When she was the number one player in the world for much of 1997-2001, there was no player I rooted harder against than Martina Hingis. That goofy grin, the lack of respect toward opponents like Steffi Graf, and her overall cockiness. But after Graf beat her in the epic French Open final of 1999, the Hingis mystique was forever shattered and less than three years later, she was out of the game.
But when Hingis returned last year after a three-year hiatus, she was more thoughtful and humble and I have been rooting for her ever since. We all love a comeback. Her winning the Italian Open a year ago seemed to signal and inevitable return to the top three (she is currently sixth in the world) but she has mostly faltered since then on big occasions and now her body is betraying her again.
On Thursday in the third round of the German Open, Hingis played with an injured hip and lost 6-4, 6-0 to fellow Swiss Patty Schnyder. It was her first event back after a six-week layoff for various ailments and casts doubt on whether Hingis will be able to defend her title next week at Rome or play in the French Open, the one grand slam tournament she has never won.
"Definitely that's on my mind not to play Rome," Hingis is quoted as saying in an AP story. "I have two weeks to get ready for the French Open. It was a learning experience here -- I shouldn't play unless I am 100 percent...I'd like to make a decision soon what to do about my future."
Hingis had admitted earlier this week that she wasn't physically ready to rejoin the tour, but didn't want to wait any longer.