Wow, how bad is it? Even though she is not one of my favorite players or people (because of remark about Mauresmo at 1999 Australian Open). It would be sad to see her gone.....

Doctor: Hingis injuries may be career-threatening

May 15, 2002


ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) -- Martina Hingis may have to give up tennis because of joint injuries, her doctor said Wednesday.

Dr. Heinz Buehlmann told a Swiss radio network that Hingis, 21, is suffering severe pain in her feet, left knee and left hip, which had forced her to stop training.

The former top-ranked player was due to have tests Wednesday and Thursday, Buehlmann told Radio 24. She may have inflammation which has led to joint damage and may have to consider ending her career, he said.

Hingis' mother, Melanie Molitor, confirmed that her daughter was undergoing tests in Zurich.

She said the damage may have been caused by the shoes that Hingis wore for tennis from the age of 11 until three years ago.

Hingis missed the German Open last week and the Italian Open this week, and Molitor said that it was unlikely her daughter would compete in the French Open, which starts later this month.

[ May 15, 2002: Message edited by: bostonlob ]

Damn. That's sad. Hopefully, it won't turn out to be such an extreme situation. Love her or hate her, Martina's game and style of play provides for a fantastic contrast with all the power players and makes women's tennis alot more interesting. As much as people want to write her off because of her style and stature, I think she's far from finished, at least assuming the aforementioned injuries don't turn out to be the end. What an awful way that would be for her to have to leave the game.

Out of curiousity, when did her Addidas shoe deal start?? She's been wearing them for longer than three years, hasn't she? The doctor clearly blames the situation on the shoes.

As a side note...
According to Monday's edition of the New York Post, Martina Hingis is now dating PGA golfer Sergio Garcia!!

I definitely do not want to see Martina's career end so prematurely. Her style of play forces the Big Babes to stay on top of their games, to the benefit of the sport as a whole. I also agree that if healthy, Hingis is capable of winning another Slam. Perhaps the French or the US Open. She should have won the Aussie. (Although I'm ecstatic Jennifer pulled it out). I hope Martina fully recovers.

Y'all, she has been dating Sergio Garcia for at least a couple of months. That is not news. Let's see if he falls victim to the Hingis curse (a la Ivo Heuberger, Magnus Norman, et. al.)...

While I'm definitely not a fan of Hingis's personality, I do enjoy watching her play. I love the contrast of her style vs. the Big Babes, and I get a big chuckle out of the occasional soap opera she roils up with her speak-first-think-never interview style.

It would be a horrible loss for women's tennis if Hingis had to retire. Let's hope that Hingis is just facing an extended stint on the DL. Maybe she can figure out a new serve during her time away from the tour.

As you all know, I am a huge Hingis fan! It would suck if she had to retire! It would almost be like Marilyn having to retire after winning the Grand Slam in the 50's! If any women can win all 4, certainly Hingis is the favorite! French is the one she let slip away, and is probrably her best surface! As for her remarks...She mormally is correct!

curt j

for a long time martina hingis wore sergio tachini shoes. don't know if this company was the nike of italy but i had never even heard of the brand until she tried to sue the company.

Thanks Hank! I took your tip and did a little research. I missed all the Tacchini hoo-ha, which apparently took place over a year ago. If anyone else missed it or wants to revisit it, here's the ESPN story about it. In the margin is a link to the story about how the shoemaker shrugged off the law suit.

What I haven't run across is any reports on how the suit turned out. Hank or anyone, do you know what happened?

I'm hoping this is just to make their potential lawsuit look more threatening. While she has said some foolish things at times, Hingis' tennis is a joy to behold. This would leave Henin as the lone top-drawer example of "small-babe tennis". And Henin's style is quite different.

Hi, Curtj - The lawsuit has not progressed very far since it was originally filed. A ruling is expected shortly on whether the suit should be heard in New York, where Hingis filed, or in Italy, where Sergio Tacchini wants it heard.

My feeling is that Hingis and her lawyers are doing some P.R. for their case against the shoe company. How can Hingis possibly prove her case when her injuries are clearly repetitive stress related and consistent with other tennis injuries. I hope she's not sitting out in order to gain ground in this case. Personally, I hope she heals fast and gets back out there. She's having a mid-career crisis and I'd like to see how she plans on getting out of it...oh god, she's only 21!

And for those who still hold the Mauresmo comment against her? What's up with that? Get over it. She was 17 yrs old, #1 in the world, and cocky as all hell - and her comments weren't really all that horrible, a thick skin is necessary in professional sports...I think people can let it go by now, I'm sure Amelie has...

I really hope Hingis's career doesn't end. It would be sad. She's probably the most naturally gifted player since Lenglen. It would be a huge loss to the sport, but hey Graf's body was always falling apart and if she perservered I hope Hingis can too.

Bryan you are right! Hingis is so graceful! I think Bueno, and Goolagong were as well! I never have even seen a clip on Legleland! I just hope Hingis is ok! She adds a lot of spice to the sport! What she said about Amille was actually true! Same about her comment about Novatna. So she speaks her mind? Isn't that better than the "robot" mentality that the WTA wants?