EPISODE · Jan 17, 2026 · 17 MIN
9 - Monica Seles: The Baltic Basher
from Steffi & Monica: The Greatest Rivalry That Never Was · host JHughes Productions
In March 1987, tennis fans are introduced to 13-year-old Monica Seles not through match footage, but through a hype machine. Nick Bollettieri brands her “the Baltic Basher,” calls her the best young player he’s ever seen, and frames her family’s ambition as singular: nothing less than No. 1. In this episode we learn the truth about Monica's first few months at the Bollettieri Academy, the price she paid for a tennis education that seemed too good to be true, and the Seles family that rallied not to make Monica No. 1, but to make her happy.
What this episode covers
In March 1987, tennis fans are introduced to 13-year-old Monica Seles not through match footage, but through a hype machine. Nick Bollettieri brands her “the Baltic Basher,” calls her the best young player he’s ever seen, and frames her family’s ambition as singular: nothing less than No. 1. In this episode we learn the truth about Monica's first few months at the Bollettieri Academy, the price she paid for a tennis education that seemed too good to be true, and the Seles family that rallied not to make Monica No. 1, but to make her happy.
NOW PLAYING
9 - Monica Seles: The Baltic Basher
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Mar 26, 2026 ·1m
Mar 19, 2026 ·34m
Feb 18, 2026 ·11m
Feb 11, 2026 ·45m