Martina Hingis’s return to the women’s tennis tour a year ago was celebrated as a glorious homecoming. Burn out had caused too many of the sport’s great female characters to quit prematurely over the years and the re-emergence of the 'Swiss Miss' has been a success story … of sorts.

Just for Hingis to be back competing again in the later stages of a Grand Slam is a notable effort. Television commentary clearly wasn’t for her and though she loved riding her horses, it didn’t satisfy her competitive instincts. However the events of the last 12 months, and the five major tournaments that Hingis has played since coming back, underline the common belief that female tennis moved on immensely in her three year lay-off.

She might have soared back into the world’s top ten and taken her collection of singles titles to 41 but is she really a contender for the sport’s major prizes? Three Grand Slam quarter-final finishes and two failures to even survive the first week combine to suggest that the girl who won five of the big ones before her 20th birthday is now seemingly designated to be an also ran. A charismatic and crowd pleasing also ran, but when all is said and done she is not a player to challenge the top seeds.

The Australian Open was always a happy hunting ground for Hingis - she won three consecutive titles between 1997 and 1999 and played in three other finals to follow. She revelled on the Rebound Ace like she did on no other surface, her speed and anticipation giving her the edge over any rival. However, weight of shot and sheer power are something she never managed to attain in her pomp. No matter how hard she labours in the gymnasium or practice court, it is not something she can acquire now.

Hingis's lot is to play with a frame measuring 5ft 7ins and weighing little more than nine stones. Justine Henin-Hardenne’s precise technique, particularly on the backhand side, allows her to generate great pace but Hingis’s game has always been based on wearing down her opponents with an ability to relentlessly get the ball back. Nowadays it is at far greater a disadvantage than it was a decade ago.

In a couple of months Kim Clijsters will hang her rackets up for good and settle down to a life of domesticity. She is insistent she will not be following the Hingis path and get bored with life away from tennis after a couple of years. But until she bids goodbye at Wimbledon the Belgian will have the edge over Hingis, as was proved in her quarter-final victory. The same can be said for the likes of Maria Sharapova, Amelie Mauresmo and a new generation of big hitters including Jelena Jankovic and Nicole Vaidisova.

It’s nice to have you back Martina and we all hope you stick around for a while. But don’t expect to win anything big.