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Henin's fire still burns
By Yu Yilei (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-17 08:07
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Former world No 1 and seven-time Grand Slam winner still has dreams of another major title, Yu Yilei met the diminutive Belgian in the Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel.
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Seven-time Grand Slam winner Justine Henin of Belgium answers questions during her China Daily interview at the Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel on Tuesday. [Photo by Guan Xin / China Daily] |
Former world No 1 Justine Henin has admitted she struggled to cope with the demands of the WTA tour after returning earlier this year from a 19-month retirement. In an exclusive interview with China Daily at the Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel this week, Henin admitted she was not fully prepared for the physically demanding tour after only a brief lead-in to her comeback in January.
Although Henin, a seven-time Grand Slam winner, enjoyed a flying start in her return by reaching the finals of the first two tournaments she played, including the Australian Open, competing regularly at the elite level of the sport proved to be too much to handle.
During her fourth-round encounter with fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters at Wimbledon in July, Henin injured her right elbow when she slipped on the court. She went on to lose in three sets. Further examinations revealed a partial ligament tear in her elbow, causing her to end her season prematurely.
"It's interesting, I had a pretty good start, which I hadn't managed to achieve before. But after playing tennis for 14 years it was physically very hard for me to come back. I am just slowly coming back to the top," Henin said with a smile.
"I was never 100 percent fit this year. I wasn't yet ready to play at that level. And with the elbow injury I got at Wimbledon, it became even more difficult."
The injury was more serious than expected and Henin had to postpone her comeback until last week when she played an exhibition match with Clijsters in her home country.
"It was a difficult summer. I injured my elbow, demaged my ligament and I thought maybe it was over for me.
"Now the ligament is getting better but I have to do a lot of work on my elbow and my muscles. I have to trust my elbow again. It's been through a lot and it has to be strong. It will take several months to be 100 percent."
Despite these difficulties, Henin believes she is on the right track and has a good chance of regaining her former standing in the game.
"Step by step I am heading in the right direction now but only winning matches can give me that confidence," she said. "I've been working very hard. If my elbow continues to improve in the next few weeks or months, I think I have good prospects for the future."
Another Grand Slam title is in her sights.
"It is too early after an injury to talk about my ambitions. If I am physically fine, I hope I can win another Grand Slam."
When asked about whether she would prefer to win the Wimbledon crown, the only Grand Slam title she has not won, the two-time beaten finalist and three-time semifinalist was noncommittal.
"Wimbledon or another Grand Slam. But Wimbledon would be fantastic."
Henin said the quality of play on the tour had not changed much during her retirement. That actually allowed her to find her feet in a short time. She rose up the ranks to world No 12 in six months and boasted a remarkable 32-8 win-loss record this season. Before Wimbledon, she had won two titles - the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart and the UNICEF Open in the Netherlands.
"I don't think a lot of things have changed," she said. "No one is really dominating the tour. It feels similar to how it was."
Still, Henin acknowledged the power of the new generation, singling out new world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki from Denmark.
"She is very talented. She troubles a lot of players. I am sure new players will emerge in the next few years."
Henin also said she would probably play four more years at the most.
"I'm not a machine. I could not last five years," she said.
"I am near the end of my career. To have fun - that's the most important thing in remaining competitive at this level."
Henin also has her eyes on another Olympic Games, in London in 2012. She won the singles gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games.
"My goal is to play in London," she said. "Winning the gold in Athens was one of the best moments of my career.
"It's special playing in the Olympics. You are playing for your nation and you don't feel alone on court."
Henin left Beijing on Wednesday for China's tropical island of Hainan for two weeks' training before the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, which starts on New Year's Day.
In February, Henin and her long-time coach Carlos Rodriguez opened a branch of her 6th Sense Tennis Academy in Beijing's Potter's Wheel International Tennis Center. Henin's visit to the capital this week to see her new academy marked her first visit to China.