Justine Henin

Lore & Background

Justine Henin was born in Liège to José Henin and Françoise Rosière, a French and history teacher who died when Justine was 12. At age two, her family moved next to a tennis club in Rochefort, where she first played. Her mother took her to watch the French Open. In 1995, after her mother's death, Henin met coach Carlos Rodríguez, who guided her career. She won the junior girls' singles title at the French Open in 1997 and began her professional WTA career in May 1999, winning her debut event. By 2001, she reached the Wimbledon final and helped Belgium win the Fed Cup. In 2003, she ascended to world No. 1 after winning the French Open and US Open, and was named ITF World Champion. In 2004, she won the Australian Open and an Olympic gold medal at the Athens Games. Henin retired on 26 January 2011 due to a chronic elbow injury.

Reader's Guide

Justine Henin's significance lies in her rise from a country with little tennis success to become a dominant world No. 1, alongside Kim Clijsters, leading Belgium to its first Fed Cup crown in 2001. She was known for her all-court style, mental toughness, footspeed, and one-handed backhand, which John McEnroe called the best in either the women's or men's game. As of 2026, she remains the most recent female player to reach the finals of all four Grand Slams in a single calendar year. Her seven major titles include four French Opens, two US Opens, and one Australian Open. In 2016, she became the first Belgian inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and in 2023 received the ITF's Philippe Chatrier Award. Her legacy endures as a benchmark for versatility and resilience in women's tennis.

Did You Know?

• Henin was the most recent female player to reach the finals of all four Grand Slams in the same calendar year as of 2026.
• She used a single-handed backhand, described by John McEnroe as the best in both the women's and men's game.
• Henin won an Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games.
• She was the first Belgian tennis player inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2016.