Justine Henin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Justine Henin

Country (sports)	Belgium
Residence	Brussels, Belgium
Born	(1982-06-01) 1 June 1982 (age 43) 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 24th in all-time rankings
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%)
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 Women's tennis Representing  Belgium Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Women's singles

Justine Henin (born June 1, 1982) is a famous Belgian former tennis player. She was ranked the world No. 1 for a total of 117 weeks. She finished as the year-end No. 1 in 2003, 2006, and 2007.

Justine won 43 singles titles during her career. This includes seven major titles, also known as Grand Slams. She also won an Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games. She also won the Tour Finals twice.

Justine came from a country, Belgium, that wasn't very well known for tennis. But she, along with Kim Clijsters, helped make Belgium a strong force in women's tennis. They even led Belgium to win its first Fed Cup in 2001.

Justine was known for her amazing all-court playing style. She was also one of the few female players to use a single-handed backhand. Tennis experts praised her mental strength and her complete game. They also noted her speed and footwork. Her one-handed backhand was so good that John McEnroe called it "the best single-handed backhand in both the women's or men's game."

She stopped playing professional tennis on January 26, 2011. This was because of a long-term elbow injury. Many people consider Justine Henin to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time. In 2016, she became the first Belgian tennis player to be put into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In 2023, she received the Philippe Chatrier Award, the highest honor from the International Tennis Federation.

Justine's Early Life

Justine Henin was born in Liège, Belgium. Her mother, Françoise Rosière, was a teacher. Sadly, her mother passed away when Justine was 12 years old. Justine has two brothers and one sister.

When she was two, her family moved to Rochefort. Their new house was right next to a local tennis club. This is where Justine first started playing tennis.

Her 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 career for many years.

Justine's Tennis Career

Starting Her Career

Justine, often called "Juju" by her fans, was coached by Carlos Rodríguez. In 1997, she won the junior girls' singles title at the French Open.

She started her professional career in May 1999 at the Belgian Open. She became one of only five players to win their very first WTA Tour event. By the end of 1998, she had already won five International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments.

In 2001, Justine became a major player. She reached the semifinals of the French Open. Then, at Wimbledon, she beat the champion, Jennifer Capriati. She lost to Venus Williams in the final. By the end of 2001, she was ranked 7th in the world. 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 beat both Jennifer Capriati and Serena Williams to win the German Open.

Becoming World No. 1 in 2003

Justine started 2003 ranked 5th in the world. She had a tough match against Lindsay Davenport at the Australian Open. She won after more than three hours of play.

Justine Henin prepares to hit a backhand

At the Dubai Tennis Championships, she won the final against Monica Seles. Seles had a chance to win the match, but Justine fought back.

At the Family Circle Cup, Justine beat world No. 1 Serena Williams in the final. This was Serena's first loss of the year.

In May, Justine won the German Open again. She saved three match points to beat Kim Clijsters in the final.

At the French Open, she was the fourth seed. She beat Serena Williams in a close semifinal. Then, she defeated Kim Clijsters in the final. This was her first 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 the Acura Classic in San Diego, beating Clijsters. Then she won the Rogers Cup in Toronto.

At the US Open, Justine was the second seed. She had a very long semifinal match against Jennifer Capriati. She won after more than three hours. The next day, she played Clijsters in the final and won. This win made her world No. 2.

On October 20, 2003, Justine became the 13th world No. 1 player. She finished the year ranked 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 tournament in Sydney. Then she won the Australian Open, beating Kim Clijsters in the final. She had a great start to the year, winning 16 matches in a row.

However, she then got sick with a virus. She had to take a break from tennis. She lost early at the French Open while trying to defend her title.

After recovering, 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.

She lost her world No. 1 ranking after the US Open. She then stopped playing for the rest of the year to fully recover.

2005: Second French Open and Injuries

Justine's return to tennis in 2005 was delayed. She broke her kneecap in December 2004.

