"Was very upset, crying; I couldn't understand anything": When Martina Hingis lamented leaving 'happy life' in Czechoslovakia to defect to Switzerland
Martina Hingis once opened up about her struggles to adjust to life in Switzerland after she and her mother, Melanie Molitor, left Czechoslovakia. Hingis, who was only seven years old then, lamented her experience with intense culture shock after the move.
After her parents divorced when she was six, Hingis and her mother defected from the former Czechoslovakia in 1987 due to the communist regime, choosing to relocate to Switzerland. The tennis star became a naturalized Swiss citizen when Molitor married local computer technician Andreas Zogg.
In a 2001 interview with the Guardian, Martina Hingis revealed that the day of their move was burned into her memory because of her reluctance to leave her "happy life" in Czechoslovakia and all her friends behind.
She also disclosed that her unfamiliarity with the Swiss language and culture caused her considerable distress, even bringing her to tears.
"I was almost eight years old. Well, it was 4 September, 1988, and my eighth birthday was on the thirtieth. I remember things like that. It was a big thing because at the time I didn't want to move," Martina Hingis said.
"I was very happy with life in Czechoslovakia. I had all my friends there, and I didn't know what was happening. Of course I was very upset, crying. I couldn't speak the language. I couldn't understand anything," she added.
The sense of not fully belonging followed Hingis into adulthood, as she admitted that while she felt predominantly Swiss, her identity was also shaped by her Czech heritage.
"I don't feel nothing. Mostly I'm Swiss, but I've a lot of things from my mother being a Czech. You know, sport is very international - but yeah, when I represent Switzerland I'm proud of my country," she said.
Martina Hingis: "The move to Switzerland is why I became closer to my mother, because we only had the two of us"
Despite the challenges of adapting to life in Switzerland, Martina Hingis acknowledged that the move fostered a closer bond with her mother and tennis coach Melanie Molitor.
"That [the move to Switzerland] is why I became closer to my mother. Because we only had the two of us," Martina Hingis said in the same interview.
The five-time Grand Slam singles champion highlighted the sacrifices her mother made to ensure they had a better life. Hingis also expressed gratitude for her Swiss citizenship as it allowed her to travel freely for her tennis career, which wouldn't be possible if she lived in communist Czechoslovakia.
"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. It was more [people] from the Eastern countries," she said.
"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.
Martina Hingis continued to enjoy a successful coaching partnership with her mother until she turned 21, at which point she decided to end their professional relationship to gain some independence.