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BNP PARIBAS WTA FINALS SINGAPORE

October 26, 2017

Martina Hingis

Kallang, Singapore

THE MODERATOR: Obviously Martina has made an announcement tonight on her social media. This is a postmatch press conference. Obviously she will answer some questions about the news, but keep in mind she will do a longer press conference when she's finished at the tournament about her impending retirement.

We will get started.

Q. At the US Open when you won the mixed doubles with Jamie Murray, we thought, why are you not committed to the future? So when exactly did you make the decision that this would be your last tournament?
MARTINA HINGIS: That's a good call, because, yeah, my partners already knew it and the rumor was out there. I'm actually really surprised that they kept it that long, kind of, but the players have been really good and supportive until today when she said the things.

Yeah, I didn't think she meant anything by that. It just came out naturally.

Yeah, I think the decision has been done already. Like I told Leticia from the start, Hey, this will probably be my last year. So some people knew it; some didn't.

I mean, still probably people think after a year like this, after a season like this, but I think it's also perfect timing. You know, you want to stop on top and not when you're already going backwards (smiling).

I couldn't ask for a better finish like that.

Q. Of course it hasn't actually finished yet. You still are in the tournament.
MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, I was kind of nervous today. I didn't want to lose, finishing like that. That's definitely...

Q. How difficult was it to actually then go out and play, knowing that actually you've really got a good chance of going all the way through?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, that's the thing. We have a pretty decent chance. I think we are the ones to beat right now. We had good practices, so there was nothing to be worried about. I felt really good in my hit earlier just before the match.

Hey, if I can bring this game to the table in match time, I'll be fine. Hopefully -- we have beaten them before. We had couple tough ones against them, Wimbledon and Toronto. They play really well. We have battles, we had some easy runs, but in a way it was good to also be prepared, because I knew we had to really come out and be strong from the start.

I'm happy with the performance, but definitely there was some tingling sensations in the start (smiling).

Q. You said in your statement that you're not going anywhere, so what does that mean?
MARTINA HINGIS: I'll be always part of the game of tennis. Somehow we will be connected. I will definitely take some time out. I have done coaching before. I can help my mom, her tennis school. I will be connected.

I'm still ambassador for the tournament which was in Biel now coming to Lugano. I am really looking forward to the things and challenges which will be ahead of me, but I think I also deserve some time away from the game, which I'm not -- like I'm saying, like, I'm not going to walk away. I will be always part and this will always be part of my life.

I'm definitely not going to miss that day-in, day-out grind, practicing, waking up. Maybe I will miss it after a while but in a different way. And the traveling, it's also one thing at the start I definitely won't miss anymore.

Q. Now that, like you say, the news is out, when you play your next match, will you feel any more pressure knowing that people will be watching, wondering is she going to lose this?
MARTINA HINGIS: No, I think already now, like making Friday, tomorrow -- I definitely will be really disappointed if you lose today, but semifinals is already -- you can show that on your permit, but it's definitely something I feel like, okay, it will be nice if I could at least make the finals and taking away the trophy would be the cherry on top.

But, I mean, you never know. I mean, they are great teams. We have played them before. I'm looking forward to the match and the encounter, but you never know.

I will have to accept it no matter what. I think still I can look back and be proud of my career. I don't want to put too much pressure, but of course I want to win.

Q. You have done this before, so...
MARTINA HINGIS: Exactly.

Q. So those times might give you an insight what will you miss about not being here?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, the previous times I always had things in back of my head, and I might be able to -- I mean, first with singles, then it was the doubles. So I still had it in the back of my mind to be able to do that. When you see other players, you know, who are my age and they are still playing and performing at that level, I was hoping I could do the same.

Like I said, I will be grateful also to that coaching period, because that kind of showed me with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, with Sabine Lisicki, that I still had the capability. I mean, singles is a different story. I mean, like you said, it's more court to cover, different grind, different preparation.

But the doubles, I always considered myself as a pretty decent doubles player, even in my first career. I had been winning slams, and I was hoping that I could do it.

Q. In the past you might not have felt like you were able to say good-bye to the sport on your own terms. This time around, was that important to you? Did that factor into the decision?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think now it's definite. So it's different, because before I was, like, okay, I walked away, thinking I might come back, and if I didn't, so that was it.

Yeah, this time it's definitely on the big stages of this world, the Grand Slams and the tennis world, I definitely won't be doing that anymore. So it's a different way, and I think it's the right thing to do this time around.

But I have also had great help from the WTA, from my sponsors. It's a different time. I'm 37 now, so -- and the world has changed. There is more social media and just show, as well.

Q. Speaking of 37, I'm just curious how amazing you think it is that somebody like Venus is out there playing singles and into the semifinals here.
MARTINA HINGIS: No, it's amazing. I definitely admire her willpower and to go over all of these things and through the struggles and everything. It wasn't always as rosy for her, either. I mean, to fight back and have another year like she had, this one, it's amazing, yeah.

But also sometimes, like, you have tough losses, and that's when you ask yourself why you do it still and, like, do you really want to go through all that grind, but for her it definitely paid off.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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