Justine Henin facts for kids
 |
||||||||||||||
| Country (sports) |  Belgium |
|||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residence | Brussels, Belgium | |||||||||||||
| Born | 1 June 1982 Liège, Belgium |
|||||||||||||
| Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 5+1⁄2 in) | |||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1 January 1999 | |||||||||||||
| Retired | 26 January 2011 | |||||||||||||
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
|||||||||||||
| Coach | Carlos Rodríguez (1995–2008; 2010–2011) | |||||||||||||
| Prize money | US$ 20,863,335
|
|||||||||||||
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2016 (member page) | |||||||||||||
| Singles | ||||||||||||||
| Career record | 525–115 (82.03%) (82.03%) | |||||||||||||
| Career titles | 43 | |||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (20 October 2003) | |||||||||||||
| Grand Slam singles results | ||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | W (2004) | |||||||||||||
| French Open | W (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007) | |||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | F (2001, 2006) | |||||||||||||
| US Open | W (2003, 2007) | |||||||||||||
| Other tournaments | ||||||||||||||
| Tour Finals | W (2006, 2007) | |||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | W (2004) | |||||||||||||
| Doubles | ||||||||||||||
| Career record | 47–35 (57.32%) (57.3%) | |||||||||||||
| Career titles | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 23 (14 January 2002) | |||||||||||||
| Grand Slam doubles results | ||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | 3R (2003) | |||||||||||||
| French Open | SF (2001) | |||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | 3R (2001) | |||||||||||||
| US Open | 2R (2001, 2002) | |||||||||||||
| Team competitions | ||||||||||||||
| Fed Cup | W (2001) | |||||||||||||
| Hopman Cup | F (2011) | |||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||
Justine Henin (born June 1, 1982) is a famous Belgian former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's tennis for 117 weeks. This included being the top player at the end of the years 2003, 2006, and 2007.
Justine won 43 singles titles during her career. This includes seven major championships called Grand Slams. She won the French Open four times, the US Open twice, and the Australian Open once. She also won an Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games and two WTA Finals titles.
Belgium was not a big tennis country before Justine. But she, along with Kim Clijsters, helped make Belgium a strong force in women's tennis. They even led their country to win its first Fed Cup in 2001.
Justine was known for her amazing all-court playing style. She was one of the few female players to use a single-handed backhand. Tennis experts praised her mental strength, her complete and varied game, her speed, and her one-handed backhand. Famous tennis player John McEnroe even called her backhand "the best single-handed backhand in both the women's or men's game." She stopped playing professional tennis on January 26, 2011, because of a long-term elbow injury.
In June 2011, Time magazine named her one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis." In 2016, she became the first Belgian tennis player to join the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In 2023, the International Tennis Federation gave her their highest award, the Philippe Chatrier Award.
Contents
Justine's Early Life
Justine Henin was born in Liège, Belgium. Her mother, Françoise Rosière, was a teacher who sadly passed away when Justine was 12 years old. Justine has two brothers and a sister. When she was two, her family moved to Rochefort. Their house was right next to a tennis club, which is where Justine first started playing tennis.
Justine's mother often took her to France to watch the French Open. In 1995, after her mother's death, Justine met her coach Carlos Rodríguez. He helped guide her tennis career for many years.
Justine's Tennis Journey
Starting Her Career
Justine, often called "Juju" by her fans, was coached by Carlos Rodríguez from Argentina. In 1997, she won the junior girls' singles title at the French Open. She did very well in junior tournaments and won five International Tennis Federation (ITF) events by the end of 1998.
Her junior Grand Slam results include:
- French Open: Won (1997)
- Wimbledon: Quarterfinals (1997)
- US Open: Quarterfinals (1997)
Justine started her professional career in May 1999 at the Belgian Open. She was a special entry and became only the fifth player ever to win her very first WTA Tour event. She also won a local tournament in Liège in July 2000.
In 2001, Justine became a top player. She reached the semifinals of the French Open. Then, at Wimbledon, she beat the champion, Jennifer Capriati, in the semifinals. She lost to Venus Williams in the final. By the end of 2001, Justine was ranked 7th in the world and had won three titles. That year, she also helped Belgium win the 2001 Fed Cup.
In 2002, she reached four WTA finals and won two of them. She finished the year ranked world No. 5. She won her first big "Tier I" tournament at the German Open. There, she beat Jennifer Capriati and then Serena Williams in the final. At Wimbledon 2002, Justine also defeated former world No. 1, Monica Seles.
