BREAKING THE SHELL

Henin is breaking out of her shell. The once quiet and often stoic tennis star has turned a new leaf and makes herself more accessible to the media and, in turn, to the world. “Opening up isn’t easy,” Henin Says. Last year, she dealt with a divorce and family issues publicly and did so with grace and dignity. With her adversities she changed her public perception from cold and controlled to vulnerable and kind. Although Henin says the interview process with the media takes some getting used to, she also recognizes that it’s important and necessary.

“I want to show people that I can be open. Now, I think people look at me with different eyes compared to a few months ago. There's also a little more pressure that I have to get used to, but it's a good thing and the way it needs to be.”

The more tennis fans get to know Henin, the more they like her. In the past, she was perceived as stuffy, unapproachable and boring. Quiet and reserved during matches, even following a winner backhand down the line, Henin left fans emotionally empty. Now, it's not uncommon to see the more personable Belgian smiling and talking after matches, or giving the media a peak into her home and hobbies. Henin improved her image without changing her on-court game.

“It's important that the fans like me. I had heard so many things that I was called - that I wasn't open or friendly. It was probably my fault. Now, I show more of who I am and that I'm happy and at peace. It seems to help in the way people view me,” Henin says.

Surprisingly, of all the questions she gets asked, the one she prefers not to answer is about her backhand, one of her greatest tennis weapons. “I wish reporters would stop asking why I have such a wonderful backhand. (laugh) I get asked that all of the time.”

Henin's backhand, for one, as well as her overall brilliance and superior game has been compared to that of Roger Federer.

“I always think it's hard to compare a man with a woman because we have a completely different kind of sensibility. We're all very different. I have a great level of respect for him and what he's doing, so in a way it's a big compliment. I have a lot of humility though, so it's real hard for me to compare myself to Roger or hear other people do it.”

Henin says she has admired Steffi Graf's game since she was a child and had hoped that one day she would be as good.

“Steffi is the best as a player and as a person. I had a chance to meet her and she confirmed everything that I was thinking about her. Not just her game, but her attitude, her career, her life, her family. It's great that she is so happy now.”

Name: Justine Henin
Nickname: Juju
Born: June 1, 1982
Birthplace: Liege, Belgium
Started Playing: 2 years old
Turned Pro: January 1999
Residence: Monte Carlo, Monaco
Height: 5’ 5-3/4”
Weight: 126 lbs
Plays: Right-handed
Backhand: One
Trademark: Backhand; Elegant Precision;
Tactical Variety; All-Court Player
Titles Won: 40
Grand Slam Singles Titles Won: 7
Prize Money: $19 million
Coach: Carlos Rodriguez
since 14

IN HER OWN WORDS: When asked what women recreational tennis players can do to help promote the game of tennis she
said, “Keep a life at the tennis club.”

“The most important values to me are respect, confidence and achievement. I hope to be able to teach this to the club member and their children."

TENNISHIGHLIGHTS

	2003			First Grand Slam win, the French Open, defeating Kim Clijsters in the final 6-0, 6-4.
	2003			Second Grand Slam win, the U.S. Open, defeating Clijsters in the final 7-5, 6-1.
	2003			October 19, Henin replacing Clijsters as the top ranked female singles player.
	2003			Named the International Tennis Federation's women's singles World Champion.
	2004			Australian Open title, defeating Kim Clijsters 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
	2004			August, women's singles gold medal, Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, defeating Amélie Mauresmo, France, 6-3, 6-3.
	2004			Withdrew from competition due to injury or illness, September 2004 - March 2005.
	2006			Became the second player (after Stefan Edberg), and the first woman, to retire from a Grand Slam final in the open era. Cause: stomach illness.
	2006			The first woman since Hingis in 1997 to reach the finals of all four Grand Slam singles Tournaments in a calendar year. Also the first time both a man (Roger Federer) and a woman have reached the finals of all Grand Slams in one year.
	2006			First woman to win at least one Grand Slam Singles title in four consecutive years since Graf, from 1993 through 1996.
	2007			Withdrew from Australian Open due to marital issues.
	2007			French Open Title, defeating Ana Ivanovi´c 6-1, 6-2, in the final; her third consecutive French Open title.
	2007			U.S. Open Title, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final, 6-1, 6-3.
	2007			The first player to claim at least 10 tour titles in a year since Martina Hingis won 12 in 1997; the first woman to break the $5 million barrier in prize money in a season, and by crossing $19 million Justine is now ranked 5th in the all time prize money list. Henin finishes the year with 63 wins and 4 losses.
	2007			As of December 2007, only one active player has an official winning record against her - Venus Williams (7-2).
	2007			Awarded USSA Female Athlete of the Year, presented by USA Today and MSNBC.
	2007			Player of the Year, Baseline Awards

