Justine Henin - Belgium 
| Birth Date:
| 6/1/1982 |
Age:
| 30 |
| Birth Place:
| Liège, Belgium |
Residence:
| Ave-et-Auffe, Belgium |
| Height:
| 5'5" 3/4 (1.67m) |
Weight:
| 126 lbs. (57 kg) |
| Year Turned Pro:
| 1999 (13 years on tour) |
Plays:
| Right Handed |
| Official Website:
| http://www.justine-henin.be/ |
Twitter:
| @Justine_Henin |
|
Currently ranked No.12 in the world, Belgium’s Justine Henin has 45 career WTA Tour titles including six Grand Slam singles crowns. Henin began her comeback in January of 2010 after retiring on May 14, 2008 while ranked No. 1 in the world – the only player to ever do so.
Henin first reached the rank of No. 1 in the world on Oct. 20, 2003, and finished the 2003, 2006 and 2007 seasons as the top singles player in the world. Her top doubles rank of 23rd was achieved on Jan. 14, 2002.
Henin turned pro on the first day of 1999, debuting at Antwerp and winning the tournament at age 16.
In 2000, she reached the fourth round of the US Open and moved into the top 50 afterwards.
In 2001, she finished in the top 10, winning three singles titles and reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal (losing to Kim Clijsters at the French Open) and first Grand Slam final (losing at Wimbledon to Venus Williams). She began 2001 ranked No. 45 and ended it ranked seventh.
She finished in the top 10 again in 2002, winning two Tour singles titles as well as a doubles title.
In 2003, Henin put it all together, winning eight titles, 75 matches and finishing No. 1 for the year. She made at least the semifinals in 18 of 19 events played and won her first two Grand Slam titles, defeating Clijsters in the final of the French Open, then rallying past Jennifer Capriati in the US Open, a match in which she was two points away from losing on 10 different occasions.
Despite being beaten down by injuries, she continued her success into the 2004 season, winning the Australian Open by defeating Clijsters in the final. Her health began to flag as she pulled out of Antwerp with a respiratory illness and later departed Charleston with hypoglycemia, then Berlin and Rome with cytomegalovirus. She did not play from May until returning to win the gold medal in the Summer Olympics, and made it to the fourth round of the US Open.
She dropped from first to fourth in the rankings, ending her 45-week reign at No. 1.
She returned healthy in the spring of 2005 and won the French Open for a second time, defeating Mary Pierce. She followed that with a first-round exit at Wimbledon, but returned to form by making the fourth round at the US Open. She ended the season ranked sixth, her fifth consecutive Top 10 finish.
She returned to top form in 2006, finishing No. 1 and winning the French Open for a third time, becoming the first player in 12 years to win the title without dropping a single set. She reached the final of the Australian Open but retired with a GI illness in the final while trailing 6-1, 2-0. She was also the runner-up at both Wimbledon and the US Open, becoming just the seventh Open Era player to reach all four Grand Slam finals in one year.
She retained her No. 1 rank in 2007, winning 10 of 14 events played and becoming the first female player to win more than $5 million in a season. Her titles included her fourth title at the French Open, cruising past Ana Ivanovic in the final, and the US Open.
Henin started 2008 strong, going 16-4 from January through May and reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. She withdrew from Charleston with a knee injury, then withdrew from Rome citing fatigue and announced her immediate retirement.
Henin did not play in 2009, then announced a comeback to the tour for the beginning of the 2010 season.
Her first tournament back was at Brisbane, where she defeated No. 2 seed Nadia Petrova and No. 3 seed Ivanovic before losing to Clijsters in the final. She followed that up by making the final of the Australian Open, losing to top-seeded Serena Williams in three sets. She became just the second unranked WC to reach a Grand Slam final, joining rival Clijsters who did so in winning the 2009 US Open. Henin’s return to the French Open saw a trip to the fourth round, as did her return to Wimbledon, where she again lost to Clijsters.
Career Grand Slam Titles
Singles (7): Australian Open (2004); French Open (2003, 2005-2007); US Open (2003, 2007)
Year-End Singles Rankings: 1998 - 226th; 1999 - 69th; 2000 - 48th; 2001 - 7th; 2002 - 5th; 2003 - 1st; 2004 - 8th; 2005 - 6th; 2006 - 1st; 2007 - 1st.
Personal
Coached by Carlos Rodriguez, who has guided her since she was 14. Says her strongest shot is her backhand, and prefers clay courts. Has the superstition of avoiding walking on court lines between points. Created the charity “Justine’s Winners’ Circle” in 2003 to provide funds for children with cancer.
BLX Tour Review:
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