I found the following article about Monica on Yahoo! Sports: Tennis
[ http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/ ]. In this time of mixed articles
about Monica, this is one of the more encouraging ones as Monica
plans to play "a limited schedule".

>>>
A conversation with Monica
Jon Wertheim, SI.com

Monica Seles was in town the other day and she graciously agreed to
meet for coffee, talk about her status, and take some of the
questions we repeatedly are asked here at Mailbag HQ.

Wertheim: We get this one at least once a day: For once and for all,
what's up with Monica Seles?

Seles: Am I retiring? (laughs)

Wertheim: No, everyone knows not to go there. What's your prognosis?

Seles: I've come out from the hard cast [on her left foot] and I've
been in this thing for four and half weeks [points to an imposing
boot-like contraption on her foot]. I go for an MRI next week,
they'll send it over and we'll see what happens after that. So I've
been immobile for about three months. [My return] depends on the
MRI, how the bone has grown back. It's not a bone you can put a
screw in. I'm wearing this boot and have special taping so it
doesn't really bother me. But I wear a bone-stimulating machine just
to keep things strong. I'm not hitting on the court but I sit on a
bench and hit just to keep my feel, my touch and keep my calluses. I
started doing swimming and weight training. You know, after the
stabbing I didn't do anything for two-and-a-half years; but I think
at this stage in my career I can't do that and expect to be back.

Wertheim: Did you follow the Australian Open?

Seles: I would watch the good matches -- men's and women's. I'll
check the scores [on the Internet] and I know who played the finals
of Paris, Jennifer [Capriati]'s Dubai results, things like that. But
everyone else has been injured.

Wertheim: Injuries are a hot Mailbag topic. What do you attribute
them to?

Seles: The tours really have to look at the schedule. The WTA has
done a great job listening to the players, and I think that's
important. I'm in the last stages of my career, but these girls are
in the middle stages. [The injuries] are already starting at this
age, and somebody has to look into that. I don't know the solution
but it's not normal ... everyone is injured and everyone is injured
for a long time, too.

Wertheim: Could it be the tougher competition?

Seles: Yeah, the competition, and I think it could also be the court
surface. A lot of tournaments are played on hard courts. Plus now
you have to do so much more pounding on your body. The way the game
is played you have to be a lot stronger, there's a lot more wear and
tear on your muscles. I was really injury-free until 1999. You need
your big names to stay around. You also have to think of younger
generation: the longer these players are around, obviously, the
better.

Wertheim: What do you make of Justine Henin-Hardenne's run?

Seles: It's been amazing. I like watching her play, I really do. You
know I played her last year at the Amelia Island (S.C.) tournament
and I could tell she was really confident, a different player.

Wertheim: Another question that comes up a lot: Where are all the
left-handers?

Seles: The left-handers are one thing, but I would really like to
see more serve-and-volleyers, to have a contrasting style. Every
coach now is preaching staying back. Maybe when you're younger and
you're physically not so developed so it's hard [to adjust to a
different style], or you want the junior results and all that comes
with it.

Wertheim: Ahem ...

Seles: (Laughs) I know, I know. Looking back, if I had a chance to
change [my playing style, I definitely would have done so. You make
a few additions to your game and maybe have a few years when you
aren't as a good. Like Tiger Woods did a few years back. But you're
better off in the long run.

Wertheim: Some players are better-equipped than others to play serve-
and-volley tennis. Is there one player you look at and say, "I
wonder ..."

Seles: Oh yeah. Serena. She volleys amazingly. When she comes back,
if she adds that dimension, she's a whole different player.

Wertheim: You're a traditionalist, so maybe you're not the best
person to take this one. But how do you feel about adding instant
replay to tennis?

Seles: Actually, I would kind of like that. It would be cool for the
umpires to have. That one I'm OK with.

Wertheim: How about four-game sets?

Seles: Four game sets, changing from two serves, no-ad scoring,
moving in the lines -- it's too confusing.

Wertheim: Which male players do you enjoy watching? You like [Roger]
Federer as much as everyone else does?

Seles: Oh yeah. He's a genius. You know, the first time I really
watched him was last year in Rome [at the Telecom Italia Masters,
where the men's event was immediately before the women's] and the
guy is just amazing. Also Andre [Agassi] is unbelievable, still in
great shape.

Wertheim: What about a guy you wouldn't necessarily think of?

Seles: I love to watch [Fabrice] Santoro. He's a genius. He also
hits two hands off both sides. He's one of my friends. As a two-
hander you learn from him, relate to him. He's more [pantomines
slicing] and I'm more about hitting through. But I would love to
take some of his game. Again, as a two-hander, it's a totally
different mentality of play.

Wertheim: Enough chitchat. Let's get to the hardball questions. Sex
And the City. Carrie Bradshaw ended up with Big. You saw that coming
a mile away, right?

Seles: I actually lost a bet with friends! My prediction was that
she would end up alone. I got one, though: I was sure she would move
back to New York. I knew she wasn't going to hang in Paris. No
chance. We're definitely going to miss that show. But we have
another favorite: Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Wertheim: Are you my Caucasian?

Seles: [Laughs] Larry David is a genius. And I've never seen a
single episode of Seinfeld. Every Curb Your Enthusiam is crazy, and
I'm a hard person to get to laugh. That's one good thing about not
traveling. You have a normal schedule and you can plan Sunday nights.

Wertheim: Back to tennis. There's no telling when we'll see you
again, but we will see you on the court again, correct?

Seles: I'd like to play a limited schedule. I'm not going to come
back and play 16 tournaments. My body can't handle that. I just want
to finish my career on a good note. The last few tournaments were
brutal. I just don't want to leave with that memory. I don't want to
stop that way.

Wertheim: But you still have it in you?

Seles: I do. I wouldn't be going through this if I didn't. I've had
to learn -- and this has been hard -- that even if you want to go
out and play, if your body isn't listening you have to separate the
two. You think your body will follow automatically. Maybe it's that
I'm 30, but I'm listening to my body better. This is unknown
territory for me. It would be different if it were a mental
issue. "I'm tired. I had enough. I don't want to do with it." But in
this case it's going to be a question of how the body holds up.

Wertheim: And you're OK with turning 30?

Seles: Now I'm OK. Two months ago? No. It was a big one. In tennis
you feel like you've been around for ages, but in terms of my
friends, they helped. They said, "Hey, you could be just out of
college and starting to pay off your loans. Why are you
complaining?" That gave me good perspective. ... It's a big
milestone and it made me evaluate some things. But I'm in a very
happy place in my life. After a long time, after all those issues, I
have no issues.

On to the mailbag ...

<snip>

Back to Seles. She was in New York as part of an awareness campaign
for Imotrex, a drug used to fight migraine headaches. She has
suffered from migraines since she was a teenager -- sometimes in the
middle of matches -- and has been taking Imotrex since 1997. Her
message: "If you have headaches see a doctor!"... And, thanks to
Monica, we only have time for a few questions ...
<<<

I wish Monica the best of luck with her comeback, having learned
yesterday of Karina Habšudová's retirement. Karina is four months
older than Monica, and had been sidelined (apart from one doubles
match at the US Open 2003) since partially rupturing her left
Achilles tendon at the Australian Open 2002. It would be a shame if
I lost them both at 30 because of two left feet. ;-(

--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/seles/