Today’s tennis is too fast. There is no time even to hesitate,” observed Martina Hingis in a freewheeling chat with The Hindu .
The three-time Australian Open winner and finalist in as many outings, here as part of the Hyderabad Aces in the Champions Tennis League (CTL), was perfectly at peace with the present and yet took pride in the past.
“I’m honoured to be a part of the golden era of women’s tennis,” beamed the Swiss Miss. Explaining her radiant smile she said, “Tennis gave me everything, especially openings to a better life. It’s sad to hear players complain about the game or the travel involved.”
And what does she see as the highpoint of an illustrious career? Pat came her reply: “Beating the Williams sisters in back to back matches. Usually if you beat one, the other would kill you. At the Australian Open I beat Serena in the quarterfinals and Venus in the semis and not many people would have done that.
How did she get involved with CTL? “The format was appealing, with only one set of singles and another of doubles,” she noted, the latter requiring coverage of only half the court.
The biggest influence in her life remains her mother Melanie Molitor.
“I’ll be forever grateful to mum. She always believed in me, even when I had doubts about not having the physical abilities that other players did. There are opportunities even today for the smaller girls, such as Simona Halep,” she said.
“My mother gave me a work ethic, inculcated discipline and encouraged me to be professional in everything I did. Give your best in whatever you do, especially in things under your control,”
Hingis recalled her mother saying of an approach that saw the daughter scale the pinnacles of world women’s tennis.
If she were to dissect her game, what were her weapons? “My backhand and instincts on court,” she replied. And what accounted for her mental strength? “Playing smart on the important points proved vital,” she added.
Early exposure gave her an edge besides the support from Swiss tennis that enabled her travel to her first international under-15 tournament when just 10. “I reached the quarterfinals and 5000 spectators watched,” she reminisced.
How did she recharge in a hectic career?
“I enjoyed other sports such as skiing and horse-riding. In between events, I’d ride into the forest or head for the mountains. Nature gives you power and Switzerland has so much to offer —beautiful landscape and clean air for free,” she said of her adopted country.
Does she have any regrets? “I can’t change the past but if an opportunity came, I’d like to play Jennifer Capriati again,” she said of the 2002 Australian Open final in which Capriati came back from two match points down.
How does she view Indian tennis since her 2006 Sunfeast Open triumph in Kolkata ?
“It needs heroes such as the Amritraj brothers and Leander Paes. There may be more opportunities now but I imagine it’s not easy as the game is still generally a high end sport,” she felt.
