Martina Hingis Not Returning to Tennis

At 29 years old, Martina Hingis is hanging up her tennis racket and has announced that, when the two-year ban she incurred after testing positive for cocaine in 2007 is lifted, she will not be returning to competitive tennis.

"I’ve got a nice house, my four horses," Hingis said. "On the tour, I had no life.  If I had won the four Grand Slam tournaments, maybe I would have continued.  But I was on downslope. And I was suspended for two years, and that was it."

"I didn’t have the right to play any competition, even in another Olympic sport," she continued. "I didn’t have the right to feature in equestrian competition, even at an amateur level. … I’m not sure I have completely recovered."

Hingis retired once before, back in 2002, because of leg and foot injuries but returned in 2006.  She has 209 weeks at No. 1 in the women’s rankings and won five Grand Slam singles titles.  I’d say that she’s had a great career and, while the positive drug test is obviously not a highlight, she can retire knowing what it feels like to be a champion.

image: TSN