"You may be No. 1, but I’m more marketable": When Anna Kournikova took a dig at Martina Hingis over Swiss snubbing their rivalry after Wimbledon clash
Anna Kournikova and Martina Hingis once got involved in a heated confrontation during an exhibition event, which reportedly escalated to physical blows. The duo's contentious history dates back to their public feud after their clash at the 1997 Wimbledon Championships.
That year, top seed Hingis and Kournikova faced each other in the semifinals of the grasscourt Major, in a battle of the 16-year-olds. The Swiss dominated the encounter, claiming a 6-3, 6-2 victory to reach her maiden final at SW19.
When asked about their rivalry after her triumph, Martina Hingis took a sly dig at Anna Kournikova, asserting that it wasn't much of a rivalry since she consistently defeated the Russian in important matches.
"I don't think it's such a big rivalry. I think until now I've always been better, and I always beat her at the great tournaments, as I did this time again. So she still has something to improve," she said (via the Washington Post).
Kournikova hit back at the Swiss, retorting that while Hingis might be the World No. 1, she was far more marketable.
"You may be No. 1, but I’m more marketable than you," she retorted.
Despite the bitter exchange, Kournikova and Hingis later formed a formidable doubles partnership, even winning the 1999 Australian Open women's doubles title together.
However, their partnership fell apart after a heated confrontation at an exhibition event in Santiago, Chile, in 2000. Despite the low-stakes encounter, an argument erupted when Hingis contested a line call and sought Anna Kournikova's support, only for the Russian to side with the line judge, leading the Swiss to lash out at Kournikova.
"Do you think you are the queen?" Martina Hingis seethed. "Because I am the queen!"
The duo even reportedly came to blows in the locker room after the contentious encounter. Neverthless, they managed to revive their partnership, going on to clinch their second Australian Open doubles title together in 2002.
Martina Hingis dominated her rivalry with Anna Kournikova
Martina Hingis throwing shade about her one-sided rivalry with Anna Kournikova proved accurate, as she went on to dominate their head-to-head record. They faced each other in 12 tour-level encounters, with the Swiss winning all but one of those matches.
Hingis won their first meeting in the third round of the 1997 French Open in commanding fashion, beating the Russian 6-1, 6-3. Subsequently, she continued her dominance against Kournikova in their semifinal clash at Wimbledon, winning 6-3, 6-2.
Their final clash at a Major took place in the third round of the 1998 Australian Open, where the Swiss claimed a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory en route to her second consecutive title at the Melbourne Slam.
Anna Kournikova's only victory over Martina Hingis came in the quarterfinals of the 1998 German Open, where she won 6-3, 7-6(1). The Swiss then triumphed in their final encounter, beating Kournikova 7-6(2), 6-2 in the semifinals of the 2000 WTA Tour Championships.