Justine Henin remains one of the greatest players to ever step foot on a tennis court.
Henin won seven Grand Slam titles during her career, with Wimbledon being the only major she did not win.
Henin, who played with a one-handed backhand, was most successful on the red dirt in Paris, winning four French Open titles during her career.
The Belgian star, who led her country to its first Fed Cup crown in 2001, won 43 singles titles during her career, which concluded in 2011.
However, to the surprise of many, Henin initially called time on her career in 2008, at the age of 25.
Justine Henin’s 2008 retirement
In 2008, Justine Henin stunned the tennis world by retiring from her playing career.
The Belgian made the announcement on May 14, 2008, when she was ranked world number one.
The announcement was particularly surprising when considering the timing – it was shortly before the French Open, a tournament she had won four times.
As reported by Sky Sports, Henin told reporters in Belgium: “It’s the end of a wonderful adventure but it’s something I have been thinking about for a long time.
“At the end of the match in Berlin (last week), all of a sudden was there as something evident. I decided to stop fooling myself and accept it.
“I am leaving as the world number one and that is important and it is always better to go out at the top. I leave without any regrets and I know it is the right decision.
“Winning Wimbledon would not have made me any happier. I didn’t feel I was capable of winning there. “I stopped before Roland Garros because I asked myself if I could produce a better Roland Garros than last year and I realised I couldn’t.
“I wanted to play in the Olympics for my country and would have been proud to do so despite the current problems. Some people never realise their dream of an Olympic medal and I have realised that goal.
“But I couldn’t go to Beijing and do my country proud. It’s time for a change.”
As per the Guardian, Roger Federer described Henin’s decision as ‘a shock for the whole tennis world.’
Henin returned to tennis in 2010
In 2010, Henin made her return to the Tour, competing at the Brisbane Open. The Belgian reached the final before losing to compatriot Kim Clijsters in three sets.
Henin won two more titles – in Stuttgart and Rosemalen – before announcing her retirement from the sport on January 26, 2011.
The WTA star cited a chronic elbow injury as the reason for her second retirement.
As reported by NPR, Henin said on her website: “I suffered a lot the last week and every day gave me more and more pain, but I believed that my will would take the upper hand.
“Following the advice of doctors, it is now clear, and I accept that my career here finally ends.”
Henin was 28 when she announced her second retirement in 2011.
Henin’s last Grand Slam title
Justine Henin won her seventh Grand Slam title at the 2007 US Open.
Henin, seeded first at the event, defeated Julia Gorges, Tsvetana Pironkova, Ekaterina Makarova and Dinara Safina on her way to the quarter-final stage.
There, she defeated Serena Williams 7-6, 6-3, before beating Venus Williams in the semi-finals: 7-6, 6-4.
In the final, Henin defeated fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-3.
