Getting a Grip

Monica's tenacity and grit were always obvious on the tennis court, but her private struggles are what gives the book such heart' Serena Williams It is a self-help manual and a sports autobiography, and the best kind of diet book (one that does not tell you what to eat, but how to live)' Observer At the age of sixteen, Monica Seles became the youngest winner in French Open History. For three years, she dominated the tennis circuit, racking up eight Grand Slam titles, winning three back-to-back French Open titles. In January April 1993, while playing a quarter final in Hamburg, a boning knife was plunged between her shoulder blades by a Graff fan. The incident shocked the tennis world. Seles' injuries healed, but Seles did not. Now, in this compelling book she tells us in her own words what followed years of seclusion, the fog of despair, binge eating, dealing with criticism about her weight from a brutal press, losing her father coach to cancer and never regaining her dominance on court despite getting in to the top 10.
After years battling to regain fitness and tennis glory, an excruciating injury forced Monica to abandon the arduous workouts and punitive diets, and slowly uncovered the painful emotions behind years of tumultuous feelings. This is a human and inspiring story of determination and amazing talent. Monica Seles is a former No 1 professional tennis player who became the youngest-ever champion at the French Open in 1990 and went on to win nine Grand Slam singles titles. In 2007, she was appointed goodwill ambassador for the UN's Global Sports for Peace and Development Initiative.