age
42 years
01/06/1982
born at
Liège (Belgium)
PRO CAREER
1999 - 2011
12 years
Main hand
right
One-handed backhand
age
42 years
01/06/1982
born at
Liège (Belgium)
PRO CAREER
1999 - 2011
12 years
Main hand
right
One-handed backhand
Justine Henin's signature move was so precise and so great that it lingers on in memory. But the Belgian's talent did not end there! Her effectiveness, combined with her grace on the court, won over the greats, including John McEnroe, who often compared her to Roger Federer. More importantly, Justine Henin was also a hard worker, with a phenomenal capacity for concentration, which often made her come across as very cold. With a game perfectly suited to clay courts, Carlos Rodriguez's protégée made waves at Roland-Garros, winning the Parisian tournament four times, most memorably in 2003 against her fellow countrywoman Kim Clijsters. With seven Grand Slam victories, she could have racked up even more trophies if she had not experienced major health problems. In 2004, a cytomegalovirus infection kept her off the courts for three months. Tough break. In the end, it was her elbow that held her back, forcing her to end her career for the first time in 2008 when she was the world's number one player. Henin came back the following year, making her last appearance in a Grand Slam final (her 12th!) in Melbourne in 2010, then walked away for good in early 2011. Today she is a deeply fulfilled mother, and the idol for an entire generation.
Titles
43
Finals
18
Higher ranking
1
WTA Singles, 20/10/2003