Believe in yourself, follow your dreams, have fun and stay active! That was the main message from tennis legend Monica Seles as she shared her inspirational life story with university students and school children in Abu Dhabi.
The nine-times Grand Slam champion was here for the Inspirational Women 2014 event, sponsored and organized by Mubadala and Inspire Sports Management to coincide with International Women’s Day on March 8.
Monica Leads Fun and Games at Zayed Sports City
Zayed Sports City’s main tennis stadium was buzzing with excitement as Monica joined more than a thousand youngsters for an afternoon of tennis, games and fitness activities.
Cheered on by their schoolmates, pupils from six Aldar Academies – Al Muna Primary School, Al Ain International School, Al Bateen Secondary School, Al Yasmina School, Al Mushrif School and The Pearl Primary School – competed in tennis-related relay races and challenges before Monica arrived on court.
The children enjoyed music and dancing, and there was further excitement when Emirati cartoon favorite Mansour and his family served tennis balls into the audience.
By the time the former women’s world number one appeared, the crowd was already in a frenzy of excitement.
After video highlights of Monica’s inspirational career were shown on the big screen, she took the microphone and urged her young fans to take up tennis and stay healthy.
“Tennis is good for your mind and physical fitness, and that combination makes it perfect for anyone wanting to stay healthy and happy,” said Monica, who was inducted last year into the U.S. Open Court of Champions.
She then played a warm-up session with students who had qualified to compete for trophies and medals in the Aldar Academies Tennis Challenge 2014.
Eleven-year-old Isobel Hughes, from Al Yasmina School, was runner-up in the girls’ primary schools tournament. “Today has been amazing,” she said. “It was a bit nerve-racking playing in front of a big crowd, but I feel great getting the runners-up prize. It was really inspiring to meet Monica.”
Passion and Self-Belief are Key to Success, Monica Tells Students
Monica Seles, who at age 16 became the youngest ever winner of the French Open women’s singles title, spoke candidly to about 300 female students at Zayed University about the highs and lows of her career and how she overcame adversity.
After being attacked by a demented spectator at courtside in 1993 and losing her beloved father to cancer, Monica fell into a depression, and had to dig deep to find the determination to get back in shape and return to the tennis circuit two years later.
“It’s given me an appreciation of how fragile life is,” she told her young audience. “You’re never guaranteed to be around tomorrow so you should try to live life in the moment, and appreciate the friends and family you have.
“We all have highs and lows in our lives, and I believe you have to find that passion for what you love to do.
“I’ve fallen a lot of times in my professional and personal life, and this has taught me that to get anything worth having you will face a lot of adversity. Believe in yourself and try to be around positive support systems, such as family and friends.”
Hajer Al Shehhi, 21, a multi-media design student, said afterwards: “Monica was very inspirational. She taught me that I have to believe in myself and develop inner confidence. That’s getting more important in my life as I try to achieve my goals.”