May 14, 2008 - Justine Henin retired from tennis today, an abrupt ending to an incredibly successful career in which she won seven Grand Slam singles titles and leaves while ranked No. 1. Henin hanging it up is truly a huge loss for the game. With her retirement, Maria Sharapova will assume the No. 1 ranking.
The 25-year-old Belgian made the surprising announcement at a news conference, less than two weeks before the start of the French Open. Henin has won that clay-court major championship four times, including each of the past three years.
To say we’re floored is putting it mildly. For Henin to retire is one thing. To retire right before the French Open, which has been her most successful event, is simply shocking. Many will speculate that she’s walking away from the game because of a less than stellar start to the season. To suggest she’s retiring because she’s a sore loser is disrespectful. If she feels she’s done enough and wants new challenges then all power to her. An athlete has the right to walk away when she feels the time is right.
Henin has been the dominant player in women’s tennis since winning her first title at Roland Garros in 2003, finishing as the year-end No. 1 three times. Her seven Grand Slams in that span compare to a total of five for the Williams sisters. There was an all-or-nothing quality to her game. At 5-foot-5 and 125 pounds, Henin has always been a small girl in a big girls’ game and known for her fighting spirit, resolve, grit, tenacity and determination. Her departure creates a seemingly irreplacable hole in women’s tennis.
According to an AP report, “Justine Henin will be remembered as one of the all-time great champions in women’s tennis, and a woman who made up for her lack of size with a will to win and fighting spirit that was second to none,” WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott said. “It is rare that an athlete leaves at the very top of her game in this day and age, but Justine has always played by her own rules, in the very best sense of those words.”
Allez Justine.
Loading ...
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.