Martina Hingis

Martina Hingis is a Swiss former professional tennis player renowned for her tactical instincts and unmatched finesse. She set a high bar in the sport with 25 Grand Slam titles and held the No. 1 ranking for a total of 209 weeks in singles and 90 weeks in doubles.

Introduced to tennis by her mother, Melanie Molitor, Hingis showcased prodigious talent from a young age, winning her first tournament at just four. She turned professional at 14 in 1994, rapidly making headlines with her mature gameplay. Hingis' career soared in 1997 when, at 16, she won three of the four Grand Slam singles titles -- the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open -- and reached the French Open final. This achievement made her the youngest player to attain the world No. 1 ranking in singles. Over the course of her career, Hingis secured five Grand Slam singles titles and excelled in doubles, winning 13 Grand Slam women's doubles titles and seven mixed doubles titles, achieving the world No. 1 ranking in doubles as well.

Despite her early success, Hingis faced significant challenges, including injuries and a temporary retirement in 2003. She made a successful return in 2006, reclaiming a spot in the top 10 and winning several tournaments. However, a doping controversy in 2007, which she denied, led to her second retirement. Hingis returned to tennis in 2013, focusing on doubles, where she enjoyed great success, notably winning three consecutive Grand Slam doubles titles with Sania Mirza in 2015.

Hingis announced her final retirement from tennis in October 2017, concluding a career marked by incredible success across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013, and later served as the organization's first-ever Global Ambassador. TIME magazine also counted her as one of "30 Legends of Women’s Tennis."