Becoming World No. 1 in 2003
Justine started 2003 as the world No. 5 player. She had some tough matches, including a long win against Lindsay Davenport at the Australian Open. She then won the Dubai Tennis Championships after saving a match point.
At the Family Circle Cup on clay courts, Justine beat world No. 1 Serena Williams in the final. This was Serena's first loss of the year. Justine then successfully defended her title at the German Open in Berlin, again beating Kim Clijsters in a close final.
At the French Open, Justine was the fourth seed. She famously beat the defending champion, Serena Williams, in a semifinal. In the final, she defeated Kim Clijsters to win her first ever Grand Slam title. She was the first Belgian to win a Grand Slam singles title.
After Wimbledon, Justine started a 22-match winning streak. She won tournaments in San Diego and Toronto. At the US Open, she was the second seed. She had another thrilling semifinal win against Jennifer Capriati, saving many match points. In the final, she again beat Kim Clijsters. This win moved Justine to world No. 2.
On October 20, 2003, Justine became the 13th player to reach world No. 1 in the WTA rankings. She finished the year as the world No. 1 for the first time. The ITF named her the women's singles World Champion for 2003.
2004: Australian Open and Olympic Gold
Justine started 2004 by winning a warm-up tournament in Sydney. Then, she won the Australian Open in Melbourne, beating Kim Clijsters in the final. She had an amazing start to the year, winning 16 matches in a row.
However, Justine then got sick with a virus that affected her immune system. She had to take a break from tennis. Even though she tried to defend her French Open title, she lost early in the tournament.
After months of recovery, Justine returned in August. She won the women's singles gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Athens. She beat Amélie Mauresmo in the final. She also had a tough semifinal win against Anastasia Myskina, coming back from being far behind.
In September, she lost early at the US Open, which made her lose her world No. 1 ranking. She then took the rest of the year off to fully recover her health.
2005: Second French Open and Injuries
Justine's return to tennis in 2005 was delayed when she broke her kneecap in December 2004. She finally came back in March at the Miami Masters. She then won the clay court Family Circle Cup in Charleston. She won two more clay court titles before the French Open.
At the French Open, Justine was the tenth seed. She defeated Mary Pierce in the final to win her second French Open title. She won this title after saving two match points in an earlier round against Svetlana Kuznetsova. This win was her 24th straight victory on clay courts.
At Wimbledon, her winning streak of 24 matches ended in the first round. She then had a hamstring injury that limited her play for the rest of 2005.
2006: Reaching All Four Grand Slam Finals
Justine returned to tennis in January 2006 at a tournament in Sydney. At the Australian Open, she reached the final against Amélie Mauresmo. However, Justine had to stop playing during the match due to stomach pain from a shoulder injury.
She won her second title of the year in Dubai, beating Maria Sharapova. On clay, she helped Belgium beat Russia in the 2006 Fed Cup quarterfinals.
At the French Open, Justine defeated Kim Clijsters in the semifinals. She then beat Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final to win her third French Open title. She won the tournament without losing a single set.
Just before Wimbledon, she won a grass court tournament in Eastbourne. At Wimbledon, Justine reached her third Grand Slam final in a row. She beat Kim Clijsters in the semifinals but lost the final to Amélie Mauresmo. This was the only Wimbledon final in that decade that did not include Venus or Serena Williams.
At the US Open, Maria Sharapova defeated Justine in the final. With this, Justine became the first woman since 1997 to reach the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments in one year.
Justine won the Sony Ericsson Championships for the first time, beating Maria Sharapova in the semifinals and Amélie Mauresmo in the final. She finished 2006 as the world No. 1 player. She was the first woman since Steffi Graf (1993-1996) to win at least one Grand Slam title for four years in a row.
2007: A Dominant Year
.jpg)
Justine missed the Australian Open in 2007 due to personal reasons. This caused her to lose the world No. 1 ranking for a short time.
In her first tournament of the year, she lost in the semifinals in Paris. But then she won two hardcourt tournaments in the Middle East: Dubai (for the fourth time) and Qatar. On March 19, she got her world No. 1 ranking back. She also reached the final of the Miami Masters for the first time.
Justine won the J&S Cup in Warsaw. At the French Open, she was the top seed and defending champion. She won a highly anticipated quarterfinal match against Serena Williams. She then defeated Ana Ivanovic in the final to win her third French Open title in a row. She won the tournament without losing a set. This was the last time a woman successfully defended her French Open title until 2023.
