"I think I lost my mind, there was so much pressure" - When Martina Hingis opened up on the controversial 1999 French Open final against Steffi Graf
Swiss tennis star Martina Hingis once openly spoke about her controversial match against tennis legend Steffi Graf.
Steffi Graf won the women's singles title at the 1999 French Open by defeating Hingis in the final, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. It was her 22nd and final major singles title and she tied Chris Evert's record of nine French Open final appearances.
However, the match wasn't too pleasing for Hingis not only because she lost but also because of the number of controversial events that took place during the play.
The Swiss got off to a fantastic start in the match, winning the opening set 6-4 and leading the second set 2-0. However, things took a turn when she questioned a line call. Her ball was called out, and she felt it had hit the line. So, she asked the umpire to recheck.
Even after rechecking, the umpire gave Graf the point, but Hingis then walked over to Graf's side of the net and pointed to the mark she thought proved her claim. Her move violated a tennis rule, as players are not permitted to cross over to the opposing side of the net. It was also grounds for a penalty point, although the chair umpire did not give her one.
The Swiss refused to play, requesting that the tournament referee investigate, but quickly lost the argument when the referee came, denied her an overrule, and assessed the penalty. Graf won the game 2-1, and the French crowd became hostile to the then-19-year-old, forcing her to leave the court in tears.
Martina Hingis opened up about the event in an interview a year later and stated that she was out of her mind due to the peer pressure of winning the title.
"I think I lost my mind. There was so much pressure and I really wanted to beat her and win the title," Hingis said.
Asked if she could forgive the French crowd for turning against her, Martina Hingis replied:
"Well, I hope they have forgiven me."
"It’s a game but I felt that for her it was something more than that" - Steffi Graf on Martina Hingis' behaviour
Martina Hingis' opponent Steffi Graf, who won her final Major at the 1999 French Open before retiring, also spoke on the matter, stating she understood the Swiss' situation while initially being surprised.
"I was surprised she was worrying so much about that point. It’s a game but I felt that for her it was something more than that," Graf said.
The 1999 French Open final was the last of nine matches between Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis, and their only Grand Slam final meeting. The German leads the head-to-head 7-2 and has won all three matches against the Swiss at Majors.