Swiss great Martina Hingis announces retirement

SINGAPORE: Swiss nice Martina Hingis has introduced she will retire from tennis at the end of this week's WTA Finals, the place the 37-year-old multi grand slam champion is playing in the doubles tournament along Taiwan's Chan Yung-jan.

"Looking back now, it's hard to believe that almost exactly 23 years ago I made my professional debut," Hingis stated on her Facebook web page on Thursday.

"The years that followed have been some of the most rewarding years of my life, both personally and professionally, but I believe the time has come for me to retire, which I will be doing after my last match here in Singapore."

The retirement might be Hingis's third in an extended and illustrious profession during which she claimed 25 grand slam titles since her WTA Tour debut in 1994, 5 in singles, seven in blended doubles and 13 in ladies's doubles.

Hingis first made up our minds to end her profession as a 22-year-old in 2003 because of power accidents after picking up all 5 of her singles crowns as a teenager, comprising 3 Australian Opens, in addition to lone Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles from 1997-99.

The Swiss returned to the excursion in 2006 and although she found extra success in doubles than singles, she retired for a 2nd time a 12 months later after being handed a two-year ban for testing sure for cocaine.

Hingis returned to the game for a third time in 2013 and has enjoyed another a hit spell of doubles tennis in the newest comeback, winning four ladies's and 6 blended doubles grand slam titles from 2015-17.

The Swiss additionally spent 209 weeks as global primary and has won the season-ending WTA Finals two times in singles, three times in doubles and claimed a 2016 Olympic silver medal in ladies's doubles with compatriot Timea Bacsinszky.

"I feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity to play this wonderful sport for so many years," she added.

"Tennis has always been my passion and I am extremely thankful for all the challenges, opportunities, partnerships and friendships it's given me."