The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Hingis quits after positive cocaine test

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 02, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Hingis quits after positive cocaine test

ZURICH: Martina Hingis said on Thursday that she has been accused of testing positive for cocaine at Wimbledon, and announced her retirement from professional tennis. Hingis, a five-time Grand Slam champion and former Wimbledon winner, denied using cocaine.

“I find this accusation so horrendous, so monstrous that I’ve decided to confront it head on by talking to the press,” she said. “My weapon on the tennis court is and always was one single thing, the game, the ingenuity on court and, for this style of tennis, there’s only one performance enhancer, the love of the game.”

“I have tested positive but I have never taken drugs and I feel 100 percent innocent,” Hingis said. “The reason I have come out with this is because I do not want to have a fight with anti-doping authorities.”

She added: “Because of my age and my health problems I have also decided to retire from professional tennis.”

The 27-year-old Swiss player lost in the third round at Wimbledon to Laura Granville, 6-4, 6-2. Hingis hasn’t played since her second-round loss to Peng Shuai of China in Beijing on September 19.

The official position

WTA Tour chief executive Larry Scott said the tour had not received any official information about a positive testand “as a result we are not in a position to comment on the matter. “However, it is important to remember that in the area of anti-doping, all players are presumed innocent until proven otherwise,” Scott said.

Referring to her retirement, he said, “Martina Hingis is a tremendous champion and a fan favourite the world over. In her most recent comeback, she proved again that she can perform at the very highest levels.” — Agencies

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail