Hingis and Jamie Murray beat defending champions Henri Kontinen and Heather Watson, 6-4, 6-4, to take the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon on Sunday.
“I don’t really have much time to celebrate. I made it to champions dinner, kind of made it through. Four o’clock got up, got a car, and am here now,” Hingis said Tuesday. “Luckily, it’s not my first time.”
Her first Grand Slam title came in 1996 at age 15, when she and Helena Suková won the women’s doubles title at Wimbledon. Since then, Hingis has gone on to win 23 Grand Slams, with all but five of them coming in doubles.
“Even in my singles career, I was much better doubles player than singles player,” she said.
Her success in doubles has kept her playing. Hingis, 36, has retired from the sport twice, first in 2003 and again in 2007.
Lately, she has found increased success in mixed doubles. Of her six major championship titles in mixed doubles, five have come since the beginning of 2015. Alongside Leander Paes of India, she won each of the Grand Slam titles, before teaming up with Murray this year.
In women’s doubles, she has switched partners more often, winning 12 Grand Slams with seven different partners. The most recent came in 2016 at the Australian Open with Sania Mirza, the pair’s third major title in two years.
“Sometimes it takes more psychology than skills to handle different partners,” she said. “I think my game just is meant to adjust to different types of partners, and I think I try to bring the best out of both of us, and I think I’ve been pretty capable of doing that.”
Hingis has certainly found success in the doubles game, but she has also found solace in playing with a partner.
“I always enjoy that part always even more because you’re never alone on the court,” she said.
“You’re with your partner, and even on a bad day or a good day, you try to help each other.
"And you win as a team, and that’s what for me it’s about.”
It is that same team aspect that draws her back to Mylan World Team Tennis every year. She is now in her 10th WTT season, having played five seasons in New York.
“Playing for the Kastles, you don’t have just one partner - you have five or six,” the 2013 WTT Female MVP said.
“That’s what I enjoy even more - not just being out there for yourself, but having that responsibility, you have the whole stadium that carries you, and that’s really cool.”
At Tuesday’s home opener against the New York Empire, fans shouted her name throughout the match, as others held a sign that read “Martina is the queen of the Kastles”.
She held court for the first two sets, representing the Kastles in mixed doubles and immediately after in women’s doubles. Hingis and Treat Huey dropped the first set 5-4, but alongside Anastasia Rodionova, Hingis reversed the second set, winning 5-4, and evening the overall score at 9-9. The Kastles would go on to win 24-23 in a supertiebreaker, with Frances Tiafoe clinching the match.
Earlier in the night during a courtside interview, Hingis took a moment to reflect on her cross-continental celebrations.
“Just a couple of nights ago I was celebrating in London, and now tonight I’ll hopefully have more to celebrate.”
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