Justine won the International Women's Open in Eastbourne. At Wimbledon, she lost to Marion Bartoli in the semifinals. This was after she had beaten Serena Williams in the quarterfinals.
In August, Justine won the Rogers Cup in Toronto. At the US Open, she won her first four matches easily. She then faced Serena Williams in the quarterfinals for the third Grand Slam in a row and won again. In the semifinals, she beat Venus Williams. In the final, Justine won her second US Open title, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova without losing a set. She became the first woman to beat both Williams sisters in the same Grand Slam tournament and win the title.
Justine then won two more tournaments: the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and the Zurich Open. At the WTA Tour Championships, she won all her matches, including a tough final against Maria Sharapova. This extended her winning streak to 25 matches. She won ten titles in 2007, becoming the first player to do so since 1997. She also became the first woman to earn over US$5 million in prize money in one year.
Justine ended 2007 as the world No. 1 for the third time. She had an amazing record of 63 wins and only 4 losses that year.
2008: First Retirement
Justine started 2008 as the world No. 1. She won the Medibank International in Sydney. At the Australian Open, her 32-match winning streak ended in the quarterfinals when Maria Sharapova defeated her.
She won another title in her home country at the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp. After some more tournaments, Justine announced her immediate retirement from professional tennis on May 14, 2008. This was a surprise because she was still ranked world No. 1 and was a favorite for the French Open. She said she felt no sadness, but rather a sense of freedom from a game she had focused on for twenty years. She planned to focus on charity and her tennis school.
2010: Her Comeback
In September 2009, Justine announced she would return to competitive tennis after 16 months of retirement. She was inspired by Roger Federer winning the French Open and Kim Clijsters winning the US Open after her own comeback.
Justine returned at the Brisbane International in January 2010. She reached the final but lost a very close match to her fellow Belgian, Kim Clijsters.
At the 2010 Australian Open, Justine was given a special entry as an unranked player. She had an impressive run, beating top players like Elena Dementieva and Nadia Petrova. She reached the final, where she faced world No. 1 Serena Williams. This was their first Grand Slam final match against each other. Justine lost in three sets.
She continued to play well, reaching the semifinals of the Miami Masters and winning the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. This was her first title since her comeback.
Justine played at the French Open, where she had won four titles before. She reached the fourth round but lost to Samantha Stosur. She then won her second title of the year at the UNICEF Open.
At Wimbledon, Justine reached the fourth round but lost to Kim Clijsters. During this match, she slipped and injured her right elbow. This injury forced her to end her 2010 season early. She was given the WTA Comeback Player of the Year award for her great return.
2011: Second Retirement
Justine started 2011 at the Hopman Cup, winning all her matches. At the Australian Open, she was the 11th seed. She won her first two matches but then lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova.
On January 26, 2011, Justine announced her final retirement from professional tennis. This was because her elbow injury, which she got at Wimbledon the year before, had gotten worse.
How Justine Played Tennis
Martina Navratilova once said that Justine's attacking play was "phenomenal." She compared Justine to Roger Federer, saying Justine was "head and shoulders above everyone else." Justine was known for her amazing footwork, balance, and how well she covered the court. She could quickly switch from playing defensively to attacking.
Justine's serve was sometimes inconsistent, but she could hit powerful first serves. Her fastest serve was recorded at 196 km/h (122 mph).
Her One-Handed Backhand
Justine had one of the best one-handed backhands in tennis history. In an era where most players use two-handed backhands for more power, Justine's one-handed backhand was special. It had incredible power and accuracy. It also allowed her to reach further and hit many different types of shots, like slices and topspin. John McEnroe called it "the best in men's or women's tennis."
Her Volleying Skills
Justine was also considered one of the best at volleying (hitting the ball at the net). She was an all-court player, meaning she was good at all parts of the game. Famous coach Nick Bollettieri said Justine was one of the few female players who were great at volleying and serving-and-volleying.
Justine's Life Outside Tennis
On November 16, 2002, Justine married Pierre-Yves Hardenne and officially used the name Henin-Hardenne. On January 4, 2007, she announced she was taking a break from tennis due to personal issues. Three weeks later, she confirmed she had separated from her husband. That same year, she went back to using just the name Henin.
After a disagreement with her father about her tennis career, Carlos Rodríguez became more than just her coach. He became like a second father figure to her.
