Martina Hingis announces retirement from tennis for the final time
23 years after she made her professional debut, Martina Hingis, the current World No.1 doubles player, is set to retire from tennis, for a third and final time, after the ongoing WTA finals. The 37-year-old who previously announced retirement in 2003, and then again in 2007, said, "I think now it's definite. It's different because before I walked away thinking I might come back."
Hingis on her retirement
"After a season like this, I think it's also perfect timing. You want to stop on top and not when you're already going backwards...I couldn't ask for a better finish."
Martina Hingis, early success
After having made her professional debut at the age of 14 in 1994, Martina Hingis tasted success early in her career. In 1996, as a 15-year-old she became the youngest ever player to win a Grand Slam, at the Wimbledon doubles event, paired alongside Helena Sukova. She then went on to win her maiden Singles Grand Slam at the 1997 Australian Open.
Best years of career
In 1997, Hingis, aged 16, became WTA's youngest ever world No.1. That year she further went on to win the Wimbledon and US Open, while making it to the finals of French Open. She also won the 1997 double event at Australian Open. Between 1997 and her first retirement in 2003 forced by injuries, Hingis won 14 Grand Slams - 5 Singles, 9 Doubles.
Singles GS list
Some of her wins include: Australian Open - 1997, 1998, 1999; Wimbledon - 1997; US Open - 1997. French Open Singles title is the only trophy missing from her cabinet.
Tumultuous period, brief comeback
Hingis returned to playing tennis in 2005 and in 2006 won her first career Mixed Doubles Grand Slam, with India's Mahesh Bhupathi, at Australian Open. Her stint this time was a brief one. Hingis retired from the game for a second time after testing positive for a metabolite of cocaine at Wimbledon. This led to a two-year ban and she chose to retire.
Comeback as a doubles specialist
After being away from tennis for few years, Hingis made a comeback in 2013 now with a focus on doubles. She won 10 major doubles titles during 2015-2017, with her latest victory at the 2017 US Open. Hingis also won a career Olympic medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, paired with fellow Swiss national Timea Bacsinszky in the doubles category.
20 Doubles titles
Doubles: Aus Open - 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2016; French Open - 1998, 2000; Wimbledon - 1996,1998, 2015; US Open - 1998, 2015, 2017; Mixed Doubles : Aus Open - 2006, 2015; French Open - 2016; Wimbledon - 2015, 2017; US Open - 2015, 2017.
What next for Martina Hingis?
Hingis said, "This isn't a goodbye..As history shows, I haven't been able to stay away from tennis for long in the past, and I am looking forward to seeing what new opportunities and challenges lie ahead of me." In past Hingis tried her hand at coaching briefly mentoring Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Sabine Lisicki. This could be the new career chapter awaiting Hingis.
