Hingis quits under cocaine cloud

Martina Hingis was always one of the fiercest competitors in tennis and last night the former Wimbledon champion and world No 1 was preparing for the biggest fight of her professional life. In announcing her second retirement from the game, following her comeback two years ago, the "Swiss Miss" revealed that she had tested positive for cocaine at Wimbledon this summer.

If the 27-year-old's decision to quit was of no great surprise – there had been growing speculation that a hip injury would force her into retirement – the news of her failed test is a major blow to a sport which has been dragged down in recent months by allegations of illegal betting and match-fixing. Hingis, who denies taking drugs, is the most famous player in the history of tennis to have tested positive for an illegal substance and is one of the sport's most glamorous figures.

Her voice breaking as she fought back tears, Hingis made her announcement at a press conference in Zurich. "I have tested positive but I have never taken drugs and I feel 100 per cent innocent," she said. "The reason I have come out with this is because I do not want to have a fight with [the] anti-doping authorities. Because of my age and my health problems I have also decided to retire from professional tennis."

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Hingis, who read from a statement and did not take any questions, said she found the accusation of drug-taking "so horrendous, so monstrous, that I have decided to confront it head-on by talking to the press". She added: "I would personally be terrified of taking drugs. When I was informed [about the test] I was shocked and appalled."

The five-times Grand Slam champion, who has been advised that it could take years to clear her name, said she had undergone a private hair test for cocaine, which proved negative, and had hired a lawyer, who had discovered "various inconsistencies" with the urine sample taken at Wimbledon. She added: "He is also convinced that the doping officials mishandled the process and would not be able to prove that the urine that was tested for cocaine actually came from me."

Mario Widmer, Hingis' manager, said the test was conducted on 29 June but that she heard about the positive result of the "A" sample in mid-September and the positive "B" sample two or three weeks later. While cocaine is generally regarded as a social rather than performance-enhancing drug, she is facing a ban of up to two years, even if her retirement would make the suspension academic.

"They say that cocaine increases self-confidence and creates a type of euphoria," Hingis said. "I don't know. I only know that if I were to try to hit the ball while in any state of euphoria, it simply wouldn't work. I would think that it would be impossible for anyone to maintain the co-ordination required to play top-class tennis while under the influence of drugs."

One of the game's most elegant and creative players, Hingis enjoyed her finest hour at Wimbledon in 1997, when, at 16 years and nine months, she became the youngest champion at the All England Club for 110 years. However, this year's tournament, where she failed the drugs test, showed how much she had been struggling to recapture former glories. Hingis had to save two match points before beating Britain's Naomi Cavaday, a wild card, in the first round and lost 6-4, 6-2 to America's Laura Granville in the third.

Other tennis players have failed drugs tests in the past but Hingis is the most high-profile. Mats Wilander and Karel Novacek were two who also tested positive for cocaine, at the 1995 French Open, and both were banned for three months.

Nine years ago Petr Korda, who was then the Australian Open champion, tested positive for a banned steroid during Wimbledon and was suspended for a year. Mariano Puerta recently made a comeback after testing for a banned stimulant following his defeat in the final of the French Open two years ago, while his fellow Argentine, Guillermo Canas, the world No 14, returned to competition last year after serving a 15-month ban for taking a diuretic. Since the beginning of 2004 a total of 25 men and two women have failed drugs tests.

Larry Scott, the chief executive of the Women's Tennis Association, said the tour had not received any official information about a positive test from the International Tennis Federation, which is responsible for drug testing. "As a result we are not in a position to comment on the matter," he said.

As for her retirement, Scott said: "Martina Hingis is a tremendous champion and a fan favourite the world over."

'The only enhancer is the love of game'

This is an edited version of Martina Hingis' statement:

"Throughout my career, I have always been open and honest with you. I have been accused by an outsource testing company of taking cocaine during the Championships at Wimbledon. I find this accusation so horrendous, so monstrous, that I have decided to confront it head-on by talking to the press.

My weapon on the tennis court is and always was one single thing: the game, the ingenuity on court. And for this style of tennis, there is only one performance enhancer – the love of the game.

They say that cocaine increases self-confidence and creates a type of euphoria. I don't know. I only know that if I were to try to hit the ball while in any state of euphoria, it simply wouldn't work.

I would think that it would be impossible for anyone to maintain the coordination required to play top-class tennis while under the influence of drugs.

And I know one other thing – I would personally be terrified of taking drugs.

When I was informed that the A Test I took following my defeat at Wimbledon apparently came back positive, I was shocked and appalled.

Acting upon the advice of my family and my management, I immediately took the hair test which can prove whether or not someone has taken cocaine.

This test of course produced a negative result, the same negative result as all the countless doping tests that I have taken over the last 12 years.

However, the B Test from Wimbledon once again produced the opposite result – positive for a metabolite that apparently stays in the system for some time following cocaine use.

I immediately retained an attorney. Anybody who even attempts to take on this doping machinery alone has no chance.

The attorney and his experts discovered various inconsistencies with the urine sample that was taken during Wimbledon. He is also convinced that the doping officials mishandled the process and would not be able to prove that the urine that was tested for cocaine actually came from me.

However, this attorney and others have also pointed out to me that a case like this one can take years to resolve.

And this is the reason for my announcement. I have no desire to spend the next several years of my life fighting against the doping officials.

I am frustrated and angry. I believe that I am absolutely, 100 per cent innocent. I'm now 27 years old, and realistically too old to play top-class tennis.

And so, considering this situation, my age, and the problems I have been having with my hip, I have decided to no longer play tennis.

I have never taken drugs."