Martina Hingis once voiced her displeasure with being compared to Tiger Woods. She said the comparison annoyed her and believed she was better than the American legendary golfer.
Hingis is regarded as one of tennis’s greatest talents, with the potential to have become the best had she focused more on her singles career. She was the first Swiss player, male or female, to win a Grand Slam, amassing five such titles. She also held the top spot in the WTA Rankings for an impressive 209 weeks.
As a young prodigy, Hingis was often compared to Woods, who also achieved early dominance in his sport. Hingis became the youngest Grand Slam champion in the Open Era at 15 and the youngest World No. 1 at 16, while Woods turned professional at 20 and became a revolutionary figure in golf.
Martina Hingis, albeit, didn’t appreciate being compared to Tiger Woods, as she mentioned in a 1997 interview (via Sports Illustrated):
“It’s all the time, ‘Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods.’ I am better than he is. I’ve been on top longer and I am younger. I’m just better.”
A look into Martina Hingis’ career
Martina Hingis pictured at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships (Source: Getty)
Martina Hingis burst onto the tennis scene as a teenager, becoming the youngest-ever Grand Slam champion in the Open Era when she won the Wimbledon women’s doubles title at just 15 in 1996.
The following year, at 16, she won the Australian Open singles title, becoming the youngest Grand Slam singles champion since 1887. In 1997, she also became the youngest player to reach No. 1 in the world rankings.
Throughout her career, Hingis won five Grand Slam singles titles (three Australian Opens, one Wimbledon, and one US Open) and 13 Grand Slam doubles titles. She was known for her exceptional court intelligence and precise shot-making, among other things.
The Swiss first retired from tennis in 2003 due to injuries. She made a comeback in 2006 but tested positive for cocaine during Wimbledon the following year, leading to her second retirement and a two-year ban. In 2013, she returned to the sport as a doubles specialist and continued to play until she officially retired in 2017.
