NEW YORK — What makes Martina Hingis so good in any type of doubles she decides to play?
Her brain.
The Swiss Miss is all about tennis smarts. No one plays this game with more intelligence.
Everyone must be calling Hingis to see if she will be their partner.
The opportunity to maybe win more than $300,000 as her doubles partner or maybe $75K as her mixed doubles partner has to be enticing.
It’s no wonder why Hingis always seems to show up with a good partner.
Or maybe the partners are that good just because they are playing with Hingis.
SWISS MISS MENTALLY GIFTED PLAYER
Hingis always was a mentally gifted player. How else could a smallish Swiss Miss, all of 5-7, 130 pounds, be so successful in this game?
It may only be because of the presence of big and powerful women such as Serena Williams that Hingis isn’t still playing and winning singles titles on the WTA Tour.
Hingis usually outsmarted normal tennis players, but when the players such as the Williams sisters started dominating the game, it was time to get out.
In doubles, it’s different. Hingis usually can still outsmart at least one of her opponents.
Winning the mixed doubles title and making the final in the still to be played women’s doubles of the U.S. Open was quite an accomplishment for the 36-year-old Hingis.
HINGIS SHOULD HAVE MANY TITLES LEFT
There is no real reason Hingis can’t continue to experience success in doubles for many more years.
Look at Venus Williams at age 37. Venus is still moving, hitting and playing well enough to make the U.S. Open semifinals in singles and to be ranked among the world’s top 10 women.
So why not Hingis in doubles!
And look at Roger Federer winning two Grand Slam singles title at age 36.
Yes, women’s doubles and mixed doubles opponents may have to live with Hingis’ brainy play for some time to come as she adds to her number of Grand Slam titles that stood at 25 after her victory with Jamie Murray in Saturday’s mixed doubles final.
After all, Hingis is taking home a pretty good chunk of money from the U.S. Open for having some fun in doubles. Life couldn’t be much better for an older young woman.
—
James Beck is the long-time tennis columnist for the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier newspaper. He can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com. See his Post and Courier columns at
