Tennis legend Martina Hingis: It was easier for Roger Federer to win after me
MARTINA HINGIS says it was “a little bit easier” for Roger Federer to win Grand Slams after her pioneering feat in the 1990s.
Hingis recently retired from tennis after two decades at the top of the sport.
Federer had praised his compatriot at the time of her retirement announcement, claiming she was his inspiration to get into the game.
Before Hingis there had never been a Grand Slam champion from Switzerland.
And the 37-year-old revealed her pride in an interview with Blick that Federer and Stan Wawrinka followed her to the top of the sport.
“I was very happy about it, it's a beautiful compliment,” she said when asked about Federer.
“I was already a pioneer, winning Grand Slams as a Swiss player.
“It was (therefore) a little bit easier for the following generation.”
Hingis won her first Grand Slam singles title during a breakthrough year in 1997, where she claimed the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open crowns.
She twice reached the French Open final (1997 and 1999) but lost to Iva Majoli and Steffi Graf respectively.
Federer emerged as a top talent on the circuit in the early 2000s, while Wawrinka has also become a top-five player over the past few years.
Federer INTERRUPTED by Sock during post-match interview
I was already a pioneer, winning Grand Slams as a Swiss player
Reflecting on her life on the tour, Hingis added to Blick: “I still had a special and beautiful childhood.
“I grew up with tennis, but I also played other sports.
“[Life on the Tour] is a school of life. But you also learn languages.
“I speak four languages and recently I also learned a little of Indian [languages] and Chinese.”
