"These enormous guys, asking me if I could be in better shape; look at yourself in the mirror, don't be so brutal" - When Monica Seles spoke about being deemed overweight on her return to tennis

Monica Seles turned pro in 1989 and announced her arrival with a triumph at the 1990 French Open at the age of just 16. The youngster, who soon started defeating top players like Steffi Graf, Chris Evert, and Martina Navratilova, won eight Grand Slam titles before turning 20.

Then came one of the most unfortunate days in the history of tennis. During a match in Germany on April 30, 1993, Gunter Parche, a die-hard fan of Steffi Graf, jumped on the court during a break and stabbed Seles in the back. He wanted her out of the way so that Graf could regain her No. 1 spot. He succeeded.

Seles was out for nearly three years after that, momentarily losing her motivation and passion for the sport. She returned in 1995 and went on to win the 1996 Australian Open, her last Major victory.

While she was in the hospital for treatment right after the attack, Monica Seles learned that her father was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Trying hard to forget about the on-court incident and her father's illness, Seles finally found solace in eating.

During a 2009 interview with The Guardian, she revealed how she had gained weight and how the media pounced on the opportunity to target her.

"There would be pictures of 'Monica's spare tyre' - that would be the headline," Seles said. "I dreaded those fortnights. My heaviest ever was 1997 Wimbledon. I was 35lb overweight. You cannot carry that around a grass court. If a player hit a drop shot, I'd be thinking, 'If I was skinnier, I'd have got that ball' and 'Did she do that because of my size?'"

"The British press was so unbelievably cruel. At press conferences, I'd have to sit there while these guys who had written about how fat I was, asked me questions. Sports writers are not in the best shape themselves. These enormous guys, asking me if I could be in better shape, I mean, look at yourself in the mirror. Don't be so brutal," she added.

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"After two and a half years, I felt I just had to try" - Monica Seles on her return

Monica Seles returned to the tour in 1995

After the attack on her in 1993, Monica Seles' mind kept going back to the fact that the man who had stabbed her was never punished. But when she finally returned to action in 1995, she was happy that she was still competitive.

"The thing was when I thought of coming back, I had no idea how I would feel sitting back down on the chair, knowing the person who stabbed me had never been put in jail," Seles said. "There were so many ifs. In the end though, after two and a half years, I felt I just had to try. I came back in Toronto and the fans' support was just amazing. I won that first tournament back, and that helped. It was like, 'I am still pretty good at this.'"