New York: Martina Hingis declared herself amazed after capturing her 25th career Grand Slam crown, partnering with Taiwan’s Chan Yung-Jan to win the US Open women’s doubles title here Sunday.
The Swiss star, who turns 37 later this month, won her 13th Grand Slam women’s doubles title as she and Chan beat Czechs Lucie Hradecka and Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-2.
In Grand Slam events, Hingis also has won five singles titles and seven mixed doubles crowns, the most recent of those coming Saturday alongside Britain’s Jamie Murray on the Flushing Meadows hard courts.
“Well, I think it sinks in maybe little later. Not right now,” Hingis said after the match. “But yeah, 25 sounds pretty amazing. I’m definitely very proud.
“What I’ve done in my career earlier, I’m very proud of that. I was very young. It has been 20 years, been on and off,” Hingis added.
Hingis won the 1997 US and Australian Open and Wimbledon singles titles plus the 1998 and 1999 Australian Open singles crowns.
Asked if she might consider a return to singles, Hingis gave a polite but firm rejection to the idea and said that she relies upon partners too much these days.
“No thanks. I’m doing just fine with the mixed and the doubles. I have a couple of great partners I can rely on,” she said.
“You can see Latisha (Chan) was amazing what she was capable of doing, especially at the net. Usually I feel like I’m the good net player, but she showed that she’s got some skills, like a Ninja Warrior, chip chop, and that’s the work,” said the Czech Republic-born Swiss professional.
It was the third Slam doubles crown of the year for Hingis after Wimbledon and US Open mixed titles and came on the same Arthur Ashe Stadium court where she won her only US Open singles crown 20 years ago.
“It was an amazing feeling to play here in the singles final,” Hingis pointed out. “Coming back 20 years later, it has been a wonderful journey.”
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