After a year and a half of retirement, Belgian super star Justine Henin has announced a return to professional tennis. Reports indicate that Henin has been seen training again and is now scheduled for an exhibition tournament in December. Her return to tennis coincides with her compatriot, Kim Clijsters’, astonishing feat: winning the US Open after two years of absence, and particularly, beating two of the best tennis players of the circuit – the Williams sisters.
Henin’s return may have been motivated by her compatriot’s success at the US Open. Clijsters proved that, even as a mother with 26 years behind her and a two-year absence from tennis, anything was possible. Henin herself points to Roger Federer’s win at the French Open as the cause, and claims she considered returning as soon as mid-July.
For weeks rumors have circulated, although Henin hadn’t made any comments on her website, nor had her spokeswoman returned press calls on the matter. On Tuesday, Henin finally made the announcement on live Belgian television. She stated that she would begin the 2010 season with several exhibition tournaments and then hoped to play through the 2012 Olympics.
"It's surprising, because on the 14th of May 2008, I put a definitive end to my career,'' the returning player said. "And then, there was a long personal journey. And then the flame I thought was extinguished was relit.''
The announcement comes as no surprise, as the tennis superstar has been softening in her insistence that she will not return to tennis in recent months. When asked of her return earlier this month at a conference on her work as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, the former world No. 1 told the press to “come back and ask me later.”
The return of the formerly great player will make no small impact on the tour. Henin is still young at 27, and the skills she developed over her career will not have faded in only 18 months. She has always been a ferocious competitor, an incredible advantage in today’s tour.
During her professional career, Henin won four French Open titles out of a breathtaking total 41 career titles. She first reached the No. 1 spot in 2003 and has won almost every major tennis event with the exception of Wimbledon; she also won an Olympic gold medal in 2004. She picked up an impressive $19 million in prize money during her professional years. She was still reigning champion in May of 2008, when she retired – the first top-seeded player to do so. She complained of the physical pressure on her body due to the tour, and has since opened a successful tennis academy.
Henin was known as one of the greatest tennis players of all times due to her beautiful one-handed backhand, her tremendous athleticism, and her incredible work ethic on the courts.
Carlos Rodriguez will contine as Henin’s coach. Her goal, he said, is Wimbledon next year; she’s been runner-up twice, and with a Federer/Clijsters-esque performance, she will aim for Wimbeldon 2010.
"I'm very happy to be helping her to restart her new life," Rodriguez stated. “It's a super challenge for her. The desire to win Wimbledon is one of the main reasons she's come back, and I'll do everything to help her do it."