Retired multiple Grand Slam Champion Martina Hingis has been elected into the International Tennis Hall Of Fame in the Class of 2013. The honour was bestowed upon the former world no.1 who retired in 2007 on Monday.

Hingis who recently launched a new line of tennis apparel in association with the Vancouver-based fashion-house Tonic said, “Being inducted into the International Tennis Hall Of Fame is a tremendous honor.”

The 32-year-old expressed her appreciation for the inclusion into the exclusive club and added that she was “looking forward to the enshrinement weekend in Newport and to being welcomed in by the other Hall Of Famers.” The enshrinement ceremony for the Class of 2013 will be held on Saturday, July 13, 2013.

Hingis won five single Grand Slam titles and set a series of ‘youngest-ever’ records in the history of the game that included being a youngest Grand Slam Winner in the Open Era at 16years and 3 months, and the youngest ever World No.1 at 16 years and 6 months. Also a successful doubles player, Hingis is one of the only five players to have hold the world no. 1 position in both the singles and doubles category simultaneously.

The Swiss legend had a temporary break from tennis in 2003 due to career threatening injuries but returned in 2005. However, Hingis who did not achieve the level of success she had earlier experienced announced her retirement from tennis in 2007 after being tested positive of cocaine but by then had accumulated a total of 43 WTA titles.

The recognition of Hingis’s record was echoed by the Hall of Fame President Stan Smith who said, “Having achieved No.1 status in both singles and doubles, and having won an incredible 15 Grand Slam tournament titles, Martina Hingis is undoubtedly one of the world's elite tennis players, and we are glad to pay tribute to her among the legends of the sport.”

The International Hall of Tennis Fame and Museum is located in Newport, Rhode Island and is dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of tennis. Others who made it into the Class of 2013 includes Australian tennis legend Thelma Coyne Long in the Master Player Category. Long won 19 Grand Slam titles between 1930s and 1950s.