Tennis Legends
“Roger learned a lot from me” – Martina Hingis reveals what the maestro copied from her
In 2001, Martina Hingis and Roger Federer won the Hopman Cup together. A groundbreaking experience for the future superstar, as Hingis revealed in an interview.
Published1. Aug 2023, 3:38 p.m
Martina Hingis in conversation with Roger Federer at the 2001 Hopman Cup.
Imago
The two Swiss tennis stars won the tournament together.
In 2001, Martina Hingis and Roger Federer won the Hopman Cup together.
During this time, Federer learned a lot from the world number one at the time.
Even years later, the 20-time Grand Slam winner is grateful for the time together.
At the beginning of the millennium, the name Roger Federer was only known to tennis insiders. But with Martina Hingis, Switzerland already had a tennis star, she led the world rankings at that time. At the beginning of 2001, young hope Federer and multiple Grand Slam winner Hingis won the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia. An experience that should remain for the Maestro, as Hingis reveals in an interview with “Züri Today”.
“He experienced the necessary professionalism for the first time,” explains the 42-year-old. At that time she was already number one in the world and Federer was still a “junior”. “He saw how to prepare for games and what it takes to be successful,” says Hingis. For example: You don’t go out to eat at ten o’clock in the evening if you’re going to play in the morning. “He learned that there and then integrated it into himself,” describes the five-time Grand Slam winner. Years later, Federer paid tribute to his teacher.
Federer praises Hingis
In 2018 he won the Hopman Cup a second time with Belinda Bencic. When asked about his first triumph in Perth, the maestro said: “It helped me to understand that with hard work and dedication you can achieve a lot.” When he was younger he believed it was all about talent, he added. “She definitely helped me become the player I am today,” he said in homage to his former teammate.
After the Hopman Cup victory with Hingis, Federer really got going. In the same year he beat the then dominator Pete Sampras at Wimbledon, but was eliminated in the quarter-finals. In 2003, the first of a total of eight Wimbledon tournament victories followed. By the end of his career in 2022, there should be 20 Grand Slam titles. Since retiring, the 41-year-old has been enjoying his tennis pension to the fullest.
Most recently, he put in a concert marathon. The Basel bidder honored the appearances of Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay. With the latter, he even stood on stage with the band and showed off his musical skills. Much to the delight of the 50,000 fans at the Letzigrund in Zurich.
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2023-08-01 13:38:30
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