Tennis great Jana Novotna once compared her former rivals, Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis. According to her, Hingis was friendlier and more gracious in accepting when an opponent played better, unlike Graf.
Novotna and Graf shared one of the sport’s most talked-about rivalries. However, it was one-sided, with the 22-time Grand Slam champion holding a 14-6 head-to-head lead.
The former Wimbledon champion also had a notable rivalry with Hingis, facing her six times, though the latter led 4-2. The duo shared a close bond off the court, with the Czech mentoring the Swiss.
One of the best matches between Jana Novotna and Martina Hingis took place at the 1998 Wimbledon Championships, where Novotna defeated Hingis in the semifinals on her way to lifting the trophy.
Later, she praised the five-time Major champion during a conversation with the media, describing her as gracious in defeat, contrary to her sometimes bitter public image.
“What’s remarkable is that she can be so friendly, so good and so professional,” Novotna said (via Sports Illustrated).
“To me, a champion is someone who can lose and admit that the other player was better. SteffiGraf has never done that in her life. But after I beat Martina, she said, ‘Jana is a great champion,'” she added.
