Henin Retires at No. 1

With 7 Grand Slam titles at 25, Belgian is first woman to leave while atop rankings
By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff
Posted May 14, 2008 11:08 AM CDT
Henin Retires at No. 1
Top-ranked Justine Henin says she retires from tennis effective immediately. The 25-year-old Belgian, who has been in a bad slump all spring, said she will never return to competitive tennis. "This is the end of a child's dream," she said, Wednesday, May 14, 2008.    (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau, File)

Justine Henin, the top player on the women's tennis tour, abruptly announced her retirement today. "This is a definitive decision," said the 25-year-old Belgian, who won seven Grand Slam titles—including the past three French Opens—despite battling injuries in recent years. She's the first woman ever to retire while atop the rankings, the AP reports.

Henin won four French Opens in all, plus two US Opens and one Australian Open. The only Grand Slam to have eluded her is Wimbledon, where she was runner-up twice. "Winning Wimbledon would not make me happier than I am," she said. "I could never dream of Wimbledon. It was destiny. I didn't feel myself capable. It was too much for me." (More Justine Henin stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X