Martina Hingis says reason for success with Paes and Mirza this year is her quality to adapt
It's been a year to remember for Martina Hingis. And Indians have been pretty much a central part of it. There is an air of invincibility with Hingis and Indians at the moment. The records show why. With Sania Mirza, she captured this year's Wimbledon and US Open. With Leander Paes, there was an Australian Open added to triumphs at the All England Club and Flushing Meadows. The season-ending WTA Tour Finals title with Mirza was the perfect cherry on the large cake.
It's no wonder, then, that the Swiss ace calls India her second home. And when she was in the city for the launch of the Champions Tennis League on Sunday, she certainly felt a lot at home. It appears from the outside that Hingis has the ability to adapt with relative ease, be it on or off the court. It's this trait that she feels has worked wonders for her this year with her two Indian partners.
"My quality to adapt to moments and partners is the key," she said. "Leander has one of the best volleys in the game. He controls the net when I am at the baseline. With Sania, it's the other way around as she plays exactly opposite to Leander. I can adjust to any partner."
Five Grand Slam titles in a year is no joke, certainly not at 35 after coming out of retirement. Tennis experts marvel at the achievements of Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams in 2015 — both winning three majors – but one can't argue with the fact that Hingis deserves to mentioned in the same breath.
"It has been an incredible year," she said. "I had hopes of winning one or two titles, but I have five. It's been better than expected."
That might sound a bit modest, considering Hingis has taken home a whopping seven other titles with Mirza – Beijing, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Charleston, Miami, Indian Wells and WTA Finals – apart from the two Grand Slams. Mirza stresses on the chemistry factor between the two, and Hingis reiterated that point on Sunday.
"Sania has always been a great player before teaming up with me. She was World No. 5 (in doubles). We have respect for each other and she is a very optimistic person. As our friendship and relationship grew, we have got better and better. That's the key to our success," she said.
As for her dream combination with Paes, she spoke of that adaptability factor again.
"Paes is a legend in this game," she said. "I can rely on Paes as he is a great player in the nets and I can concentrate at the back. He also has great volleys."
With the kind of year the two pairs have had, sky is the limit going into the next season. Such is their class and domination in the circuit that Hingis can dare dream of a Calender Slam – winning all four majors in a year – with both Paes and Mirza. But the Swiss wants to remain grounded.
"I want to continue the same way forward (in the next season), starting from Brisbane (Australia)," she said.
For now, she is all geared up for her second stint in the Champions Tennis League starting here on Monday, turning up for Hyderabad, which is Mirza's hometown.
"I will be playing in Sania's hometown and spending six days there. I hope we can meet, though. I know she is playing in the other league (International Premier Tennis League)," Hingis said.
Now isn't that ironic?
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