Former world no. 1 Martina Hingis has promised to put on a show for tennis fans at tomorrow’s Hobart International.
Hingis, a three-time Australian Open champion, will play current world no. 1 junior Belinda Bencic in a special exhibition match at the Domain Tennis Centre. The match will start after 5.30pm.
The ever-popular Hingis arrived in Hobart today and spent time at the tournament signing autographs for fans.
“I’m happy to be here for the first time. I’ve been coming to Australia for almost 20 years and have never seen Hobart,” she said.
Hingis, who won three Australian Open titles, became the youngest player ever to be ranked world number one in 1997, at the age of 16.
Her opponent tomorrow is a 16 year-old Switzerland player who is coached by Hingis’ mother. Bencic won the 2013 French Open and Wimbledon girls singles titles and was crowned the ITF World Junior Champion last month.
“I have known Belinda since she was a four year old,” Hingis said.
“My mum has been coaching her for 10 years now and you see the results, she is following in my footsteps. It is nice to see someone like her coming up and it is great for the game. She still has a long way to go, but she is going in the right direction.”
The two Swiss players have drawn many comparisons, especially after Bencic won the 2013 French Open junior girls singles title. She was the first Swiss player to do so since Hingis won the same title in 1994.
Hingis has kept a close eye on Bencic’s progress and was there supporting her during her French Open win.
Despite some of the obvious similarities between the two players, Hingis said it was unfair to make comparisons.
“You can’t really compare in today’s times,” Hingis said. “It is very difficult these days, the last person to win a grand slam at a young age was Sharapova, and that was almost 10 years ago. Times have changed, the rules are different and the game has moved on. It is more physical and the materials are different, so it makes it more difficult for young players to succeed at a young age. In one way that is good for me because it means my records won’t be broken.”
Hingis, now 33, said she felt privileged to still be able to visit tournaments and play for fans across the world.
“It is still something that I love to do,” she said.
“Tennis has given me a great life education. That was the biggest thing I was able to receive through tennis, you get to see so much, travel all around the world and meet so many unbelievable people. This has been the greatest gift.”
Hingis and Bencic’s close relationship and history means neither are strangers to each other’s game. They often practice together and did so just two weeks ago in Zurich, Switzerland.
“So far I have always had the upper hand, but we have never really played a real match,” Hingis said.
Tomorrow’s exhibition will be a friendly match with entertainment and crowd interaction, but Hingis is determined not to let her younger compatriot show her up.
“I won’t let her win. Nobody likes losing,” Hingis said.
“We’re going to have a lot of fun. It’s going to be youth and the old together for the first time. I just hope it won’t be as windy as it is today.”
> Tickets are still on sale for tomorrow’s exhibition match and can be purchased by visiting ticketek.com.au.