By Scoop Malinowski
STATUS: Former WTA no. 1 player. First became no. 1 at age 16. Won 25 total Grand Slam titles.
DOB: September 30, 1980 In: Kotice, Slovakia
HOBBIES/INTERESTS: I’m into the Internet and checking out the scores on the news. Also, in-line skating, horseback riding, theater, skiing, hiking and biking. Also, I love dancing. I dance whenever I get the chance. Even at home sometimes. I just turn on the stereo and dance by myself. Dancing is a great thing. I feel so free…like nothing is impossible at that time.
EARLY TENNIS MEMORY: I was two years old – my mom tells me – when I first started to play tennis with an old, wooden racquet. We practiced ten to twenty minutes a day in the home and mom would toss me the ball. I played in my first tournament when I was four (for 9 & under). And lost 12-0, but I had my chances every game [smiles]. I couldn’t see over the net. You can see a little bit through the net. I only saw the ball when it was coming at me [smiles].
FAVORITE MOVIES: Pretty Woman, Titanic, Forrest Gump, Sabrina.
MUSICAL TASTES: Celine Dion, Bon Jovi, Lauryn Hill, Limp Bizkit, Metallica, Creed, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Santana.
FAVORITE MEAL: Sushi or chicken fajitas.
FAVORITE BREAKFAST CEREAL: I don’t really eat cereal, but probably Corn Flakes with lots of fruit.
FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR: Bailey’s & cream, Haagen Dazs or any vanilla ice cream with hot fudge.
GREATEST SPORTS MOMENT: Winning Wimbledon was definitely the highlight of my career (in ’97 over Jana Novotna in three sets). Because Wimbledon represents the tradition of tennis and you feel as if you joined tennis history and kept the tradition going.
MOST PAINFUL MOMENT: Losing in the final of Roland Garros (to Steffi Graf in ’99). The French has always been my favorite tournament. It was tough to get so close to winning. To go through that experience with the crowd booing you – that was the hardest. Not that I lost, just the crowd. [Hingis led Graf 6-4, 5-4, 15-0 and then argued an out call. This turned the already pro-Graf crowd wildly against the Swiss teenager and she ended up losing 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.]
FAVORITE ATHLETES TO WATCH: Hockey is my favorite – Jaromir Jagr. I love basically all sports. Evander Holyfield. Pete Sampras. Greg Norman. Track & field athletes.
FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: Paris. There’s no place on earth like Paris.
CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Won five Grand Slam singles titles, 13 Grand Slam doubles titles (all four in 1998) and seven mixed doubles Grand Slam titles (25 total). Turned pro in 1994, retired in 2017 while ranked no. 1 in doubles.
Hall of Fame · Martina Hingis · WTA · Yonex
Scoop Malinowski · June 13, 2024 at 12:53 pm
Who knew Christian Laettner was a Hingis fan? https://mrbiofile.com/2024/06/13/biofile-christian-laettner-interview/