She came back to the WTA tour in March. She won the Family Circle Cup in Charleston. She won two more clay court titles before the French Open.

Justine Henin in 2005

At the French Open, she was the tenth seed. She defeated Mary Pierce in the final to win her second French Open title. She won 24 matches in a row on clay courts that year. She also became only the second woman to win the French Open after saving a match point.

Her winning streak ended at Wimbledon, where she lost in the first round. She then had a hamstring injury. This limited her to playing only 11 more matches in 2005.

2006: Reaching All Four Grand Slam Finals

Justine returned to tennis in January 2006. She played Martina Hingis at the Sydney tournament and won.

Justine Henin at the 2006 Medibank International in Sydney

At the Australian Open, she reached the final against Amélie Mauresmo. Justine had to stop playing in the match due to stomach pain. This was only the fourth time a Grand Slam women's singles final ended with a player stopping early.

She won her second title of the year in Dubai. This was her third time winning there. She then helped Belgium beat Russia in the 2006 Fed Cup quarterfinals.

At the French Open, Justine won her third French Open title. She did not lose a single set during the tournament. She was the first French Open champion to win it again since Steffi Graf in 1996.

Just before Wimbledon, she won a grass court tournament in Eastbourne. At Wimbledon, she reached her third Grand Slam final in a row. She lost the final to Amélie Mauresmo.

Justine won another title in New Haven. This was her 28th WTA tour title. She also reached the world No. 2 ranking.

At the US Open, she lost to Maria Sharapova in the final. But by reaching all four Grand Slam finals in one year, she became the first woman to do so since Martina Hingis in 1997.

She won the Sony Ericsson Championships for the first time. This guaranteed her the year-end world No. 1 ranking. She was the first player since Martina Hingis in 2000 to win the WTA Tour Championships and finish the year as No. 1.

2007: A Dominant Year

Justine started 2007 by taking a break due to personal reasons. This caused her to lose her world No. 1 ranking for a short time.

Justine Henin during the 2007 Sony Ericsson Open

She won two hardcourt tournaments in the Middle East: Dubai (for the fourth time) and Qatar. She regained the world No. 1 ranking on March 19. She also reached the final of the Miami Masters for the first time.

At the French Open, Justine was the top seed and defending champion. She beat Serena Williams in a highly anticipated quarterfinal match. She then defeated Ana Ivanovic in the final. This was her third French Open title in a row. She won the tournament without losing a set. She had not lost a match at the French Open since 2004.

She won the Eastbourne grass court tournament again.

At the 2007 Wimbledon

At Wimbledon, she lost in the semifinals to Marion Bartoli. This was her first win over Serena Williams on a surface other than clay.

In August, she won the Rogers Cup in Toronto. This was her 35th WTA tour title.

At the US Open, Justine won her first four matches easily. She faced Serena Williams in the quarterfinals again and won. Then she beat Venus Williams in the semifinals. In the final, she won her second US Open title, beating Svetlana Kuznetsova. She won the tournament without losing a set. She was the first woman to beat both Williams sisters in the same Grand Slam and win the title.

She won two more tournaments, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and the Zurich Open. These were her ninth and tenth titles of the year.

At the WTA Tour Championships, Justine won all her matches. She beat Maria Sharapova in a long final. This extended her winning streak to 25 matches. She became the first player to win at least ten tour titles in a year since Martina Hingis in 1997. She also became the first woman to earn over US$5 million in prize money in one year.

Justine ended 2007 ranked world No. 1 for the third time. She had an amazing record of 63 wins and only 4 losses.

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. She lost to Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals.

She won another title in her home country, Belgium, at the Diamond Games.

Justine announced her retirement from professional tennis on May 14, 2008. This was a surprise because she was still ranked world No. 1. She was also a favorite to win the French Open again. She said she felt no sadness, as it was a release from a game she had focused on for twenty years. She wanted to focus on charity and her tennis school.

2010: The Comeback

In September 2009, Justine announced she would return to tennis. She said seeing Roger Federer win the French Open and Kim Clijsters win the US Open inspired her.

