Hingis Reveals Why No Olympics Mixed Doubles With Federer

Written by: Staff on 26th January 2012

Hingis Reveals Why No Olympics Mixed Doubles With Federer |

Martina Hingis has revealed that calling off the proposed dream London Olympic pairing with fellow Swiss Roger Federer was as much for his own sanity as her lack of true match preparation after being out of game for four seasons.

“I played the US Open in 1996 in all three disciplines themselves, and it was crazy,” the three-time Australian Open winner told Zurich’s Sonntags Zeitung. “I was playing from morning till night and lost in the semis.

“Roger would have had to play 15 matches in nine days, that’s even worse than at a Grand Slam.”

Hingis, 31, who played in the Legends doubles at the Australian Open, said that she and Federer made a joint decision not to play. Federer will be taking on singles and doubles, where he won the gold with Stanislas Wawrinka at Beijing, 2008.

Hingis, who left the sport in late 2007, would have had to jump through bureaucratic hoops to have been eligible to compete. :I’ve not played an officials match for four years and in London I’d be competing with the best in the world, including Serena Williams and Andy Roddick.

Mixed for me is the fastest and most difficult discipline. The pressure is always on the woman to hold serve, you must be extremely good.

“I would have had to start preparing six months ago and also play Fed Cup for Switzerland. Roger already has two targets, in singles and doubles. I can’t just show and say ‘cuckoo, here am I,’ and everyone is suddenly afraid. There is a very special pressure at the Olympics.”

Topics: Martina Hingis, Olympics