Former world number one Martina Hingis has all but announced her retirement from tennis.

The 22-year-old Swiss star told l'Equipe sports daily she had no intention of returning to the women's circuit she dominated from 1997 to 2000 when she won five Grand Slam singles crowns and eight doubles titles.

"I have been in the game too long to know what it takes to get to the top and I'm no longer capable of it," she said.

"When you have been No 1 for four years you cannot be satisfied with anything less. And when you can't compete with the best ... No it's not possible to envisage a comeback.

"There's no point in looking back. I've got a great life ahead of me."

Hingis is recovering from further surgery on damaged ankle ligaments.

An operation last year caused her to miss the French Open and Wimbledon but she returned for the US Open where she lost to Monica Seles in the third round.

Her last match was at Filderstadt in Germany on October 10, 2002, where she was beaten by Russia's Elena Dementieva - after that she called a halt to her season and pulled out of the year's first Grand Slam event, the Australian Open in Melbourne.

She says no-one can currently match the Williams sisters Venus and Serena.

"The only one is Kim Clijsters. She has the strength and the talent," she said.

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