"It was never like it was portrayed, that I was always under pressure" - When Martina Hingis objected to claim that she didn't have a normal childhood

Martina Hingis once revealed the reality of her childhood to dispel the misconceptions in the media. The Swiss also shed light on the dynamic she shared with her mother while growing up.

Hingis began playing tennis at just two years of age, under her mother Melanie Molitor's guidance. The Swiss then joined the professional tour when she was just 14 and went on to win five Grand Slam singles titles while she was still a teenager. Despite her adolescence being dominated by tennis, the former World No. 1 didn't feel she had missed out on anything.

In an interview with Tennis Magazin after her mixed doubles triumph at the 2016 French Open, Hingis was asked whether she ever regretted not having a normal childhood. However, the Swiss objected to that notion.

Instead, Hingis described her youth as 'wonderful,' recalling how she spent most of her time on the court with 14 other young players. She also dispelled the notion that she was under constant pressure to train, insisting that while her mother was in control, she had the freedom to make her own decisions.

"Who says I didn't have them? We grew up on the tennis court with lots of kids, first in the Czech Republic, then in Switzerland. There were up to 14 of us on the courts, and we all spent our childhoods there," Martina Hingis said. "It was a wonderful time that I look back on fondly. It was never like it was often portrayed, that I was always under pressure on the court and had to train. My mother was always there, always in control of everything. But I was always free and could make my own decisions. I had a normal childhood," she added.

However, Martina Hingis did previously share one traumatic experience from her childhood. The Swiss revealed that she was very upset about having to leave her "happy life" in Czechoslovakia to move to Switzerland when she was seven years old.

Martina Hingis: "I think players should make the transition to the women's team by the age of 16 at the latest"

Martina Hingis - Source: Getty

During the same interview, Martina Hingis admitted that if she could go back in time, she would still choose to make her WTA tour debut at the age of 14. The Swiss expressed her belief that it was better for a player's game to compete with professional opponents earlier in their lives.

Hingis emphasized her view that players shouldn't wait past the age of 16 to join the professional tour because they had vital experience to gain.

"Absolutely! I think it's a shame that girls these days only get the chance to compete with the pros so late. When you're young, you learn faster and better. You're exposed to professional tennis earlier, which helps you later on," Hingis said. "I think players should make the transition to the women's team by the age of 16 at the latest. Sure, you lose matches more quickly and realize that the level is higher than at the junior level. But the earlier you gain these experiences, the better," she added.

Martina Hingis eventually hung up her racket for good at the WTA Finals in 2017, the same year she won the women's doubles and mixed doubles titles at the US Open. The Swiss had 25 Major titles overall under her belt when she retired.

Edited by Urvi Mehra