Martina Hingis 39th Birthday Special: 5 Remarkable Matches Featuring Youngest Grand Slam Champion of Open Era (Watch Videos)

Martina Hingis celebrates her 39th birthday. Tennis game’s “Forever Young” girl, Hingis bid adieu to tennis at the age of 37, thrice after calling it quits and making a return to the court she called her own since she was 14. Hingis initially retired after 2003, then a second time in 2007. But each time she returned, a new Hingis was at the courts. After a galore of Grand Slams, WTA titles Olympic medal and a record 17 Tier I singles titles, Hingis said goodbye to Tennis for the final time in 2017. She was 37 then and had lived three successful Tennis careers that saw her lift 25 major titles, two career Grand Slam and a calendar-Year Slam.

Hingis remains the Tennis world’s youngest Grand Slam champion in the Open era and second-youngest ever to lift a major title. The Swiss is also the youngest Tennis player to be World No 1. She spent a total of 209 non-consecutive weeks as the top-ranked women’s singles player and 90 weeks as the doubles world number one. Hingis also held the singles and doubles World No 1 ranking simultaneously for 29 weeks.

She is also the youngest player to win a Grand Slam junior Championship. The ‘Swiss Miss’ won the French Open at the age of 12. Before repeating the feat – as well as winning the Wimbledon and reaching US Open final – at 13. As Martina Hingis turns 39, take a look at some of the greatest and cult Tennis matches, the legendary women's Tennis player featured in.

1. Martina Hingis vs Steffi Graf

Where: WTA Championships Final

When: 1996

Winner: Steffi Graf

2. Martina Hingis vs Lindsay Davenport

Where: Tokyo Open Final

When: 1998

Winner: Martina Hingis

3. Martina Hingis vs Serena Williams

Where: Australia Open Quarter-Final

When: 2001

Winner: Martina Hingis

4. Martina Hingis vs Jennifer Capriati

Where: Australia Open Final

When: 2002

Winner: Jennifer Capriati

5. Martina Hingis vs Jana Novotna

Where: Wimbledon 1997

When: 1997

Winner: Martina Hingis

She started at 14, won her first Grand Slam at 16 but never won any singles major title after the age of 18. The world was awe-struck when Hingis – then only 15 years and 9 months – partnered Helena Sukova in women’s doubles to clinch her maiden Grand Slam title by winning the 1996 Wimbledon Championship. Tennis was always a destiny for a teenager named her the great Martina Navratilova and whose mother was also a professional Tennis player and coach. Happy Birthday Martina Hingis, Tennis’ “Forever Young” girl.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 30, 2019 10:51 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).