Hingis at the 1995 US Open
Martina Hingis, originally Martina Hingisová Molitorová (September 30, 1980–), is an accomplished professional tennis player from Switzerland.
Hingis was born in Košice, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia). Both of her parents—Slovak Karol Hingis and Moravian Melánie Molitorová—played tennis. When her parents got divorced, she moved with her mother to Moravia for a short time. From there they went to Switzerland, which has become Hingis's new home.
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.
Like many professional tennis players, Hingis started playing at a very young age. By age five she began 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. On March 31, 1997, she reached the number one position in singles in the Women's Tennis Association. 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 for her success. Lacking the outright power of 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 doubles titles with Jana Novotna from Czechoslovakia, but it was her doubles appearances with Anna Kournikova that attracted large amounts of attention. Hingis was rated among FHM's 100 sexiest women in 1999 and 2000.
Hingis speaks five languages: Slovak, Czech, German (in particular Swiss German), English, and some French.
Hingis briefly retired from competitive tennis in October 2002, due to chronic foot injuries which prevented her from playing at a high level. During this time she spent time studying English, making personal appearances for various sponsors, playing tennis recreationally, and indulging her love of horseback riding.
In February 2005 Hingis made an unsuccessful return to competition in a lower tier WTA event played in Pattaya, Thailand. She lost 6-1, 2-6, 2-6 to Marlene Weingartner of Germany in the first round.
Grand Slam titles
Performance Timeline
| Tournament | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995
|
| Australian Open
| F
| F
| F
| W
| W
| W
| QF
| 2r
|
| Roland Garros
| -
| SF
| SF
| F
| SF
| F
| 3r
| 3r
|
| Wimbledon
| -
| 1r
| QF
| 1r
| SF
| W
| 4r
| 1r
|
| US Open
| 4r
| SF
| SF
| F
| F
| W
| SF
| 4r
|
| WTA Tour Championships
| -
| -
| W
| F
| W
| QF
| F
| -
|
| Tournaments Won
| 2
| 3
| 9
| 7
| 5
| 12
| 2
| 0
|
| Win-Loss
| 34-10
| 60-15
| 77-10
| 71-13
| 67-13
| 75-5
| 51-16
| 22-13
|
| Year End Ranking
| 10
| 4
| 1
| 1
| 2
| 1
| 4
| 16
|
External link
