Martina Hingis to play at Southern California Open

Former world number one Martina Hingis has confirmed that she will come out of retirement to play doubles at next week's Southern California Open.

The five-time Grand Slam singles champion will play alongside Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova at the tournament in Carlsbad, which starts on July 27.

"I am very much looking forward to making a return to competitive play at the Southern California Open," Hingis told reporters.

"My competitive spirit is still very much alive and I love being out on court."

Hingis, 32, has not played a WTA event for almost six years, having quit tennis after testing positive for cocaine at Wimbledon in 2007.

She subsequently served a two-year ban, although she maintains her innocence.