Justine Henin Retires

[SUFC Forever]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7399963.stm

Amazing to retire at 25. Seven Grand Slams and won everything but Wimbledon and without a doubt one of the best of the modern era without reaching the heights of Steffi, Martina etc.

 

[Pubey]

she's always had quite a strange family and stuff going on behind the scenes hasn't she?! all a bit weird, a great tennis player on her day

 

[stevie_G_G_G]

Something smells a bit fishy here, can't see why she would do this at such an early and succesful stage of her career

 

[samib]

Who cares? As long as Sharapova carries on, it'll make me happy- i love the noises she makes when she plays a shot (reminds me of the noises *ORM* was making on Sunday, when he done his shoulder in:D )

 

[Uncle Leo]

Something smells a bit fishy here, can't see why she would do this at such an early and succesful stage of her career

I wondered that, then read a bit about her in The Times today:

"Before she became a professional and at every turn thereafter, Henin fought battles with her family, her conscience and her body. That she was able to hold most of it together and remain the best player in the world for so long - 61 consecutive weeks at the latest stage - represented a heart-warming and defining story of the women's game. There would inevitably come the time when surrender was an option, but this soon?.....

"Henin's mother, sister, baby nephew, grandmother, grandfather and great-grandmother died in exceptionally sad circumstances. She was estranged from José, her father, for a decade and neither he nor Justine's brothers or surviving grandparents were invited to her wedding in 2002 to Pierre-Yves Hardenne, a marriage that ended in divorce late last year.

The reconciliation process started when David, a brother who fell into a coma after being injured in a car accident, awoke to find Justine at his bedside. Several members of her family flew to Paris last year to be present at a hugely emotional triumph. She has been reunited with her father."

Looks like she's not had it very easy. A real loss to the game though. What a player. My favourite memory is her total annihilation of Clijsters in the final of the first French Open she won (2003?). The result wasn't in doubt after about four points. Magnificent.

 

[C C Csiders]

I would have thought that she has retired as it is no longer viable to continue her career as the world's number 1 female tennis player and at the same time, in he guise as AP McCoy ride between 200-220 winners as the country's leading National Hunt jockey.

Justine Henin

Tony McCoy

 

[Kenny]

I'll miss Henin, aka "The Beglian Backhand" - She was about the only female tennis player worth watching for her skills alone and not for perving purposes.