Former Swiss tennis star, Martina Hingis, had a tough time growing up. Although she came from an affluent family, her childhood was always lonely. The former world number 1 was very close to her mother and she would always accompany her on the tour. However, the relationship between the two faltered lately and Hingis started touring solo. It was this time when former tennis star, Chris Evert, joined her as a mentor.

Evert recalls how Hingis would talk less about family and would always stress the importance of having a family.

Evert recalls her days mentoring Martina Hingis

Martina Hingis had a stunning start to her career. At the age of 17, she became the second youngest female tennis player to win the Wimbledon championships. Everything was wonderful until she parted ways with her mother. While we can’t figure out exactly what happened between them, it had a direct impact on her game.

Back then, Chris Evert became her mentor under a WTA program. Having one of her favorite players as a mentor, anybody would expect a lot of tennis talks between the two. However, Evert later recalled Hingis was keener to know about her sons and family. “Martina’s first comment to me was about my children. She felt that family is what is important in life. Her interest impressed me because usually, at that age, most girls are tunnel-visioned about their tennis,” Evert recalled.

Read more: ‘Gone in the Opposite Direction’ – When Chris Evert Vowed to Not Put Pressure on Her Kids to Be Immensely Successful

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Hingis retired as one of the best modern-day tennis players. She has five Grand Slam singles titles, 13 Grand Slam doubles, and seven mixed doubles Major titles to her name.

Chris Evert regrets divorcing Andy Mill

Like Martina Hingis, Evert also suffered from family problems. The former world number 1 separated from her husband, Andy Mill, in 2006. They were together for 18 years and have three sons from the marriage. However, Evert decided to end things with Mill and married her best friend Greg Norman later. Surprisingly, her marriage with Norman lasted only 15 months and Evert later realized that it was a mistake to leave Mill.

Back in 2011, Evert admitted in an interview that she broke Andy’s heart and hurt her sons as well. Further, the 18-time Grand Slam champion regretted not fixing the issues with Mill and letting things drift apart.

Watch this story:  Chris Evert looks back at her astounding rivalry with Martina Navratilova and the negative impact of her 13-match losing streak

Evert still shares close relations with her three sons and ex-husband, Andy Mill. He was also a constant support in Evert’s battle with cancer.