The Swiss player has returned to the courts to play doubles with a Sabien Lisicki, who she is currently training, and after receiving a wild card from the organisers, will take part in the Mutua Madrid Open for the first time in her career. Before making her way to Madrid, she took a few minutes to give us an exclusive interview.
Martina Hingis spent last year’s Mutua Madrid Open celebrating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s – the player she was training at the time – doubles victory alongside Lucie Safarova, and this time round she’ll be in the thick of the action herself. Having returned to the courts partnering her current protégé, Sabine Lisicki, the Swiss player will now take part in the 2014 Mutua Madrid Open as a wild card. Before making her way to the Spanish capital she took the time to speak to us about her return to the courts and the Madrid competition, which she has already experienced at close hand.
Martina, you’re back to playing tennis professionally on the doubles circuit after several years’ retirement, first in 2013 with Daniela Hantuchova and now with Sabine Lisicki. What was the main reason or motivation that made you come back?
The main reason was that I felt that I still had some games to play against the top girls. When I was watching the doubles in Madrid last year and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova won the title with Lucie Safarova, I thought that was interesting because in doubles I felt that I maybe still had the game and that’s what I did last year with Daniela and now in Miami winning the title with Sabine. I was very happy and I still felt like I could play doubles. It’s not the same for the singles but for the doubles I still feel like I have the game.
You have now received a wild card to play in the Mutua Madrid Open. What objectives have you set for the tournament?
First of all I’m very happy that we received a wild card, I’m very grateful to Manolo Santana and Ion Tiriac for giving us a wild card. Hopefully soon we won’t need it anymore, but for this tournament it’s still necessary. It also helps winning the tournament… momentum. Hopefully that will attract the Madrid public and they’ll come and watch us and support us, that would be nice.
You already know the Mutua Madrid Open; last year we saw you here coaching Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who was crowned doubles champion. What do you think about this tournament?
It’s a beautiful tournament, I wish they had this tournament when I was playing, it’s so nice! Everything, the service, the staff, the grounds, the facilities are amazing so, I really loved the tournament when I was there so I wished I was playing and now that it’s become a reality. I was always, not jealous, because she played a great match on the Saturday against Victoria Azarenka on the stadium court and when they won the doubles I was so happy for them. So this time playing in the doubles with Sabine, hopefully we’ll be just as successful.
This is an extract from the full interview with the Swiss player which can be found in the Mutua Madrid Open Magazine. You can read the full interview in the Magazine which will be available in the Caja Mágica during the tournament.
madrid-open.com
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