Hingis set for Sydney tournament

Hingis offered Melbourne wildcard Tracy Austin on Hingis return

Martina Hingis has added the Sydney International event to her comeback schedule ahead of the Australian Open.

The former world No 1 announced last month she was coming out of a four-year retirement forced by injuries.

Swiss star Hingis, 25, is a three-time winner of the Sydney International, the last of her titles coming in 2002.

Tournament director Craig Watson: "We are thrilled to be in a position to welcome Martina back to Sydney and provide her a wild card."

Hingis will make her return to competitive tennis on New Year's Day on Australia's Gold Coast.

The three-time Australian Open champion has been offered a wild card for the first grand slam tournament of the year in Melbourne.

She said: "I know I'll get some tough matches and it will allow me to get used to the Australian summer coming from the European winter.

"When you've been number one for four years, that's all you want - to compete with the best and possibly win grand slams.

When I look at the rest of the top 10, that definitely gives me hope Martina Hingis

"I would love to be world number one again, but I can only see if that's possible once I start competing."

Hingis said she was relishing the chance to test herself against the players who have succeeded in her absence.

"When people ask me who I really want to play, I always say Sharapova.

"Firstly, because she's the only one I haven't played, but also because she's won Wimbledon and been number one herself, so she's probably the young girl to aim for right now.

"When I look at the rest of the top 10 and see that Lindsay Davenport, Mary Pierce, Amelie Mauresmo and the Belgian girls (Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin) are still at the top, that definitely gives me hope."

Hingis, who won the last of her three straight Australian Open titles in 1999, has dropped out of the WTA rankings and needs wild card invitations to play.