Hingis out for months

Hingis is certainly waving goodbye to this month's French Open Keystone

Swiss tennis star Martina Hingis will undergo an operation on Monday that is likely to put her out of action for two to three months.

The former world number one is due to have surgery on her recurring foot injury at a clinic in Zurich, and is set to miss both the French Open and next month’s Wimbledon tournament.

“I am obviously very disappointed that I will be unable to play in Paris,” Hingis said in a WTA press release on Friday. “However I am hopeful that the surgery on Monday will go well and that I can look forward to a speedy recovery.”

Previous reports suggesting that the 21-year-old’s tennis career could be over are now being downplayed by her doctor and her management staff.

Good recovery chances

Dr Heinz Bühlmann, who will be carrying out Monday’s operation, told Switzerland’s Blick newspaper that “the chances for recovery are good.”

Hingis’s manager Mario Widmer was meanwhile quoted in the Tages-Anzeiger, saying that speculation about the Swiss player’s possible retirement were “not only premature at the present moment but also completely exaggerated.”

Monday’s one-hour operation will seek to repair one torn and three loose ligaments in Hingis’s left ankle. Hingis is still involved in a legal case against shoe manufacturers Sergio Tacchini, after she alleged that the company’s shoes caused her foot injuries.

Since turning professional in 1994, Hingis has never missed a Grand Slam event. Her absence from Roland Garros will end a run of 29 straight appearances at the world’s top four tennis tournaments.

swissinfo with agencies