Martina Hingis

Martina Hingis, born on September 30, 1980, is a celebrated Swiss former professional tennis player and coach. Renowned for her exceptional skills on the court, she achieved the remarkable feat of being ranked world No. 1 in women's singles for two hundred and nine weeks, a record that places her fifth in the all-time rankings. Additionally, she held the top spot in women's doubles for ninety weeks, showcasing her versatility by simultaneously holding both No. 1 rankings for twenty-nine weeks.

Throughout her illustrious career, Hingis amassed an impressive collection of accolades, including forty-three WTA Tour-level singles titles and sixty-four doubles titles. Her major tournament victories total twenty-five, comprising five singles titles, thirteen in women's doubles—highlighted by a Grand Slam win in nineteen ninety-eight—and seven in mixed doubles. She also triumphed in the season-ending Tour Finals twice in singles and three times in doubles, and earned an Olympic silver medal in doubles.

Hingis made history in the 1990s by setting numerous records as the youngest-ever Grand Slam champion and the youngest world No. 1. However, her career faced challenges due to ligament injuries in both ankles, which led to her temporary withdrawal from professional tennis in early two thousand three at the age of twenty-two. During her peak, she was recognized by Forbes as the highest-paid female athlete in the world for five consecutive years, from nineteen ninety-seven to two thousand one.

After a series of surgeries and lengthy recoveries, Hingis made a successful return to the WTA Tour in two thousand six, reaching world No. 6 in singles and winning two Tier I tournaments. She was honored with the Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year. Following her retirement in November two thousand seven due to a hip injury, Hingis faced a two-year suspension from the International Tennis Federation in January two thousand eight after testing positive for a metabolite of cocaine.

In July two thousand thirteen, Hingis returned to the sport, focusing on doubles, where she achieved significant success, winning four major women's doubles tournaments and six major mixed doubles tournaments, completing the career Grand Slam in mixed doubles. She concluded her career for the third and final time after the two thousand seventeen WTA Finals, ranked as the doubles world No. 1. Recognized as one of the greatest female players in tennis history, Hingis was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in two thousand thirteen and appointed as the organization's first Global Ambassador in two thousand fifteen.