Monicaselesgigglesalittlewhenshetalks.Nike Coupon Codes 2013 Shealwayshas, justalittlehiccupthatbubblesupthroughherstreamof-consciousnessconversation, whethersheistalkingaboutseriousmattersoryouthfulpiffle. AttheCanadianOpeninTorontotwoweeksback-herscorchingreturntothesportsheoncesothoroughlydominated-shelethergigglefluttereasily, eventhroughsomedarkreflections. \"IthinkI\'vegrownupalotintwoandahalfyears, \"shetoldNEWSWEEKinawide-ranginginterview. \"LyinginthehospitalIthoughtaboutmylifealot. Ididn\'teventhinkthatonedayI\'dbebackplayingtennis. WhatdidIwanttodo, whatmademehappy? \"ThetournamentwasherfirsttruecompetitionsincethematchonApril30, 1993, inHamburg, Germany, whenamisguidedsoulwithanine-inchserratedkitchenknifetriedtoputanendtohercareerandherlife. Forfouryearsshehadbeenthestarattractiononthewomen\'stour, squashingthecompetitionandmakingheadlineswithherfashionsenseandmercurialpersonality. Whenshefell, thepopularityofthetourfellwithher. Nowshewastryingtocomeallthewaybackfromthe\"darktunnel\"shefearedshewouldneverputbehindher. Shewasalittletallernow, nearlyafullsixfeet, andalittleself-consciousaboutherrummy. \"That\'sallthebagelsandpasta, \"shesaid. \"InmysadnessIsubstitutedfood. Ididn\'teatbad, justlots. \"Inthiswarm-upfortheU. S. Open, whichheatsupthisweekinNewYork, shecutthroughheropponentslikeshe\'dnevermissedamatch;bythemiddleofthetournament, evenhergrunthadreturned. Butoffthecourt, Seles\'slifehadchanged. Shetraveledwithabodyguardnow. Notoriousforherglamorousstyleanddesigneroutfits, sherelaxedinTorontoinfloppyTshirtsandballcaps, unconcernedabouthersweatyfaceorhair, amessofstringyringlets. \"Istillliketoshop, \"sheadmitted, \"butit\'smostlyjustwindow-shoppingnow. \"Asshetalkedbetweenmatches, itwaseasytoforgetshewasstillonly21. \"Everythingwassodarkforalongtime, \"shesaid. \"IthoughtabouthowluckyIwastheknifewasn\'taninchoverintomyspine. \"WhenIlookedatitthatway, Isaid, \'Monica, you\'vehadsuchagreatcareeralready. \'ButeverythinghappenedsoyoungthatmaybeIdidn\'tappreciateitenough. Lookingback, IalsothoughtofallthetournamentsIplayed:howmanydidIreallyenjoy, howmanydidIhavestrongmemoriesof? Andthereweren\'tthatmany. Iwantedtochangethat. WhenIcameback, IwantedtomakesureIhadmorefun. Justbegrateful, dothebestIcanandenjoymyself. \"InthematchesinToronto, infact, asone-sidedastheywere, sometimesSeleswouldmissareturnhere, overslugagroundstrokethere. \"I\'dsaytomyself, \'Monica, loosenup. Don\'tbesohardonyourself. \"ButoccasionallythestabbingepisodeinHamburgwouldstillrearup. \"OnlongpointsIstartthinking, \"shesaid. \"Thereareflashbacks. Ibacktrack. ThenItellmyself, \'Youcan\'tdothis. You\'reinamatch. Justgooutandplaygreattennis\'. \"\'Dramaqueen\':Forthetroubledsportofwomen\'stennis, Seles\'sreturnisagodsend. EversincesheupsetChrisEvertinjustthesecondtournamentinhercareerin1989, andtwoyearslaterbecametheyoungesttop-ratedplayerofalltime, Seleshadbeenthecircuit\'smostmagneticstar. Bytheageof19, shehadwoneightGrandSlamsandwaspullingawayfromhernearestrival, SteffiGraf(chart). Beyondhertalent, shebroughtaniconoclasticebullienceandatheatricalairtoagamethatwasbecomingblandlyproficient. Shewouldthrowrosestothecrowd, ordisguiseherselfundergaudyhatsandwigs. OneyearsheskippedWimbledonwithoutexplanation, disappearingamidrumorsshewaspregnantbyDonaldTrump. DonaldTrump? \"Biggerthanlife, \"saysbroadcasterMaryCarillo. \"Shealwaysunderstoodhowtomakethingsoperatic. Whichisjustwhatthetourneeded. \"Herpeerssometimesresentedtheshow. EvertcalledSelesa\"dramaqueen. \"MartinaNavratilovamockedherfornotwearingabraandsaidheron-courtgrunting\"soundedlikeastuckpig. \"ButwhenSelesdisappearedfromthecircuit, women\'stennisdecidedlylostsomeofitssavor. Ininjuredexile, Selesdeliberatelyupstagedherpeersonseveraloccasions. Sheshowedupatthe\'93U. S. Openon\"ArthurAsheDay. \"Sheannouncedherexhibitioncomeback--amatchwithNavratilovainAtlanticCity--duringthewomen\'squarter-finalsatthisyear\'sFrenchOpenandhertournamentcomebackonthedayofthewomen\'sfinalatWimbledon. \"She\'sstillgotthedivadealgoing, \"saysCarillo. \"Howcanthewomennotfeelresentment? \"Onherreturn, someplayerswereoutragedthatwithouthavingcompetedformorethantwoyears, shewasimmediatelyrankedco-No. 