Former world number one Martina Hingis is to return to professional tennis next year.

"I was never happy my injuries cut my career short and ultimately forced my decision to step away from tennis," said the 25-year-old Swiss in a statement issued by her agents Octagon on Tuesday.

"I have enjoyed my time away from the court, a period that has allowed me to experience a different side of life.

"However, I miss the game and the challenge of competing at the highest level of tennis, and I want to gauge whether I can stay healthy and compete against today's top players."

Hingis, winner of five Grand Slam singles titles, retired in late 2002.

She is the youngest player in history to reach the top of the world rankings, having achieved the feat at the age of 16 years six months.

At 16, she was the youngest winner of a Grand Slam last century and the holder of the Australian, Wimbledon and US Open crowns.

Hingis compensated for her lack of height with superb court craft, excellent timing and an indomitable will.

DECLINE BEGAN

The advent of the powerful Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, punctured Hingis's dominance and her decline began. She won the last of her five Grand Slam singles titles at the 1999 Australian Open.

In 2001 she sued Italian sportswear company Sergio Tacchini, saying their shoes had damaged her feet.

Operations on her ankles in October 2001 and May 2002 led Hingis to withdraw from the sport.

She made a one-off comeback to the WTA Tour last February, losing 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 to Germany's Marlene Weingartner in the first round of the Thailand Open.

Before playing in Thailand, her last match had been in Filderstadt, Germany in late 2002.

Hingis ranks third in the list of career prize money, behind Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova.

"Martina [Hingis] has meant so much to the game of tennis, both on the court with her results, and off the court through her continuous charity involvement," said Phil de Picciotto, Octagon's president of athletes and personalities.

"She had just turned 22 when injuries forced her to stop. Now, at the age of 25, with several surgeries behind her, Martina is looking forward to the challenge of playing a competitive schedule of events."

Hingis was a model of consistency throughout her career, earning at least $1 million in prize money for seven successive years.