Martina Hingis says she has been accused of testing positive for cocaine at this year's Wimbledon, thus is quitting professional tennis.
- Nov 2, 2007
AceShowbiz - Becoming a professional tennis player has its ups and downs. Martina Hingis is tackling a new challenge in the sports world with her being accused by "an outsource testing company" of testing positive for cocaine at Wimbledon, such judgment that prompted her to publicly announce her quitting the sport.
Concerning the cocaine scandal, the Swiss tennis player has on Thursday November 1st in Glattbrugg, Switzerland, faced the press and said she's been accused of testing positive for cocaine at this year's Wimbledon while at the same time announced she's retiring from professional tennis.
Called the cocaine accusation "so horrendous, so monstrous," Hingis told the press during the news conference she's "frustrated and angry," claiming "I believe that I am absolutely 100 percent innocent."
Hingis tested positive back on June 29th when she lost in the third round at Wimbledon to Laura Granville of the United States. Admitted to be "shocked and appalled" upon being notified that her urine sample had come back positive, Hingis insisted a hair test she arranged after that came back negative for cocaine. Besides, her lawyer also found "various inconsistencies" with the urine sample taken during Wimbledon.
However, Hingis has stated to "have no desire to spend the next several years of my life reduced to fighting against the doping officials. The fact is that it is more and more difficult for me, physically, to keep playing at the top of the game. And frankly, accusations such as these don't exactly provide me with motivation to even make another attempt to do so."
Women's Tennis Association Tour chief executive Larry Scott said that while he recently found out about Hingis' doping test from the player's representatives, the WTA itself has not yet received official information regarding that encounter and thus not in liberty to give comment.
Hingis previously took four years hiatus from professional tennis in 2002 due to injuries, but returned to the sport two years ago. Her Wimbledon match with Laura was her first tournament after missing 1, 5 months with hip and back injuries.
