While the teenage sensation of women's tennis – the Russian Maria
Sharapova – continues her attempt to add the Australian Open to her
Wimbledon title of last summer, a previous adolescent phenomenon will
be practising on the private court of her home in Sarasota, Florida,
in the hope of making one last comeback.

At the venerable age of 31, Monica Seles is busily preparing for two
exhibition matches against Martina Navratilova in New Zealand next
month, after which she will decide if the foot injury which has
sidelined her for the past 20 months will stand up to the rigours of
a full-time return.

"If the time has come and my career is finally over, then so be it,"
Seles said. "I've had a wonderful career, but if I can eke out just a
little bit more to finish on a happier note rather than playing in
constant pain, then that would be fantastic."

I first encountered a 15-year-old Seles at the 1989 French Open at
Roland Garros (where she would lose to Steffi Graf in three sets in
the semi-final) when every day was a 'fun day'. What do you think of
Paris? "It's fun... the shops are neat." This was accompanied by the
trademark Woody Woodpecker he-he-he-HE-he giggle. Are you looking
forward to Wimbledon? "Oh yeah, it'll be fun playing on grass..." Why
do you want to be a champion, endlessly travelling from one airport,
one hotel, one tournament to the next? "Because it sounds like fun; I
can't wait to see London, Rome, San Francisco..."

Life to Seles became a never-ending giggle. And why not? Born in the
Yugoslavian industrial town of Novi Sad, within sniffing distance of
the noxious fumes from a nearby chemical plant, Seles swiftly
acquired everything she had seen in the movies.

At 16, she owned a Lamborghini she was too young to drive, lavished a
good proportion of her annual millions at Versace and Tiffany's, flew
first class around the world, and kept mum, dad and brother in a
manner to which they had never dreamed they would become accustomed.

By the age of 19 she had won eight grand slam championships. The
giggling stopped on April 30, 1993, when a crazed knifeman emerged
from the spectators in Hamburg and stabbed Seles in the back during a
change-over in her match against Magdalena Maleeva, after which she
was lost to the sport for 2½ years. The injury below her left
shoulder-blade was a superficial flesh wound, but her sense of fun
had been sliced away. Against all odds Seles returned to win her
fourth Australian Open in 1996, but would never again be the happy-go-
lucky lass. May I wish Monica a triumphal return.