Will Martina Hingis Return?

THEmasterWAYNE · Post #1 » by **THEmasterWAYNE** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 12:41 am

I've heard her say that she won't, but I'm thinking she will when her suspension is up in September 09. I read a recent quote from Hingis saying something like "I know how it got in my system and it wasn't my fault, but I don't have evidence to clear my name." I also read that because of the drug suspension Hingis won't be given a spot in the Tennis Hall of Fame, even though she has all the "youngest ever" records and the 5 grand slam titles. So if this is the case, I think Hingis would want to return (now age 28, not too old) to change the public's memory of her rather than always being remembered for drug use. If there is no way to clear her name then by playing tennis again she would help her legacy.

Post #2 » by **Slava** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:21 pm

I'm a big fan and I felt very sad for her when the whole drugs episode broke out but I think she's way more emotionally broken down than anything else to be able to make a comeback. Robbing her of the HOF spot is a bit harsh though, considering very few female athletes of this era have been as good as her.

Post #3 » by **BlackMamba** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 4:59 pm

well at 28 she could still compete.

the thing is if she has been active or not, because being more than a year without doing much won't give her a slim chance of trying to get back in a good way.

THEmasterWAYNE · Post #4 » by **THEmasterWAYNE** » Thu Jan 8, 2009 11:22 am

Hingis can only play about one year at a time, she has to have a break after each year. She got to number 6 in the world in 2006 and the suspension in 2007 kind of worked out well (health-wise) because she her foot problems had returned. If she returns in 2010 then she'd be fresh once again and ready to climb back to top 10.

Post #5 » by **Slava** » Thu Jan 8, 2009 10:50 pm

I think women's tennis as a whole has improved since 2006, especially the talent pool with Jankovic, Ivanovic & Safina entering the mix with the Williams sisters & Maria and right now, a lot is being emphasized on the athletic part of women's game which wasn't the case when Hingis was ruling the scores so I do not think she'd have the same kind of comeback like she previously did.

Also like I mentioned earlier, she's gone into an emotional shell since she got tested positive for Coke and I really do not think she's in a position to make a comeback from that. As a fan I atleast hope that her married life is going on well and she doesn't get into any depression.

THEmasterWAYNE · Post #6 » by **THEmasterWAYNE** » Fri Jan 9, 2009 1:28 am

Well, Hingis isn't married.

As for 2006, that was when Justine Henin was dominating, Amelie Mauresmo and Kim Clijsters was too. In fact, Hingis made 3 grand slam quarter-finals during the comeback and all 3 of them were lost to Henin and Clijsters. Go figure. In rising to number 6 in the world Hingis beat most of the top 10, including Sharapova. She also beat Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic. Venus and Serena are in better form now, but even when they were at their best in 2000/2001 Hingis was beating them and was the only player in history to beat both Serena and Venus in a grand slam (2001 Australian Open).

Ivanovic, Jankovic and Safina don't hold a candle to Henin, Clijsters, Mauresmo and Sharapova of 2006. Ivanovic is my favorite player on tour, but she's looked horrible since the French Open last year. All the elite are struggling for consistency these days as nobody has taken the torch from Henin. The top players of today can lose to anyone, whereas Henin and Clijsters were a lock to beat anyone but each other or Venus at Wimbledon.

For the last 2 years Hingis has been playing World Team Tennis, and from all reports she has played these exhibitions very well and won MVP of the tournament (round-robin). I did see some footage of her in a match last year and she didn't look any different, moved just as fast. The more time she takes off the more athletic she becomes because her chronic injuries have time to heal. She was on her last legs in 2002 and had to retire. Then came back in 2006 much more athletic.

Post #7 » by **Slava** » Fri Jan 9, 2009 1:34 am

Yeah my bad. I knew that she was engaged to Radek Speanek but didn't realize the marriage was called off.

THEmasterWAYNE · Post #8 » by **THEmasterWAYNE** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:37 am

I'm pretty sure Hingis and Stepanek broke-up the same month she tested positive, just after WImbledon 2007. Apparently she had a blood test just before Wimbledon and that tested negative for cocaine, then a urine test just after Wimbledon that tested positive, and then a blood test that tested negative. Only the urine test was positive and Hingis' lawyers wanted to cross-examine the people (apparently a husband and wife) that analysed the urine sample and weren't allowed to cross-examine them for some reason. Hair samples were taken and tested and did not indicate cocaine use. So just that one urine test was incriminating.

Gamer_4_life · Post #9 » by **Gamer_4_life** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 9:44 am

Hingis did not play any tournaments after the China Open, as she was beset by injuries for the rest of the year.
However, on 1 November 2007, Hingis said at a press conference in Glattbrugg near Zürich that she was retiring permanently from competitive tennis.
She confirmed that she had tested positive for cocaine during Wimbledon in 2007.

raptor21_85 · Post #10 » by **raptor21_85** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 3:38 pm

Hingis should not return. She's not done yet, just that she won't be able to compete for a significant tournament.

Post #11 » by **TNBT** » Sun Feb 7, 2010 9:45 am

This will probably sound stupid, but I don't remember Hingis for either her tennis exploits OR her drug situation. I remember her as being one of my biggest childhood celebrity crushes.

sp6r=underrated · Post #12 » by **sp6r=underrated** » Sun May 16, 2010 6:30 pm

This will probably sound stupid, but I don't remember Hingis for either her tennis exploits OR her drug situation. I remember her as being one of my biggest childhood celebrity crushes.

I thought she was very hot in the 90s.

THEmasterWAYNE wrote:I've heard her say that she won't, but I'm thinking she will when her suspension is up in September 09. I read a recent quote from Hingis saying something like "I know how it got in my system and it wasn't my fault, but I don't have evidence to clear my name." I also read that because of the drug suspension Hingis won't be given a spot in the Tennis Hall of Fame, even though she has all the "youngest ever" records and the 5 grand slam titles. So if this is the case, I think Hingis would want to return (now age 28, not too old) to change the public's memory of her rather than always being remembered for drug use. If there is no way to clear her name then by playing tennis again she would help her legacy.

I'm not a big tennis fan so I don't know what the standard for the hall are. I'm assuming her career meets the standard for the Hall. The Tennis HOF is a joke if they won't let her in for using coke.