Since March 2011, Justine has been in a relationship with Benoît Bertuzzo, a Belgian film director. They secretly married in March 2015. They have two children: a daughter born in 2013 and a son born in 2017.
Public Life and Sponsors
Justine wore clothes made by Adidas and used Wilson racquets. She was known for wearing her sponsor's Rolex wristwatch even during matches. Later, other players like Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams started doing this too.
In May 2007, Justine and her coach Carlos Rodríguez started a tennis academy called Academy 6th Sense. In 2009, a player from their academy won a junior Grand Slam title. On November 30, 2007, Justine also opened her own tennis academy called Club Justine N1.
After retiring, Justine was involved in some Belgian TV shows. In 2009, she starred in The 12 Labours of Justine Henin, where she completed 12 personal challenges. She also hosted a music TV show.
Career Highlights
Grand Slam Finals: 12 (7 Wins, 5 Losses)
Justine reached the final of a Grand Slam tournament 12 times. She won 7 of those finals and was the runner-up in 5.
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 2001 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Venus Williams |
1–6, 6–3, 0–6 |
| Win | 2003 | French Open (1) | Clay |  Kim Clijsters |
6–0, 6–4 |
| Win | 2003 | US Open (1) | Hard | Kim Clijsters |
7–5, 6–1 |
| Win | 2004 | Australian Open (1) | Hard | Kim Clijsters |
6–3, 4–6, 6–3 |
| Win | 2005 | French Open (2) | Clay |  Mary Pierce |
6–1, 6–1 |
| Loss | 2006 | Australian Open | Hard | Amélie Mauresmo |
1–6, 0–2 ret. |
| Win | 2006 | French Open (3) | Clay |  Svetlana Kuznetsova |
6–4, 6–4 |
| Loss | 2006 | Wimbledon | Grass | Amélie Mauresmo |
6–2, 3–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 2006 | US Open | Hard | Maria Sharapova |
4–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 2007 | French Open (4) | Clay |  Ana Ivanovic |
6–1, 6–2 |
| Win | 2007 | US Open (2) | Hard | Svetlana Kuznetsova |
6–1, 6–3 |
| Loss | 2010 | Australian Open | Hard | Serena Williams |
4–6, 6–3, 2–6 |
Amazing Records
Justine holds some special records in tennis:
- She won the French Open 3 times in a row (2005–2007), tying with Monica Seles and Iga Swiatek.
- She won the French Open twice (2006, 2007) without losing a single set. She is the only player to do this!
- She won 40 sets in a row at the French Open (2005–2010), tying with Helen Wills Moody.
- In 2006, she reached the final of all four Grand Slam tournaments in one year. Only a few other great players have done this.
- In 2007, she won two Grand Slam titles without losing a set in the same year.
Awards and Honors
Justine received many awards throughout her career:
- 2001
- Belgian National Sports Merit Award
- 2002
- UEPS European Sportswoman of the Year
- 2003
- Belgian Sportswoman of the Year
- ITF World Champion
- UEPS European Sportswoman of the Year
- ISK Sportswoman of the Year
- Dame Grand Cross in the Order of the Crown (a special honor from the King of Belgium)
- 2004
- WTA Player of the Year (for 2003)
- Belgian Sportswoman of the Year
- 2005
- Family Circle/State Farm "Player Who Makes A Difference"
- Whirlpool 6th Sense Player of the Year
- 2006
- UNESCO Champion for Sport
- ITF World Champion
- Belgian Sportswoman of the Year
- Member of the Belgian Sporting Team of the Year (Fed Cup team)
- UEPS European Sportswoman of the Year
- Sports Merit Award of the French Community of Belgium
- 2007
- Whirlpool 6th Sense Player of the Year
- Belgian Sportswoman of the Year
- Belgian Sports Personality of the Year (a career award)
- ITF World Champion
- USSA Female Athlete of the Year
- EFE Sportsperson of the Year
- UEPS European Sportswoman of the Year
- La Gazzetta dello Sport Sportswoman of the Year
- 2008
- Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
- WTA Player of the Year (for 2007)
- 2009
- Sports Illustrated 4th Female Athlete of the Decade
- 2010
- WTA Comeback Player of the Year
- 2011
- Commander of Walloon Merit
- 2016
- 2023
- ITF Philippe Chatrier Award
See also
In Spanish: Justine Henin para niños
- Grand Slam (tennis)
- List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players
- List of female tennis players
- Tennis records of the Open Era – Women's singles
