Hingis And Others Elected To International Tennis Hall of Fame

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 5th March 2013

Hingis And Others Elected To International Tennis Hall of Fame |

Martina Hingis, a former world No. 1 and the winner of 15 Grand Slam tournament titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, has been elected to receive the highest honor in the sport of tennis, enshrinement in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Joining Hingis in the Class of 2013 will be Australian tennis legend Thelma Coyne Long, winner of 19 Grand Slam tournament titles between the 1930s and 1950s, who has been elected in the Master Player Category.

Others elected include two co-founders of the ATP, longtime ESPN tennis broadcaster Cliff Drysdale and tennis promoter and industry leader Charlie Pasarell, both of whom have been elected in the Contributor Category. Also in that category, Romanian tennis great Ion Tiriac, has been elected in recognition of his work to grow the sport through roles as an influential player manager

“Being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame is tremendous honor,” stated Hingis. “It is truly a privilege to be part of such an exclusive group of tennis icons. I am looking forward to the enshrinement weekend in Newport and to being welcomed in by the other Hall of Famers.”

International Tennis Hall of Fame President Stan Smith said, “Having achieved world No. 1 status in both singles and doubles, and having won an incredible 15 Grand Slam tournament titles, Martina Hingis is undoubtedly one of the world’s elite tennis players, and we are glad to pay tribute to her among the legends of the sport.”

Smith, who also serves as chairman of the Enshrinee Nominating Committee, also commented, “Cliff, Charlie, and Ion all had success in tennis at the top levels, but they also had visions for the sport’s immense potential for growth, and they have dedicated their lives and careers to making that happen. Tennis is better for having had the leadership of these three men, and Hall of Fame enshrinement is a well-deserved tribute in recognition of all they have done for our sport. She is one of the greatest Australian tennis players of all time, which already places her in outstanding company, and now she will be forever celebrated among the best in the world. I look forward to welcoming all five honorees into the Hall of Fame this year.”

The Class of 2013 Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony will be held on Saturday, July 13, 2013. The ceremony will be a highlight of the Rolex Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend, which will also feature the unveiling of museum tribute exhibits for the new Hall of Famers, grand celebratory parties and special events, and an exhibition match featuring great tennis legends. The ceremony and festivities will be held in conjunction with the annual Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, an ATP World Tour event.

Martina Hingis, 32, of Switzerland, was the world No. 1 singles player for 209 non-consecutive weeks and the No. 1 doubles player for 35 non-consecutive weeks. She is in the elite company of Martina Navratilova, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Lindsay Davenport, and Kim Clijsters as one of just five players in history to have held both the singles and doubles No. 1 WTA ranking simultaneously.

Hingis won a total of 15 Grand Slam tournament titles during her career. Her first major title was at Wimbledon in 1996, when she partnered with Helena Sukova to win the doubles title at the age of 15 years and 9 months, setting the record as the youngest Grand Slam champion in history.

The following year, 1997, Hingis won the Grand Slam singles titles at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, and she was the finalist at the French Open. She successfully defended her Australian Open win twice, winning three consecutive titles in 1997, 1998, 1999. In addition to her five Grand Slam singles titles, Hingis also captured nine major doubles titles and one mixed doubles title. In 1998, she achieved a Doubles Grand Slam.

Hingis won a total of 43 singles titles and 37 doubles titles over the course of her career, and had records of 548-133 in singles and 286-54 in doubles. In 1998, she led the Swiss Fed Cup team to its only Fed Cup final (lost 3-2 to Spain). She captured two WTA Tour Championships in singles (1998 and 2000) and two in doubles (1999 and 2000).

In 1997, Hingis was the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, the WTA Tour Player of the Year, and the ITF Player of the Year.

Born into a successful tennis family, Hingis first picked up a racquet at just two years old and entered her first tournament at age four. At 12 years old, she won the French Open junior title, becoming the youngest player ever to win a Grand Slam junior title. She turned pro at age 14 and her career quickly took off, with Hingis setting a number of youngest-ever records along the way, including becoming the youngest ever world No. 1, a feat she achieved on March 31, 1997 at 16 years, 6 months, and 1 day.

Hingis first retired from tennis in 2003, at the age of 22, due to injury. She made a comeback in 2006, winning two titles that year and closing the season at world No. 7. She won her final title in 2007, before officially retiring.

Since retirement, she has been active in World TeamTennis, and in 2011, she partnered with Lindsay Davenport to win the Roland Garros Legends title. Most recently, Hingis has taken on a coaching role, and she is currently working with up and coming teenagers.

Thelma Coyne Long, 94, of Sydney, Australia, had a remarkable career of more than 20 years (1935 – 1958), in which she captured a total of 19 Grand Slam tournament titles, including championships in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. In 1952, she achieved a career-best ranking of No. 7. That same year, she completed an Australian triple by sweeping the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles at the Australian Championships.

In May 1941, during World War II, Long joined the Red Cross as a transport driver and worked in Melbourne, Australia. In February 1942, she joined the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS) and rose to the rank of captain in April 1944. In recognition of her efforts throughout World War II, she was awarded both the Australian War Medal and Australian Service Medal for 1939 – 1945.

Upon her retirement, Long began coaching junior players in New South Wales. Long was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 2002