"Martina Hingis' first comment to me was about my children" - When Chris Evert was impressed by Swiss not being 'tunnel-visioned' about tennis
Chris Evert once shed light on her first conversation with Martina Hingis, disclosing that the Swiss was keen to learn about her children. The American shared that she came away from the exchange feeling impressed by Hingis' priorities.
Hingis was born in Czechoslovakia to Melanie Molitor and Karol Hingis, both of whom were professional tennis players. Following her parents' divorce when she was six, she and her mother defected to Switzerland, with Hingis gaining Swiss citizenship through naturalization after Molitor remarried Andreas Zogg.
In a 2001 interview with the Guardian, Martina Hingis disclosed that relocating to Switzerland strengthened her bond with her mother, who also served as her coach. She expressed gratitude for the sacrifices Molitor made to provide them with a "better living" and the opportunity to travel freely for her tennis career.
"That [the move to Switzerland] is why I became closer to my mother. Because we only had the two of us. It's fairly hard to understand, but she moved just for me. She put everything she knew into me. Tried to get us a better living. I mean, that's what Kournikova did, too," she said.
"It was more [people] from the Eastern countries. Mum said it was the only chance, the only opening. Because of the family background she thought they would try to stop me playing and travelling. I'm very thankful to Switzerland because I was able to travel when I was nine years old," she added.
Hingis' strong family values were rooted in her close relationship with her mother, who was her constant companion throughout her youth and professional tennis career, coaching the Swiss to five Grand Slam singles titles by the time she was 18.
Although Martina Hingis parted ways with her mother as coach in 2001 at the age of 21, they still maintained a loving bond. The Swiss' emphasis on her family was immediately evident to Chris Evert in their first conversation, which surprisingly revolved around motherhood instead of tennis.
Evert, who became Hingis' mentor through a WTA program in 1999, revealed that the Swiss' first words to her were about her children. The American was impressed by the then-teenager's focus on family at an age when most players are "tunnel-visioned" about tennis.
"Martina's first comment to me was about my children. She felt that family is what is important in life. Her interest impressed me because usually, at that age, most girls are tunnel-visioned about their tennis," Chris Evert said.
Chris Evert has three sons, Alexander Nicholas and Colton Jack, with her ex-husband, former American downhill skier Andy Mill. The 18-time Grand Slam champion also became a grandmother in May 2024, when her son Nicholas Mill and his wife Rebecca welcomed their baby boy Hayden.
"It felt natural, like it probably did for Martina Hingis, Monica Seles and Steffi Graf" - Chris Evert on being the first WTA No. 1
In 1975, Chris Evert made history by becoming the first official World No. 1 in the computerized WTA rankings. Revisiting the extraordinary achievement on its 45th anniversary, the American disclosed that her experience as a top-ranked junior made holding the top spot in the WTA rankings feel "natural."
Evert also expressed her belief that Martina Hingis, Monica Seles and Steffi Graf presumably found the transition to World No. 1 status natural given their similar successes in junior tennis.
"Also, being a top junior helped. It felt natural for me, like it probably did for other players like Martina Hingis, Monica Seles and Steffi Graf, who were also top juniors. It wasn’t different, it just felt natural," Chris Evert said (via Tennis.com).
Chris Evert held the World No. 1 ranking for 260 weeks, ranking her fourth on the all-time list. Graf leads with an impressive 377 weeks at the top spot, with Hingis ranking fifth (209 weeks) and Seles placing sixth (178 weeks).