I recently came across a piece of news saying that Roger Federer and Martina Hingis are considering reuniting for next year's mixed doubles Olympics. Apparently, Hingis, who is known for her witty manners of playing with the media, was the one to 'slip' the news. At the time I didn't give it much credit. There is still a long way ahead of next summer's London Games and basically anything can happen in the meantime. Moreover, as none of the players confirmed the deal, I think it's premature to start envisioning this possibility. Although it's still pure speculation, the slightest chance of having my two all time favourite players teaming up again made my heart race faster for a moment.
However, today, after finding the same information on the official ATP website, the news got more substance. Roger Federer touched the issue during his press conference in Cincinatti and from what I gathered, they both are kinda looking forward to it, even though Martina is playing hard to get. "I don’t know, I don’t know…I’m not sure, because you have to really commit. And I feel great right now, but, you know, it’s still a long way to go, it’s another year", answered the currently retired former world number 1 when questioned about the idea.
Federer seemed more enthusiastic about the prospect of teaming with the Queen of Hearts: “If I played mixed with anybody it would be with Hingis just because she's been an amazing player and I had my first kind of success at the Hopman Cup with her and practised and played with her before. Even if she is retired, she might think about it at least."
The two share a rather successful past after they've won the 2001 Hopman Cup. At the time, rumors circled about a possible romance, but nothing came out of it. Roger found Mirka, while Martina continued her assault on high profile men.
After intense scrutiny, the press eventually got the answer they've been expecting: "I will talk to her”, a pressured Federer promised. Nevertheless, there are some technicalities that Hingis should undergo in order to be eligible for representing her country. First of all, she must enter the 2012 FED Cup to stand a chance. Additionally, she must have played in two of the four year prior to the Olympics in order to be able and join Roger in 2012. Switzerland would have to send a petition to the Olympic committee so an entry might be secured for Hingis. If everything goes well and Hingis decided to come out of retirement, it would mark the fulfillment of one of my sweetest tennis dreams.
photos (top-down / left-right): ?, GETTY IMAGES, ?
photos (top-down / left-right): ?, GETTY IMAGES, ?
