Former world No. 1 Martina Hingis [ Images ] is set to marry with Czech tennis player Radek Stepanek.

The 26-year-old Hingis confirmed news of her engagement at a media conference at the Gold Coast on Friday where she is preparing to play the Australian women's hardcourt championships.

Hingis said 28-year-old Stepanek, ranked 19th in the world, had proposed to her in Prague last month but it was not until she arrived in Australia [ Images ] that anyone noticed her diamond ring.

"I was surprised when it was spotted right away because in Switzerland [ Images ] I've been walking around for a month and no-one's said anything," she told reporters.

"I guess people here pay more attention to things."

Hingis dominated women's tennis in the late 1990s, winning the Australian Open [ Images ] three times in a row from 1997 to 1999, before ankle and foot injuries forced her into early retirement in 2002.

She took three years off before making a comeback last year, finishing the season ranked in the world's top 10.

Stepanek will make a comeback of his own at next week's Australian men's hardcourt championships in Adelaide. He reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon [ Images ] this year but has not played since after dislocating a disc in his neck.