In pictures: Martina Hingis spends quality time with her daughter ahead of Christmas
Swiss tennis legend Martina Hingis recently shared a glimpse of herself enjoying quality time with her daughter in the run-up to Christmas.
Hingis is a five-time Grand Slam champion and a former World No. 1. She fell in love with former sports physician Harald Leemann, and the couple tied the knot in 2018. Soon after, in 2019, Hingis and Leemann announced the birth of their baby girl, Lia.
But after four happy years of marriage, Hingis and Leemann went their separate ways. They announced earlier this year that they were splitting up.
Hingis recently shared on Instagram how happy she was to spend the winter holidays with her daughter. The 41-year-old also mentioned how wonderful it was to see the lights, festivals, and animals ahead of Christmas.
"Winter holiday weekends with my little girl! Christmas markets and Kinderzoos. So wonderful to see the lights, festivals and animals," Martina Hingis wrote.
"My daughter enjoys ponies more than tennis" - Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis revealed in an episode of the "Lasser - Die Talkshow" podcast back in March that her three-year-old daughter had already tried her hand at tennis. However, she seemed to prefer pony riding to playing the sport.
"She takes great pleasure in that, actually even more than in tennis," Hingis said.
When asked if her daughter would pursue a career like hers, the Swiss stated that she wasn't sure if a sports career was suited for Lia because they have quite different personalities.
"We have different personalities. The little one only does a lot when she already has it under control. And if she can’t, she doesn’t dare, or she gets tired of it quickly. It’s very exciting at this age," Hingis said.
Hingis became the youngest Grand Slam champion in history when she won the 1996 Wimbledon doubles title, at the age of 15 years and 9 months, partnering with Helena Sukova.
At the Australian Open a year later, Hingis became the 20th century's youngest Grand Slam singles champion. She then won the Wimbledon championships and the US Open, while quickly ascending to the WTA World No. 1 ranking.
One of Hingis' most notable achievements came in 1998, when she completed a Career Slam in doubles. She continued to be a powerhouse in the format even after that, winning a total of 20 Grand Slam titles in women's and mixed until her third retirement from the sport in 2017.