Monica Seles, who retired in 2003 after losing in the first round of the French Open to Nadia Petrova (though she formally announced her retirement only in 2008), still thinks about her retirement and looking back now, she does have a little bit of regret.
Seles, who has been appointed the ambassador for the WTA Finals, said, ‘Mentally, I still wish I was playing out there when I’m watching some of some of the tournaments; I still want to be there. For me, coming back to Singapore will be a lot of fun because it’ll be one of the first times I’m watching tennis and all the top players for that many days in a row.
Hopefully, I won’t get the urge to jump onto the court and play!’
In Singapore, one of the biggest question marks will be Serena Williams as she’s played only seven tournaments this year because of shoulder and knee injuries.
The pressure will be on the American, who’s won five titles in nine appearances at the WTA Finals. ‘I never experienced the numbers Serena hit in terms of Grand Slams, and so I cannot imagine the pressure she faces.
But if anyone can play under that pressure, it’s Serena. She is the most mentally tough player I’ve ever faced, and so if she can stay injury-free, I believe she has the hunger to keep going,’ said Seles, who won nine Grand Slam titles and lost four finals in her career.