Today in Sports History: July 29

In 1995, Yugoslavian and American tennis player, Monica Seles, beat legendary Czech-American tennis player, Martina Navratilova, as she made her return to tennis.

From 1985 until 2008, Seles was a 9-time Major Champion and 4-time Finalist. Her overall record was 684-167; her singles record of 595-122 and her doubles record of 89-45. Seles won the Australian Open for singles in 1991-93, and 1996. She also won the French Open in singles in 1990, 1991, and 1992 and she won the US Open in singles in 1991 and 1992. 

Seles was a member of the U.S. Fed Cup Team in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2002 and was a part of the winning U.S Fed Cup Championship team in 1996, 1999, and 2000. Her overall record with the U.S Fed Cup Team was 17-2; her Singles record of 15-2 and her Doubles record of 2-0. 

Seles also attended the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics and the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics and won a Bronze medal for Team USA. Throughout her career, she received the Yugoslavian Sportswoman of the Year Award, the Tennis Magazine/Rolex Watch Female Rookie of the Year award, the Rado Topspin Award, the Sanex WTATour Most Improved Player Award, two-time Sanex WTA Player of the Year Award, two-time AP Female Athlete of the Year, and two-time Sanex WTATour Comeback Player of the Year Award. 

She was named Female Pro Athlete of the Year by the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, named Family Circle Cup Player in 1999, named Player of the Decade by ESPN at the ESPY Awards, named to Forbes Magazine’s Power 100 in Fame, and Fortune list, and received the Flo Hyman Memorial Award from the Women’s Sports Foundation in 2000.

Seles was later inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in the Class of 2009 for her outstanding career and accomplishments.