I've tracked down some of my trusted Hingis sources over the past few days, hoping to put together a realistic picture of what to expect of her comeback, and to answer some lingering questions having to do with the timing of her comeback.
The consensus is that Hingis has always felt that her career was still unfinished business—she was forced to stop on terms other than her own, and thus she's determined to return, ask herself—and her opponents—all the questions still unanswered, and ultimately retire on her own terms.
A lot of people have said or implied that Hingis took a hiatus in order to improve her chances of winning the lawsuit she brought against her former sponsors, Sergio Tacchini. The suit alleged that the shoes Tacchini provided her caused or contributed to the foot problems and surgeries that ultimately forced Hingis off the tour.
This interpretation doesn't appear to be accurate. For one thing, Hingis had switched allegiances to Adidas before she retired. For another, she had initiated the legal action before she retired. Whether the obvious benefit of being off the tour while the case was argued figured into her retirement decision is a question I can't answer. Perhaps only Martina knows.
Hingis is fit and has been working out for months. You'll remember she played World TeamTennis this summer, along with a few "special events" (read: exhibitions). She will be playing more of those in the coming weeks.
Barring unforeseen developments, she'll be entering the Australian Open (and probably at least one tuneup event, although it's not likely to be the Hopman Cup, as I suggested in a previous post).
I see two, subtly related issues on the horizon as Hingis begins her quest to recapture greatness:
1) Can her middleweight game hold up against the heavyweights on the tour today?
2) Can her feet hold up?
Let's start with something Hingis said during a recent conference call with the media. When asked if she's worried about being overpowered, she replied:
I like the way Hingis wove those two threads into one; she'll certainly need to use her feet (and fitness) to offset whatever advantage in power her opponents enjoy (Hingis' strategic grasp of the game will also be an asset).
OK. Now. I assume that when Hingis speaks of her feet, she means her quickness and deft footwork. When I use the word feet, I think of the actual physical condition of her paddles, and the likelihood that after two surgeries and rehab, and a long layoff, they will serve her as well as they did in her heyday. I think this is a huge issue.
Here's something bizarre: I've had a hard time pinning down exactly what her ankle and heel problems were. But if this story in the China Daily is accurate—and it does quote someone who's presumably her doctor—Hingis' ability to play a full schedule, with something like her former mobility, is by no means a given.
I may be especially sensitive to this because I had surgery for heel spurs on both feet, and while I have good mobility and run every other day, I'm just an ink-stained wretch, not a world-class athlete. But I also remember that Arthur Ashe and Chris Evert, among others, both recovered from heel surgeries to play at the highest level again.
So the condition of Martina's feet are a big question: In fact, they're the only real question in a narrative that Hingis' agent, Phil DiPicciotto (Octagon), describes as "A real feel-good kind of story."
One thing I'm looking forward to is having a thoroughly professional, mature, articulate—and outspoken—woman back in the limelight on the women's tour. It's something the tour desperately needs to offset the shortcomings of the self-absorbed, self-dramatizing, self-serving divas who are basically saying "adios" to tennis at just the time when the game most needs them to develop into role models and ambassadors.
"You can't really have a tour with players retiring at 22, 23," DiPicciotto told me. "The game really suffers from that."
Phil makes a great point. When we think of the glory days, it's sometimes about prodigies and stunning debuts. But mostly it's about rivalries, the clash of generations, and our affection for mature, charismatic champions.
Lindsay Davenport is doing her share to carry that torch, and Mary Pierce makes an effort that's somewhat blunted by her self-absorption. Dementieva will be a great spokeswoman, but she needs to win big first, and Kim Clijsters—well, Kimmy, God bless her, she's just kind of there, like that happy-go-lucky aunt you see only at family events like weddings and funerals.
Tennis needs more, even if it can't have another Billie Jean King. And Hingis could fit the bill.