This is a list of characters from the TV sitcom The Cosby Show.

Main characters

Cliff Huxtable

Dr. Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable (Bill Cosby), lives in Brooklyn Heights, New York. He was born in October 1937 in Philadelphia, making him 47 years old at the beginning of the series. Cliff had a brother, James Theodore Huxtable, who died of rheumatic fever at the age of 7. In his high school and college years, he was an athlete who played wrestling, football, and track. He is an OB/GYN, and is married to Clair Huxtable. Both Cliff and Clair attended the fictional Hillman College. Together, they have five children: Sondra, Denise, Theodore (Theo), Vanessa, and Rudith (Rudy). Cliff enjoys live jazz, has an extensive collection of albums, and tries to eat junk food whenever he can get away with it.

Cliff is very eccentric and silly to most people around him, especially his family. Despite this, he is very kind-hearted and a dedicated father with a strong sense of humor. He is also very competitive, often making bets with Clair over various things, such as the date a certain jazz song was released, or having a "Smooth Contest" to see which of them looked more elegant for a night on the town, as judged by the children. He also plays a monthly game of pinochle against his father and some friends, which sometimes gets very passionate. Unfortunately, Cliff often finds himself on the losing end of most of his bets and games, as, for example, he has never beaten his father-in-law at chess. However, Cliff eventually broke his losing streak at pinochle against his father and his friend Homer Dobson with the help of Dr. Foster (played by Roscoe Lee Browne), who also happened to be his and Clair's literary professor at Hillman College.

In the pilot episode, Cosby's character's full name is Clifford, as shown on a sign on the exterior of the house. His full name was subsequently changed to Heathcliff, even though in one episode Clair called him "Heathclifford", and he is commonly called "Cliff" throughout the series.

Originally, Cliff was to have worked as a chauffeur, with most of the humor coming from his interactions with customers. However, the show was changed before airing to have Cliff be a doctor, and the humor to come from his interactions with his family.

At many points in the series, Cliff makes the famous "Cosby face", in which he presses his lips tightly and rolls back his eyes.

The character is loosely based upon Cosby himself.

Clair Huxtable

Clair Olivia Huxtable (née Hanks) (Phylicia Rashād), is the very eloquent, elegant wife of Cliff. Clair is playful, silly, yet very assertive. Her age is directly stated only once during the series, and two separate episodes provide contradictory information on the age difference between herself and Cliff. He celebrates his 50th birthday during Season 3 ("Cliff's 50th Birthday"), while she celebrates her 46th during Season 5 ("Birthday Blues," two years later), indicating that she is six years younger. However, in the Season 4 episode "The Locker Room," it is stated that Clair is four years younger.

Her character was originally supposed to be a housewife, but when the show finally aired, she became a lawyer. During the series, she becomes a partner in her law firm, and she successfully represents her daughter, Sondra, in a case over dishonest car repairs. When it came to the Huxtable household, she was in charge, even though she let Cliff think he was in charge (although Cliff was known to lay down the law when he had to). She was the chief disciplinarian of the children, as shown in an episode where Vanessa and her friends sneak off to Baltimore to see a rock concert and Clair delivers a memorable and scathing diatribe to her. Clair is also something of a disciplinarian to Cliff, particularly in matters of Cliff sticking to a healthful diet and rationing his junk food intake.

Clair makes several appearances on The Cosby Show spin-off A Different World, even after her daughter, Denise (Lisa Bonet), is removed from that series.

Clair is once referred to as Clair Olivia when Cliff is asking their old professor what grade she received in the class. The character of Olivia (Raven-Symone) is later introduced as Denise's stepdaughter.

Clair Huxtable was voted as television's "Favorite TV Mom" in a poll conducted by the Opinion Research Company in 2006.

The character is loosely based upon Cosby's wife, Camille Olivia Hanks-Cosby.

Sondra Tibideaux

(1985-1992 as regular character, recurring during 1984-85 season)

Sondra Tibideaux (née Huxtable) (Sabrina LeBeauf), the eldest daughter of Cliff and Clair, did not appear on screen until mid-way through Season 1. She did not exist in the pilot episode (Clair: "Why do we have four children?" Cliff: "Because we did not want five.") In her first appearance, she is a sophomore in college, 20 years old putting her birth year in 1964. She earned a degree from Princeton University. She married her boyfriend, Elvin Tibideaux, in Season Four, and later gave birth to twins—a boy and a girl—named after Nelson and Winnie Mandela. More serious, earnest and responsible than the other children, Sondra fits many of the characteristics of an eldest child. Though she had her moments of bizarre thinking (e.g. dropping out of law school to open up a wilderness store), she'd usually snap out of them relatively quickly. Because of her intelligence level and overachieving nature, she's looked upon by her parents proudly, but also is held to a higher standard than the rest of the children.

Sondra was created when Bill Cosby wanted the show to express the accomplishment of successfully raising a child (e.g. a college graduate). Whitney Houston was considered for the role of Sondra Huxtable, but did not want to give up her burgeoning music career. Sabrina LeBeauf almost missed out on the role because she is only 10 years younger (b. 1958) than Phylicia Rashad (b. 1948).

