Martina Hingis

Martina Hingis (b. September 30 1980, in Ko?ice, Czechoslovakia) is a former World No. 1 woman tennis player from Switzerland. During her career, she won five Grand Slam singles titles (three Australian Open, one Wimbledon, and one US Open). She also won nine Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and captured all four of the Grand Slam women's doubles crowns in 1998. She set a series of "youngest-ever" records; however, in the end injuries ended her playing career at the relatively young age of 22.

Childhood & early career

Both of Hingis' parents — Slovak Karol Hingis and Moravian Melánie Molitorová — were tennis players (her mother was once ranked the No. 10 woman player in Czechoslovakia). They named their daughter 'Martina' (originally Martina Hingisová Molitorová) after Martina Navrátilová. Hingis' parents divorced when she was a young child, after which she moved with her mother to Moravia for a short period. From there they went to Switzerland, which became Hingis' home.

Related Topics:
Slovak - Moravia - Martina Navrátilová - Switzerland

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Hingis began hitting tennis balls at home when she was just two years old, and entered her first tournament at the age of four. In 1993, Hingis became the youngest-ever player to win a Grand Slam junior title when she won the girls' singles at the French Open at the age of 12. In 1994, she retained her French Open junior title, won the girls' singles title at Wimbledon, and was ranked the World No. 1 junior player.

Related Topics:
1993 - French Open - 1994

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She made her debut on the professional tour in October 1994, two weeks after her 14th birthday. In 1995, she became the youngest player to win a match at a Grand Slam tournament when she advanced to the second round at the Australian Open.

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Hingis, who gained the nickname of the "Swiss Miss" on the tour, quickly won over crowds with her attractive playing style. She lacked the outright power of many of her strongest opponents, but compensated for this with fluent, precise groundstrokes, skill at the net, and outstanding shot selection. Her bright, bubbly demeanour in public helped make her a favourite with tennis fans. Hingis was twice rated among FHM magazine's 100 sexiest women, and her doubles partnership with tennis' all-time glamour girl Anna Kournikova in the late-1990s and early-2000s attracted a great deal of attention.

Related Topics:
FHM - Anna Kournikova

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