Tennis: Justine Henin Retires Again

As reported by Tennis Magazine, Justine Henin's elbow injury will no longer allow her to compete successfully.

Henin first retired from tennis in 2008, when she was ranked No. 1. It was a sudden decision that left women's tennis scrambling for a dominant player. Since her retirement, the WTA has had Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Dinara Safina, Serena Williams, and Caroline Wozniacki as No. 1 players.

Justine Henin returned to tennis to compete with the intention of completing her career slam. She holds seven major titles from the Australian Open, the US Open, and Roland Garros, but has never won Wimbledon.

Upon her return to tennis, it looked as if her second career would follow in the trajectory of Kim Clijsters. Upon Clijsters' return to tennis, she won two consecutive US Open titles. She is even fitter and stronger than she was before her first retirement. Marriage and motherhood may have contributed to her new found mental strength.

Henin reached the final of the last Australian Open in just her third tournament back, but had suffered disappointing losses since.

At the 2010 French Open, she seemed on her way to another title but fell to Samantha Stosur in the fourth round. At Wimbledon, she won the first set of her fourth round match against Kim Clijsters, but lost the following two sets. During that match, she had slipped on court and injured her right elbow. The elbow injury forced her to sit out the rest of 2010.

This Wimbledon injury proved to be career-ending. At the 2011 Australian Open, Justine Henin fell to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the third round. According to her doctors, Henin's "adventure in Australia" had caused her elbow to become irreparably damaged.

According to the open letter she posted, Henin was not sure what would happen after the injury at Wimbledon:

"Time has passed, and the doubts have grown, and only return to the courts would give me answers. Not the answer I was hoping for... unfortunately...Today, the examinations are clearly and and the doctors formally, my elbow is too fragile and hurt so that my passion and my profession at high level cannot continue to exist."

Justine Henin's retirement is a tremendous loss to tennis. Her one-handed backhand, her ability to balance defense and power, and her ability to handle the most powerful players despite her diminutive size made her game a joy to watch.