It was April 30, 1993. Monica Seles was just 19 and firmly on top of the women’s tennis world. She had already won eight Grand Slam titles and was the youngest French Open champion in history, having lifted the trophy at just 16. Seles had dominated the women’s game for over two years, outpacing even her greatest rival, Steffi Graf. That’s when one of the most horrific incidents to taint the tennis world occurred. And 32 years later, Chris Evert is remembering that pain.

During a routine match at the Hamburg Open in Germany, everything changed. As Seles sat courtside during a changeover, an obsessed fan of Graf named Gunter Parche stabbed her in the back with a boning knife. The blade plunged between her shoulder blades, turning a regular tennis match into one of the darkest days in sports history.

Parche, an obsessed follower of Graf, had been upset by Seles’s Australian Open win over Graf three months earlier. That victory had solidified Seles’s grip on the No. 1 ranking—a position Graf had once held. Later, police confirmed Parche’s disturbing intent: he wanted to injure Seles so that Graf could reclaim the top spot.

The tennis world reeled in disbelief. Among those horrified by the attack was 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert. Though Evert had retired four years earlier, she felt the shock deeply. This week, marking 32 years since that incident, Evert shared her thoughts by replying to a clip of that incident on X. She wrote, “Just…diabolical and horrendous…We love you @MonicaSeles10s”

In the aftermath, Seles faced more than physical recovery. She battled deep emotional trauma, including depression and eating disorders. It took her more than two years to return to the sport she once ruled. Though she made a comeback in 1995 and even won the 1996 Australian Open—her ninth Grand Slam—she was never quite the same. The consistency and invincibility she once displayed began to fade. Seles’s final professional appearance came at the 2003 French Open.

As for Parche, his punishment stirred outrage. Declared psychologically impaired during his trial, he received a two-year probation sentence along with a psychological evaluation. He never served jail time. Years later, Seles admitted her frustration over this outcome. Parche spent his remaining years in various nursing homes before passing away in August 2022.

If not for the stabbing, many believe Monica Seles would have gone on to win several more Grand Slam titles. She was consistently defeating some of the sport’s biggest names, including Chris Evert.

When a 15-year-old Monica Seles defeated Chris Evert

To understand how dominant Monica Seles was, it’s important to look at the numbers. Between January 1991 and February 1993, she reached the finals in 33 of the 34 tournaments she played, winning 22 of them. Her win-loss record during that time was 159–12—an incredible 92.9% success rate. In Grand Slam events, she was nearly untouchable, winning 55 out of 56 matches. Between 1989 and 1992, Seles compiled a 231–25 record and collected 30 titles. By age 20, she already had eight Grand Slam titles to her name—a feat no one else has matched at that age.

Her rise in the tennis world was nothing short of stunning, and it began with a memorable upset. At the 1989 Houston Open final, a 15-year-old Monica Seles faced top seed Chris Evert. Seles had no ranking and no expectations, but she shocked everyone. After dropping the first set, she stormed back to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. That win ended Evert’s bid for a fourth straight Virginia Slims of Houston title.

In 2009, Evert recalled that match in an interview with ABC News. “She beat me when she was 15. I’ve never seen anybody play like that in my life,” she said. Coming from someone who had faced many great player of her time, it was high praise.

Monica Seles’s story remains one of the most haunting and heartbreaking in tennis history. Her early dominance will always be remembered as one of the brightest peaks in tennis history.