The character is loosely based upon Cosby's eldest daughter, Erika, who was approximately the same age as Sondra.

Denise Kendall

(1984–1987, 1989-1991 recurring otherwise)

Denise Kendall (née Huxtable) (Lisa Bonet), is the second, free-spirited daughter of Cliff and Clair Huxtable. At the beginning of the series, she is sixteen years old, putting her year of birth in 1968. She loves fashion and music, but did not want to attend school to pursue either interest. A two-year stint at Hillman College leads her to Africa, where she meets and marries Navy Lt. Martin Kendall, who has a daughter, Olivia, from a previous relationship. Denise eventually decides to become a special education teacher and makes arrangements to attend Medgar Evers College to this effect, but that idea does not work out as Denise eventually leaves New York again when Martin is posted to Singapore on a long-term assignment. It is revealed in the finale that she is pregnant.

During the first two seasons, Denise was portrayed as a very popular high-schooler, with many friends, who seemingly had a different boyfriend every episode. Along with her constantly fluctuating love life, were her various hairstyles and choices of clothing, which were occasionally made fun of by Cliff. In later seasons, however, she exhibited a more flighty nature, often expressing ideas that left Cliff and Clair greatly puzzled.

In Season 3, Denise left home to attend Hillman College, a fictional, historically African-American college, of which her mother, father and grandfather were all alumni. The Cosby Show's producers created a spin-off series, entitled A Different World, which initially dealt with the life of Denise at college. Denise was written out of the series following its inaugural season (which aired concurrently with Season 4 of The Cosby Show), after actress Lisa Bonet became pregnant. Shortly after the start of Season 5, Denise traveled to Africa for a year, where she fell in love with and married Martin Kendall. In the Season 6 premiere, she returned home, shocking her parents with the news of her surprise marriage to a divorced single father. However, Cliff and Clair accepted the couple when they met Olivia, who immediately won their hearts and was welcomed into the family. Denise was featured regularly on The Cosby Show during Seasons 1-3 and 6-7, and on a recurring basis during Seasons 4 and 5.

The character is loosely based upon Cosby's daughter, Erinn, who was approximately the same age as Denise. Additionally, Denise attended Hillman College, whereas Erinn attended Spelman College, the university that Hillman is believed to be modeled after.

Theo Huxtable

Theodore Aloysius "Theo" Huxtable (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), is the only son of Cliff and Clair Huxtable, and is athletic and obsessed with impressing girls, and obtaining a sports car or motorcycle. He is fourteen years old when the series begins, making his birth year 1970. In the pilot episode, he is lectured by his father for not applying himself at school ("I brought you in this world, and I'll take you out"). Also in the early seasons, he was somewhat of a troublemaker, as illustrated through incidents both alluded to and explicitly portrayed in the series, but his behavior had improved by the time he left high school.

A running theme of the early seasons revolved around Theo's academic struggles, especially in his sophomore-year geometry class, taught by Mrs. Westlake (Sonia Braga). As the seasons progressed, Theo gradually evolved from being an under-achiever to a successful high school - and college - student (in interviews, Cosby noted a similar change in his real-life son, Ennis). While Theo was a student at NYU, it was revealed that he suffered from dyslexia, a learning disability that inspired him to work harder, and as a result overcame it. By the final season, Theo was a student teacher, helping other children with dyslexia at a local education center. In the show's final episode, he graduated from NYU with a degree in psychology.

In the pilot, and once more in Season 1, (an episode entitled "Bad Dreams"), he is referred to by Vanessa as "Teddy", instead of "Theo."

Theo has a long-running, but on-and-off relationship with a girl named Justine, who is mentioned many times throughout the series, but appears in only nine episodes. During his high school years, Theo's best friend was Walter Bradley, better known as "Cockroach", who was more of a scholastic underachiever than Theo. The two of them would occasionally compose rap songs for various school assignments. When Theo got tickets to "Dance Mania" (a "Soul Train"-like television dance show), and only one of them was allowed into the studio, Theo let Cockroach have the spot, but did not feel good about it when he saw Cockroach on TV, and as the center of their friends' attention the next day at school. After this particular episode, Carl Anthony Payne II, the actor who played Cockroach was fired from the show after supposedly refusing to cut his hair at Bill Cosby's request. Cockroach was written out of the series and rarely mentioned after this episode.

The character is loosely based upon Cosby's only son Ennis, who was approximately the same age as Theo (and was also dyslexic).

Vanessa Huxtable

Vanessa Huxtable (Tempestt Bledsoe), is the third daughter of Cliff and Clair. In Season 1, she was eleven years old, making her birth year 1973. As Vanessa grew up, she faced typical teenage problems and heartbreaks, such as wearing make-up before her 15th birthday, in violation of her parents' rules. Unlike her older brother, she was an excellent student and seemed to enjoy school; at the beginning of Season 7, she went off to college one year early. She became engaged in the final season to Dabnis Brickey, a man in his late twenties. Dabnis was the head of maintenance at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, where Vanessa was enrolled. However, Vanessa realized that she was not ready to get married, and they broke off the engagement. They maintained they were "just friends" by the end of the season.

