In the late 1980s, Steffi Graf dominated women’s tennis like no one else. In 1988, she achieved the legendary “Golden Slam” by winning all four Grand Slam titles plus Olympic gold, and held the No. 1 ranking for a total of 1302 days. That reign ended when a teenage prodigy from Yugoslavia emerged: Monica Seles. At just 16 years old, Seles stunned the tennis world by defeating Graf in the 1990 French Open final, becoming the youngest Roland Garros champion in history. It was clear from that moment that Graf had found a worthy rival.

Seles Becomes World No. 1

Monica Seles’ meteoric rise continued in the early 1990s. On March 11, 1991, the 17-year-old dethroned Steffi Graf from the world No. 1 spot. That year, Seles won all three Grand Slam events she entered, missing only Wimbledon due to injury. In 1992, she continued her dominance, capturing the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open titles. Graf managed to win Wimbledon that year, but Seles was clearly in command.

Between 1991 and early 1993, every Grand Slam title was won by either Graf or Seles. The two met in six Grand Slam finals, each winning three. By early 1993, Seles had already claimed eight Grand Slam titles at just 19 years old. She was on track to challenge and possibly surpass even the all-time records held by Margaret Court. Then, at the very peak of her power, the rivalry took a devastating turn.

The Knife Attack in Hamburg 1993

On April 30, 1993, at a tournament in Hamburg, Germany, Monica Seles was the victim of a shocking on-court attack. During a changeover in her quarterfinal match against Magdalena Maleeva, Seles was sitting on the bench when a man emerged from the crowd and stabbed her in the back with a knife.

The attacker, a 38-year-old unemployed toolmaker named Günter Parche, was a fanatic supporter of Steffi Graf. The blade pierced between Seles’ spine and shoulder blade, luckily missing vital organs by just a few centimeters. Parche was immediately subdued by security and spectators.

His motive stunned the world. Parche wanted Steffi Graf to regain the No. 1 ranking and believed that by eliminating Seles, he could help make that happen. In his delusion, the attack was "for Steffi".

The Aftermath and the End of a Rivalry

Although the physical wound healed relatively quickly, the psychological trauma left deep scars. Monica Seles withdrew from tennis for over two years, struggling with fear, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. During her absence, Steffi Graf returned to the top of the rankings and resumed her dominance on the WTA Tour, this time without her greatest rival.

Seles returned to professional tennis in August 1995 and was briefly reinstated as co-World No. 1 alongside Graf due to the exceptional circumstances of her hiatus. In 1996, she claimed the Australian Open title, her ninth and final Grand Slam victory. But she was never quite the same. Seles openly battled mental health struggles and developed an eating disorder, and she was never again able to recapture the explosive form that had once made her seemingly unstoppable.

Her career officially ended in 2008. Many believe that had the attack never occurred, Seles could have rewritten the record books. Tennis legend Martina Navratilova once said that Seles would have become the greatest Grand Slam champion in history. Tragically, the attacker’s goal was essentially realized. Monica Seles never reclaimed the No. 1 spot from Steffi Graf, and a rivalry that was just reaching its peak was cut short by violence.

The Seles Graf rivalry, once defined by thrilling finals and generational talent, was forever changed on that April afternoon in Hamburg. It remains one of the most heartbreaking turning points in sports history and a reminder of how obsession and violence can shatter greatness in an instant.