"Martina Hingis was 16""Can’t be that hard to put 'male'": Fans reject Carlos Alcaraz being named youngest to reach Grand Slam finals on all surfaces

Fans reacted to Carlos Alcaraz being named the youngest player to reach Grand Slam finals on all three surfaces, noting that Martina Hingis was overlooked for achieving the same feat while being younger. While Alcaraz is the youngest "male" player to achieve the feat, Hingis had achieved the same milestone before turning 17.

On Friday, June 7, Alcaraz reached the final of the 2024 French Open after he defeated Jannik Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in just over four hours in the semifinals.

With this win, the Spaniard, at the age of 21, became the youngest male player to reach Grand Slam finals on all three surfaces. He had previously reached the final at the 2022 US Open, which is played on hard court, then made it to the final at 2023 Wimbledon Championships, a grass court tournament, and now at Roland Garros, a clay court event.

Following Alcaraz's win over Jannik Sinner, Tennis TV took to social media to mention that the Spaniard had become the youngest player to reach Grand Slam finals on all three surfaces. Their note sparked a backlash from fans, who stated that Martina Hingis was the one who deserved recognition for the achievement.

However, Carlos Alcaraz's achievement was overshadowed by the oversight of Hingis, who had accomplished a similar feat at a much younger age.

Many fans took to social media to express their disappointment and emphasized the importance of acknowledging both male and female players in the sport.

One fan just mentioned Martina Hingis being 16 when she made it to the finals of Grand Slam on all three surfaces.

"*whispers* [Martina] Hingis was 16," a fan posted.

Several fans repeatedly pointed out that Carlos Alcaraz was the youngest "male" player and not just the youngest player to reach Grand Slam finals in all three surfaces.

"It really can’t be THAT hard to just put the qualifier “male” in there. Especially with tennis," a fan wrote.

"No, they’re the youngest MALE players," a fan posted.

"Male players. It’s worth the distinction," a fan wrote.

"Youngest male players. hope this helps," a fan posted.

One fan stated that it was important to mention that Alcaraz was the youngest "male" player because if not stated, it excludes the achievements of players like Martina Hingis, Serena Williams and Venus Williams who had achieved similar feats at the same age or at an younger age.

"it's important to say male players cause this list doesn't include, serena, venus, and hingis who were all younger than 23 as well to do this," a fan wrote.

Another fan wrote:

""male" players. FFS! Would entities, particularly in sport, stop thinking 'male' is default. It is why there is so much misinformation on the internet and in the public sphere and erases women's achievements," a fan posted.

Martina Hingis reached the finals of all four Grand Slams before turning 17

Martina Hingis with the 1997 Australian Open trophy

In 1997, Martina Hingis reached the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments, winning three of them. She achieved the feat before the age of 17.

At the Australian Open, where she was seeded fourth, Hingis defeated players like Barbara Rittner, Lisa Raymond, Barbara Schett, Ruxandra Dragomir, Irina Spirlea and Mary Joe Fernandez on her way to the final. She then overcame Mary Pierce 6–2, 6–2 to claim her first Grand Slam title. Notably, she did it without dropping a set in the tournament.

At the French Open, Martina Hingis was the top seed. She defeated the likes of Henrieta Nagyova, Gloria Pizzichini, Anna Kournikova, Barbara Paulus, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Monica Seles to move into the final at Roland Garros. However, in the championship match, Iva Majoli defeated her 6–4, 6–2 to win the title.

At Wimbledon, Hingis went back to her winning streak by defeating players like Anne Kremer, Olga Barabanschikova, Nicole Arendt, Sabine Applemans, Denisa Chladkova and Anna Kournikova to move to the final. In the championship match, the Swiss defeated Jana Novotna 2–6, 6–3, 6–3 to win her second Grand Slam title.

The US Open proved to be another triumph for Hingis as she overcame the likes of Tami Whitlinger-Jones, Denisa Chladkova, Elena Likhovtseva, Florencia Labat, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Lindsay Davenport and Venus Williams in the final to win the New York Slam and in turn her third Grand Slam title.