“Today everything is politically correct, people try not to say wrong things”: When Martina Hingis admitted her undiplomatic approach cost her friends

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Urvi Mehra

Modified Aug 25, 2024 20:55 GMT

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Martina Hingis once opened up about her undiplomatic and straightforward approach to dealing with the media. The Swiss acknowledged that her blunt responses didn’t always win her friends on tour.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest prodigies in tennis history, Hingis achieved immense success as a teenager, winning five Grand Slam singles titles by the time she was 18.

The Swiss also earned a reputation for her blunt and often controversial responses during press conferences, not shying away from sharing her unfiltered thoughts about rivals like Steffi Graf, Anna Kournikova, Venus Williams and Serena Williams.

In a 2014 interview with Tennis Now, Martina Hingis reflected on the advice she would give her 14-year-old self, who was just breaking out on tour. The Swiss emphasized the challenge of handling the intense media scrutiny at such a young age.

Hingis admitted that her undiplomatic approach came at the expense of forming friendships. However, the five-time Grand Slam singles champion asserted that her directness added a unique spark to her personality, in contrast to the more “politically correct” style of current players.

“On the media side, no one can prepare you when you’re thrown into that at 14. Some of my answers were not diplomatically correct. As a teenager, you get a few hits on your hand and then you learn, but you don’t always make friends,” Martina Hingis said.

“On the other hand, because I was pretty direct and said what I thought, that gave a little spark to who I was. Today, everything is politically correct and people try not to say the wrong things,” she added.

“That’s my only regret” – Martina Hingis on advising her younger self to be ‘more selfish’

Martina Hingis (Source: Getty)Martina Hingis (Source: Getty)

During the same interview, Martina Hingis revealed that she would advise her younger self to be “more selfish” and prioritize her personal life. The Swiss shed light on the difficulties of having a relationship while dealing with the demanding schedule on tour.

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Hingis expressed her belief that it was “much easier” for male players to maintain relationships, as they could simply travel with their girlfriends. She also emphasized that her only regret was the excessive compromises she made in her private life.

“Maybe be more selfish. Sometimes when you travel a lot, week in and week out, you always want that private life to be part of it, and it’s very difficult to have a relationship. On the men’s side, it’s much easier. They just travel with their girlfriends. I would compromise in moments where I shouldn’t have. That’s my only regret,” Martina Hingis said.

Hingis has been focusing on her family life since retiring from professional tennis in 2017. She welcomed her first child, a daughter named Lia, in February 2019, shortly after tying the knot with sports physician Harald Leemann in July 2018. The couple parted ways in 2022, after four years of marriage.

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