You gotta love Marina Hingis. She’s cute, controversial, outrageous, sarcastic, misunderstood and one of the greatest Tennis players of her time. On November 1^st. 2007 at a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland she announced her official retirement from professional tennis. A sad day for tennis fans around the world.
Martina was tested positive for cocaine derivatives in her urine after undergoing tests during the Wimbledon tournament. She maintains her innocence saying, “I have tested positive but I have never taken drugs. I am 100% innocent and would be terrified to take drugs. When I was informed about the test I was shocked and appalled. Contesting the findings could take years, and with my age and my health problems, I have decided to retire.” The test results were released to her at Wimbledon with both the A and B urine samples failing the test. Martina later underwent a series of private drug test on her hair and other fluids which came back negative, and in her opinion is evidence that she has never taken cocaine. As an outcome of the positive test she has been banned from tennis for a period of two years.

At the sweet age of sixteen she became the youngest top ranked player ever, she also became the youngest winner of a Grand Slam event and the youngest winner of Wimbledon. She won the Australian Singles title 3 times in 1997,’98, and ’99, she won both Wimbledon and the US Open in 1997. In doubles she won the Grand Slam in 1998, on a run that included 4 titles in Australia, 2 at Wimbledon and one each in New York and Paris. She held the rank of Number 1 player for 209 weeks!

At the age of just 22 she retired to have surgery performed on her right ankle. She attempted a comeback in 2005, and worked her way back up to number 7 in 2006. She played her last game in 2007 at the China Open.

Never a popular player with her competitors, Martina’s off beat sense of sarcastic humour was often misunderstood and reported out of context by the press. She was accused of making racist remarks about the Williams Sisters, derogatory remarks about her former doubles partner Novotna, and off colour statements about the English press. She caused a buzz wherever she went both on and off the court, and when she teamed up with Anna Kournikova in doubles, the press had a field day. For Anna it was her opportunity to finally win a tournament. She’s been stalked by some crazy guy, she’s dated golfer Sergio Garcia, but she will always be remembered as one of the smartest young women to play the game of tennis. She wil be sorely missed at the 2009 Australian Open.

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