capriati.” She added, “I remember all those things. She’s my favorite player. Of course, when we play now, I’m rooting for me.”

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Unfortunately, following an on-court stabbing incident in 1993, Seles’ tennis career was derailed prematurely. Even though she did eventually make her tennis comeback, Seles was a mere shadow of her former self. By the time Seles faced Williams, her best days on the tennis court were behind her.

Seles also inspired Venus Williams to grunt loudly

Grunting is commonplace in tennis these days. However, there was a time when the tennis world considered grunting unethical. In men’s tennis, the likes of John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors started the practice. In women’s tennis, it was Seles who took a leaf out of McEnroe and Connors’ book and began grunting loudly.

Several high-profile players such as rival Jennifer Capriati and Martina Navratilova criticized Seles for her loud grunts. In fact, on one occasion, Capriati claimed that Seles grunted on purpose to unnerve her opposition. However, Venus Williams incorporated grunting into her own game after watching Seles. “I started grunting because of Monica. I never grunted before that, and now I can’t stop.” In the interview, Williams also credited Seles for changing women’s tennis forever. “She was revolutionary. She took the game to another level and makes everyone realize it.”

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