Former women’s No. 1 Henin returning to WTA Tour
Apparently countrywoman watching Kim Clijsters win the U.S. Open just two-and-a-half-years after leaving competitive tennis to have a child had a major impact on former women’s No. 1 player Justine Henin.
Henin will return to the WTA Tour, she announced Tuesday. She had been retired for just over a year, but at 27 says she has the fire and physical strength to compete for an eighth Grand Slam title.
She wants to play two exhibition tournaments, in Charleroi, Belgium, and Dubai, to hone her skills ahead of a competitive return next year with plans to compete in the next Grand Slam, the Australian Open.
“The fire within burns again,” Henin said. “I want to come back in January.”
Her coach, Carlos Rodriguez, said her ambition to win a first Wimbledon title after twice finishing runner-up was a driving force.
“I swear I was extremely surprised,” he said. “I’m happy because at the end of the day it’s what she loves.”
On May 14, 2008, still ranked No. 1, Henin announced her retirement immediately. The timing was unexpected since her favorite tournament, the French Open, was less than two weeks away and as the 2007 champion she would have been expected to defend her title.
Henin became the first Belgian to reach a singles final at Wimbledon in 2001, where she was beaten by Venus Williams. She also went on to become the first Belgian to win a grand slam title when she beat compatriot Clijsters to win the 2003 French Open. Henin beat Clijsters to win her second grand slam title at the U.S. Open in 2003 and then again in the 2004 Australian Open final.
Clijsters returned to the sport after 24 months away, during which time she gave birth to a daughter, Jada. In just her third tournament back, she beat both Venus and Serena Williams on her way to success at Flushing Meadows.
However, Henin said that Clijsters had not been the main motivation behind her own decision to return.
“Subconsciously, it might have had an impact,” said Henin. “But it certainly was not the most important reason.”
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