Online Encyclopedia
Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis (born September 30, 1980) is a professional tennis player from Switzerland. Born Martina Hingisova Molitor in Košice, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia), Hingis lived for a time in Florida but has now returned to Switzerland. She was named after Martina Navratilova, another tennis player of Czechoslovakian origin.
At one time ranked #1 in the world for women's singles, she has not played since October 2002 because of chronic foot injuries, and in February 2003 she stated that she could not foresee a return to tennis. In her statements, she said that due to her injuries she could not play to a level where she would again be competitive with the best, and was not interested in coping with the pain in her feet to compete at a lesser level.
Like many professional tennis players, Hingis started playing at a very young age. By 5 years of age, she started entering tournaments. In 1996, Hingis partnered with Helena Sukova in the Ladies Doubles event and made history by becoming the youngest person ever to win one of the Wimbledon championships in the Open Era, and the youngest since the 19th century.
In singles play, she won both the Wimbledon championships and the US Open in 1997 and the Australian Open in 1997, 1998 and 1999. In 1998 she won the all four of the Grand Slam tournaments in doubles.
Hingis, sometimes referred to as the "Swiss Miss", was as widely admired for her attractive playing style as her success. Lacking the outright power of even Monica Seles, let alone the current heavy-hitters like Serena Williams, Hingis made up for it with her fluent, precise groundstrokes, skill at the net (enabling her to become an outstanding doubles player), and outstanding shot selection.
Hingis was also popular with the tennis-watching public for her usually bright, bubbly demeanour in public. Combined with an attractive appearance she was almost a marketer's dream. She won several Grand Slam double titles with Natasha Zvereva from Belarus, but it was her doubles appearances with Anna Kournikova attracted large amount of attention, mainly for this reason. Hingis was rated among FHM's 100 sexiest women in 1999 and 2000.
She speaks four languages: Czech, German (in particular Swiss German), English, and some French.
According to a May 2003 article, Hingis is now spending her time studying English, making personal appearances for various sponsors, playing tennis recreationally, and indulging in her love of horseback riding. She had been widely reported as dating Sergio García, a high-profile professional golfer; however, García publicly acknowledged the end of the relationship in 2004.