"More glamour, it's nice; I'd like to go watch guys too" - When Martina Hingis welcomed boost in tennis' popularity due to interest in 'short skirts'
Martina Hingis once shared her thoughts on the surge in tennis' popularity amid her campaign at the 1999 Evert Cup. She addressed the perception that the increased interest stemmed from the allure of the glamorous side of women's tennis rather than the sport itself.
Hingis entered the 1999 Evert Cup as the top seed, kicking off her campaign with a commanding 6-3, 6-4 win over Alexandra Stevenson. Following her victory, the Swiss learned that many spectators at the event were attending their very first tennis tournament.
When asked for her thoughts on the growing popularity of the sport, with fans seemingly more intrigued by its glamor than the sport itself, Martina Hingis questioned whether the allure revolved around the length of skirts on display.
"Glamour, how short the skirts are, things like this?" Martina Hingis questioned during her post-match press conference.
Hingis welcomed the burgeoning interest, referencing her admiration for ice skating and Michelle Kwan and expressing her appreciation for the feminine aesthetic of the shorter dresses.
"I think it brings a different style into the game. You want watch ice skating. I love watching ice skating, as you can could see last night, Walt Disney showed Michelle Kwan. Ice skating is very feminine. The dresses are getting shorter and shorter. I think it's nice," she said.
The Swiss emphasized that the different outfits made the sport more interesting, embracing the added glamor and feminine touch. She also mentioned her desire to watch men's matches, highlighting the positive impact of the sport's growing popularity.
"Especially here you have men and women, men start playing tomorrow. Different outfits and everything makes it more interesting, and the type of games, too. The more glamour, the more feminism in the game, I think it's nice," Martina Hingis said.
"I would like to go watch some guys, too, if I could. Tennis, the game has gained popularity, and that's very good," she added.
Martina Hingis: "The fans are growing, that's great for women's tennis; everybody wants to come to see Monica Seles play, Anna Kournikova, me"
During the same press conference, Martina Hingis also shared her observations about the crowds getting bigger and bigger every year, signaling the increased popularity of the sport.
"Oh, it's great. I mean, in Australia, when you can start over the year there, the crowd has been getting bigger and bigger each year. In Tokyo, it was sold out every day," Martina Hingis said.
"Even I played in France now last week, so every day I played with the French girls, especially. They have five girls in the Top 20, Mauresmo definitely making the finals at the Australian Open," she added.
The Swiss also emphasized the positive impact on women's tennis, noting that fans were eager to watch players like Monica Seles, Anna Kournikova and herself in action.
"The fans are growing. That's great for women's tennis. Also here, everybody wants to come to see Monica play today, Kournikova, me. They want to see how I do," she said.
Hingis' campaign at the 1999 Evert Cup ended in the quarterfinals, as she suffered a 6-3, 7-6(2) loss to Chanda Rubin.