1, alongsideGraf. Selessimplydismissedthecontroversy. \"Ididn\'tcare, \"shesays. \"IfI\'mgoodenough, I\'llbethere. \"Bythetimeshe\'dmadefastworkofheropponentsinToronto-GrafwasupsetbytheunseededAmandaCoetzerinthefirstround--thequestionwasacademic. Thechampion, andthecharismashebroughttothetour, wasback. Graf, whogreetedherwithaheartfelthug, wasnotsurprisedbySeles\'sferociousform. \"Monicadoesnotreturn, \"shesaid, \"unlessshe\'sfitandready. \"ForSeles, thetournamentvictorywasabigstepinwhathasbeenatwo-yearordeal, bothphysicalandmental. Theactualinjuryfromtheknifewoundwasminor, buttheassaultdamagedherpsyche. ShegraduallyworkedherbodybackintoshapeundertheguidanceofBobKersee(therenownedtrackcoachandhusbandofJackieJoyner-Kersee)andsoughttreatmentfrompsychologistJerryR. Mayforposttraumaticstressdisorder. Shrinktalknowpopsupregularlyinherconversation;MaywasamongherentourageinToronto. ShetookFrenchlessons, learnedtoplaytheguitar, tookuppooland--aftereightyearsoflivinginFloridawithherparents, ethnicHungariansfromSerbia--shefinallybecameaU. S. citizen. Ontheexam, shesays, shewasaskedtonametheyoungestU. S. president. \"Itoldthisladythatwasn\'tonthequestionstheygaveus. Shesaiditdidn\'tmatter;shewasaskingmeanyway. \"Shetookapass(theanswerisTeddyRoosevelt). Theworks:WhileshecouldnotbringherselftowatchtheGrandSlamtournaments, \"sheknewwhatwashappeningontour, \"saysBetsyNagelson, the$9-year-oldformerproplayerwhohasbecomeherbestfriend. \"Monicaknewhertenniswouldstandup. Sheknowshowgoodsheis. \"LastMarchSelescalledameetingwithhermanager, MarkMcCormack, whoisalsoNagelson\'shusband. \"Iwanttoplayagain, \"shesaidsimply. Theydiscussedtournamentscheduling, appearances, security, hittingpartners, doctors, mediaaccess, contracts, endorsements, theworks. SelesswitchedherallegiancefromFilatoNike, signingforareportedfiveyearsand$15million. \"IfitNike. Nikeisfun, \"shesays. WithNagelson, shealsobeganweeklyvisitstothebatteredteensandrunawaysattheHouseofHopeshelterinOrlando, Fla. , drawingontheircourageandtoughness. AttheSpecialOlympicsinNewHaven, Conn. , shetookstillmoreinspirationfromtheathleteswho\"seemtohavemorefunthananytennisprosevenaftertheywinamatch. \"AsshefacestheU. S. Openthisweek, andthepossibilityofashowdownwithGraf, Seleswantstokeepalivesomeofthatfunforherself. She\'sbiggerandstrongernow, butastepslowerthanshewastwoyearsago. She\'salwayshadpowerfulstrokes;nowherserveisatrueweapon. \"ThisisthetoughestathleteI\'veeverknown, \"saysMcCormack, whohasrepresentedArnoldPalmer, JackNicklaus, JoeMontanaandWayneGretsky. Andsheknowsthehorrorsoftheworldfirsthand. TheotherdaysheandNagelsonwenttosee\"Kids, \"thegut-churningfilmaboutmodernurbanteenagers. Astheyleftthetheater, NagelsonturnedtoSeles. \"Oh, myGod, \"Nagelsonsaid. \"Iwantedtoleave. That\'sjustnotreality. \"Yes, \"Selesanswered. \"That\'sjustwhatitis. \"Thebestfemaletennisplayerintheworldhadfinishedherownjourneytohellandback. MonicaSelesknowsreality. Beforeherstabbing, MonicaSelesruledthecourt. Then, SteffiGrafandothersseizedhercrown. 19901991199219931994AustralianOpenbaaab[*]FrenchOpenaaab[*]c[*]Wimbletoncbbb[*]c[*]U. S. Opencaab[*]c[*]VirginiaSlimsaaab[*]c[*]aSaleswinsbGrafwinscOther*SalesOutSOURCE:1995INFORMATIONPLEASESPORTSALMANACGetNewsweekonyourTablet