TURNING THE TIDES
Early 2007 was marked by personal and professional lows. Her fiveyear marriage to Pierre- Yves Hardenne ended, resulting in a withdrawal from the Australian Open and losing the No. 1 ranking to Maria Sharapova. Within a couple of months, Henin's resilience and talent had turned the tides. By year's end, she won 10 out of the 14 events entered, including Grand Slams at Roland Garros and U.S. Open. She became first in Tour history to win over $5 million in a single year and is one of only nine women to win seven or more Grand Slams in the Open Era. Her psychological set-backs grew distant.

“I have a lot of confidence because I've been winning. But in another way I know my opponents are out there and they want the same thing that I want... It's harder staying No.1 than getting to No.1. When you become No. 1 you realize what sacrifices you have to give and realize the hard work you still have to do if you want to maintain your level and keep your ranking. It's harder to stay at the top because you have to work on your motivation. That's very important,” Henin says.

Henin's recipe for motivation is simple: take one match at a time. “Every match is a goal. I'm here because I love to play. I'm going to walk on the court tomorrow and try and win. That's the key for me - one more time. So I'll go match-to-match. I don't want to look too far out. I'm just really focused on what's going to happen tomorrow and that's it for me now.”

With nudging, Henin gazed briefly into her crystal ball, “I'd love to win Wimbledon, for sure, and the Olympic Games remain a goal this year too.”

Henin is in remarkable shape. Petite by today's tennis standards, she packs a mighty powerful punch. Her serve has been measured at a top speed of 124 mph and her single-handed backhand frequently records higher speeds than many of her opponent's doublehanded backhand. To continue playing at this exceptional level and achieve her goals, she must stay healthy. Constant training and competition have taken its toll on her in the past. Last year, the 25-year-old withdrew from a series of events due to injury or illness: asthmatic bronchitis, wrist injury, respiratory infection and shoulder injury. This year, Henin and her coach, Carlos Rodriguez, are managing her schedule judiciously and training smarter, not harder.

“My training is very functional. I don't lift a lot of weights - I do a lot of different things that are very exciting… Staying healthy and enjoying tennis is the key in 2008. We realize I need to stay healthy for the next few years if I want to remain on the Tour. I love tennis so much. I want to enjoy it while I'm here, and then it will be time for me to do other things.”

BEYOND THE BASELINE

On November 30, 2007, Henin opened Club Justine N1, a tennis academy located in Limelette, a French speaking part of Belgium.

“It's big. We have 19 courts: 6 hard courts, 3 clay and 10 other courts. We want everyone to play no matter what their level.” Henin is promoting tennis not only as a sport but as a social event where friends gather for food, libation and laughs. “We have an amazing restaurant and a great cook.”

Henin says that it's important to give back to the community. In 2003 she created Justine's Winner's Circle, a charity helping children with cancer through financial assistance. She admits she's too young to know what impact she'll leave on the sport, however her passion for helping the youth is clear.

“The most important values to me are respect, confidence and achievement. I hope to be able to teach this to the club member and their children… Maybe later I will realize what I've brought to the game.” If Henin's predictions are correct, she will play on tour 4 more years, retiring at 30.

“Tennis is a sport before being a job. I can play at any level and have fun. I don't have to play at this level to have fun. I can play with kids, I can play with my friends that don't know anything about tennis and I'm happy. I don't ever want to forget that.”

	FAMILY NOTE Justine is one of three children. She has two brothers (David and Thomas), and a sister (Sarah). She also had an older sister who was killed in a car accident before Justine was born. Her mother, Françoise Rosière, was a French and History teacher who died when Justine was 12 years old. Her father is José Henin. Her brothers and sister attended the 2007 French Open, the first time they watched Justine play professionally.