A conversation with Martina Hingis

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Check out this article from Times of India...

‘I want another Slam’

Kolkata: It is never easy to return to top-flight tennis after three years of injury-induced lay-off. Martina Hingis has not only done that, but has regained her place among the top 10. All this in a span of a year. However, the comeback road hasn’t been easy and Hingis herself faced lot uncertainties during the three years of wilderness. On Tuesday, in an exclusive interview, she spoke about these uncertainties and other issues.
It is never easy to comeback to tennis after a three-year long layoff. However, you have done that and achieved success too. How difficult was this comeback road.
It was never easy. In fact, it was a challenge for me to regain the physical condition for professional tennis. I knew it was always going to be difficult, but then I had to come back. After all, tennis was my life. During the lay-off, I kept in touch with the game, watching matches and doing commentary. So, mentally I was quite prepared. All I needed was to get back my body back in shape. Once I did that, I knew that I was ready to return.
During those three years, did you ever feel that your career might have ended?
Yes, I did. There were the uncertainties. There were times when I really doubted whether I would ever be able to comeback to professional tennis. I had to time my return perfectly also; not too early, not too late. Then I did not know how my body would react to tennis at that level. I really did not know whether I would be able to last in the circuit. Of course, there were uncertainties in my mind and I had to overcome those.
Just before your three-year lay-off, you had taken a break for 3 months in 2002 due to an ankle injury. Do you feel you hastened your return?
Well, it’s always difficult to say when the time is perfect for return. After my second ankle surgery (in 2002) I did think I was fit to return. I did not want to miss much tennis at that stage of my career and did feel I had overcome the injury. But then, there was the pain and things were not quite right. It was then that I decided to take a break and allow my ankle to heal.
You have most of your achievements as a teen. You were playing in almost every tournament. Were you pushing yourself too much?
You push yourself as much as your body allows you to. My body was able to take all that load and I wasn’t really having any problems. At that age you do have a lot of energy and you want to achieve all you can. I was doing perfectly fine. There was no reason to cut down on the number of tournaments that I was playing.
Now, after coming back from the injury, are you planning to take it easy?
Of course, I have to balance my schedule now, so as not to push myself too much. I have learnt to relax and mentally, I prepare myself for tournaments. Then of course, there are those fitness regimens that I have to work on.
At Wimbledon in 1999, you lost to a promising young player named Jelena Dokic. What sets you apart from players like her?
I guess you’ll have to ask her that. As for myself, I just play my game and hope for the best. As I said, there are these fitness regimens that I have to follow everyday.
The Williams sisters have added a lot of power in the game now. But they are plagued by injuries. Do you think they have done the right thing?
They feel their style of the game is correct for them. I have my own line of thinking, which is different. I play the game my way and they play it their way. I guess that’s how it will be.
Your best performances have come at the Australian Open. Did you time your return for the Open?
It was the start of the season and I did feel my physical condition was perfect for a return. It was just a coincidence that everyone was preparing for the Australian Open. But yes, Australian Open has been good for me till now. It helped that I was making my comeback before the tournament.
And then at the Gold Coast meet (January 2006) you suffered a muscle strain. Did you fear that the injury trouble was coming back ?
No. It was a different sort of an injury and I wasn’t really worried. I knew that it would not affect me much. The ankle was perfect and I knew I need not worry. Just rest would have been good enough I did just that. That was a very minor thing, something that happens quite often.
French Open is the only Grand Slam you are yet to win. Do we see you winning it next year?
(Giggles) Why only French, I would want to win a Grand Slam again as soon as I can. It would be excellent if I could win the French next year itself.

HINGIS WATCH

Residence: Trubbach, Switzerland, and Wesley Chapel, Florida, USA
Date of Birth: September 30, 1980 Birthplace: Kosice, Slovakia Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) Weight: 59 kg Current ranking: 9


MOTHER AS COACH

Very few players have their mother as coach. How is it different when you compare yourself to others?

Well, you see more and more women coaches on the circuit nowadays. However, having your mother (Melanie Molitor) out there definitely helps. You can talk and talk to her. Share a lot of things, discus certain things. It is always nice to have a member of your family around. I have been lucky that way.