Switzerland's Martina Hingis has announced her decision to play competitive tennis again by teaming up with Daniela Hantuchuva at the Southern California Open later this month.
Hingis, who was recently inducted to the Tennis Hall of Fame, decided to come out of retirement once again after leaving the sport in 2007.
The five-time Grand Slam champion had been playing with fellow tennis legends during her retirement, but Hingis' decision to compete once more in the WTA Tour seems very reasonable since she's just turning 33 years old this September.
"I am very much looking forward to making a return to competitive play at the Southern California Open," Hingis told WTA Tour via Daily Mail.co.uk. "I remember winning the singles and doubles here in 1997 and winning the singles again in 1999. This has always been one of my favorite events to play."
Earlier in her career, the Swiss Miss was one of the most dominant players in women's tennis, especially in the late 90s. She won three Australian Open titles, one Wimbledon, and one US Open championship and collected over $20 million in prize money.
In 1997, Hingis narrowly missed a rare calendar slam after winning all available Grand Slam championships except the French Open.
Hingis had to prematurely retire in 2002 because of nagging injuries. But in 2006, after undergoing surgeries and rehabilitation, Hingis returned to competitive tennis and became a force in the WTA Tour once again.
During her comeback run, Hingis won three singles titles and reached the quarterfinal round of a Grand Slam tourney three times. However, her campaign didn't last long as she later on announced her second retirement after testing positive for cocaine during the 2007 Wimbledon Open.
With this development, it seems that Hingis is still open to making another comeback in the WTA Tour as a women's singles player. Moreover, Hingis believes her competitive spirit is still alive and she's ready to take on the challenges of playing high-level tennis.
"My competitive spirit is still very much alive and I love being out on court," Hingis said.
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