Henin at the 2010 French Open

She made her comeback at the Brisbane International. She reached the final but lost a very close match to Kim Clijsters.

At the 2010 Australian Open, Justine was an unranked player. She had many tough matches. She beat Elena Dementieva in a match that felt like a final. She reached the final, where she played against world No. 1 Serena Williams. This was their first Grand Slam final meeting. Justine lost in three sets.

She continued to play well, reaching the semifinals of the Miami Masters. She then won her first title of 2010 at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. This win put her back into the top 20 rankings.

At the French Open, she reached the fourth round. She lost to Samantha Stosur. This was her first loss at Roland Garros since 2004.

Justine Henin winning the 2010 Stuttgart Porsche Cup

She won her second title of the year at the UNICEF Open. At Wimbledon, she reached the fourth round. She lost to Kim Clijsters after injuring her right elbow. This injury ended her 2010 season early. She was named the WTA Comeback Player of the Year for 2010.

2011: Second Retirement

Justine started 2011 at the Hopman Cup. She won all her matches there.

At the Australian Open, she was the 11th seed. She lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the third round.

On January 26, 2011, Justine announced her final retirement from tennis. This was because her elbow injury, which she got at Wimbledon in 2010, had gotten worse.

Justine's Playing Style

Justine Henin was known for her amazing and complete game. Martina Navratilova once said that Justine's offense was "phenomenal." She even compared her to Roger Federer, saying Justine was "the female Federer."

Justine's footwork, balance, and how she covered the court were excellent. She could easily switch from playing defense to playing offense.

Her serve was sometimes inconsistent. But she could hit powerful first serves. Her fastest serve was recorded at 196 km/h (122 mph).

One-Handed Backhand

Justine had one of the best one-handed backhands in tennis history. Most players use a two-handed backhand for more power and control. But Justine's one-handed backhand had both great power and accuracy. It also allowed her to reach further and hit different types of shots, like slices. John McEnroe called her backhand "the best in men's or women's tennis."

Volleying Skills

Justine was also known as one of the best volleyers in modern tennis. A volley is when you hit the ball before it bounces.

Two-time US Open Champion Tracy Austin said Justine was very comfortable at the net. She had "excellent technique" and knew where to stand. Famous tennis coach Nick Bollettieri also praised Justine's volleying skills.

Justine's Personal Life

On November 16, 2002, Justine married Pierre-Yves Hardenne. For a while, she used the name Henin-Hardenne. In January 2007, she announced they had separated. She then went back to using just Henin.

Her coach, Carlos Rodríguez, became like a second father to her. This happened after a disagreement between Justine and her father.

Justine has been with Benoît Bertuzzo, a Belgian film director, since 2011. They secretly got married in March 2015. They have two children: a daughter born in 2013 and a son born in 2017.

Public Life and Endorsements

Justine wore clothes from Adidas and used Wilson racquets. She was known for wearing her Rolex watch 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 the Academy 6th Sense. In November 2007, Justine opened her own tennis academy called Club Justine N1.

After retiring, Justine appeared in Belgian TV shows. She also hosted a musical TV show.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Performance

This table shows how Justine Henin performed in the four major tennis tournaments, called Grand Slams.

Grand Slam Singles Finals: 12 (7 Wins, 5 Losses)

Justine Henin played in 12 Grand Slam finals. She won 7 of them 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

Records and Achievements

Justine Henin holds several impressive records in tennis.

• She won the French Open three times in a row (2005–2007).
• She won the French Open twice without losing a single set (2006, 2007).
• She won 40 consecutive sets at the French Open from 2005 to 2010.
• In 2006, she reached the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments in one year.
• In 2007, she won two Grand Slam titles without losing a set in the same year.
• She is the only female player in the 2000s to reach the final of all four Grand Slams at least twice.

Awards and Honors

Justine Henin has received many awards and honors throughout her career.

See Also

In Spanish: Justine Henin para niños