In the early seasons, Vanessa is usually considered to be nosy, as she usually—sneakily—tries to find out what goes on in the Huxtable house, especially when it involves someone (usually Theo) in trouble with their parents. But, in a later episode, the tables are turned, as Theo catches Vanessa's friends smoking cigarettes in her room, although Vanessa herself did not take part, and even tried to dissuade her friends from doing so.

She often fought with her younger sister, Rudy, over typical childish issues. At one point, their fighting caused damage to both their bedrooms and the kitchen ceiling, driving Cliff to declare their rooms off limits because of "World War Five" and exile them to the basement until repairs were finished. But, on one occasion, Vanessa got into a physical tussle with Denise over a sweater that Vanessa stole from Denise's closet after Denise did not allow her to borrow it.

One of Vanessa's best friends in high school was a girl named Kara (played by Elizabeth Narvaez), who could ramble on about nothing in particular at high speed. Whenever Cliff was on the receiving end of her babbling, he would always reply with a bewildered "Thank you."

The character is loosely based upon Cosby's daughter, Ensa, who was approximately the same age as Vanessa.

Rudy Huxtable

Rudith Lillian "Rudy" Huxtable (Keshia Knight Pulliam), is the youngest of the Huxtable children - only five years old at the beginning of the series, making her birth year 1979. She comes of age during the course of the show.

We get to see a number of Rudy's friends as the series progresses. Among the best known are the taciturn Peter Chiara who repeatedly ran out the Huxtables' front door when frightened; and the chauvinist, blues-loving Kenny, whom she nicknames "Bud", and who always gets advice from his (unseen) older brother about basically everything. This unfortunately gives him the wrong conception about certain things and gets him in trouble, although he seemed to grow out of it as the series reached its end.

Keshia Knight Pulliam was nominated for an Emmy for her performance in Season 2, becoming the youngest nominee ever. One of her fellow nominees that year was Phylicia Rashad. Neither won.

The Huxtable family was originally going to be two boys and two girls. The youngest child, Rudy, was initially supposed to be a boy, but the character was re-written for a girl (Keshia Knight Pulliam) when no suitable boys auditioned.

The character is loosely based upon Cosby's youngest daughter, Evin, who was approximately the same age as Rudy.

Elvin Tibideaux

(1987–1992, recurring previously)

Elvin Tibideaux (Geoffrey Owens), is Sondra's boyfriend, and later, husband. They met at Princeton, where they both earned degrees. The two constantly bickered during early episodes, until his interactions with the Huxtables, particularly Clair, challenged him to confront his "male-chauvinist" attitudes.

When they return from their honeymoon, they shock Cliff and Clair by announcing their intentions to forego medical school and law school, and start a wilderness supply store in Brooklyn. When his children are born, Elvin then announces that he will re-apply to medical school. This decision later convinces Sondra to resume her studies at law school.

Elvin was a wrestler in high school and for one year at Princeton, but had to quit after injuring his hip. During the third season, he helped Theo with some strategy and moves.

Martin Kendall

(1989–1991)

Lt. Martin Kendall (Joseph C. Phillips), is a Navy man, husband of Denise Huxtable, and father of Olivia. Phillips' role as Martin Kendall came about when Denise unexpectedly married him in Africa, unbeknownest to her parents and family. When the newlyweds arrive back home, Martin learns that Denise's family not only does not know about their marriage, they do not know about him at all. Kendall also had an ex-wife, named Paula (played by Victoria Rowell of The Young and The Restless). In the finale, it is learned that he and Denise are expecting a baby together.

Joseph C. Phillips played Sondra's date in a second-season episode, before coming back as a new character, and playing the husband of Denise.

Olivia Kendall

(1989–1992)

Olivia Kendall (Raven-Symoné), is Denise Huxtable's precocious stepdaughter, who is three years old when she first appears in the series. Olivia is the only child of Martin and Paula Kendall. After a few years of marriage, her parents divorced, and her mother, Paula, gave Martin full custody, as she felt overwhelmed by marriage and motherhood. Olivia was then raised by her grandparents and father.

When Olivia was almost four years old, her father Martin married Denise Huxtable, whom he met in Africa. The new family moved in with Denise's parents, Clair and Cliff Huxtable, who are now Olivia's step-grandparents. Martin, as a Naval officer, is required to travel a lot, so for a while, Olivia was unable to spend time with him. During his absences, her stepmother, Denise, raised her. Olivia continued to live with her step-grandparents while her parents were in Singapore during the final season.

The character was named after Bill Cosby's wife, Camille Olivia Hanks-Cosby.

Pam Tucker

(1990–1992)

Pam Tucker (Erika Alexander), is Clair Huxtable's distant cousin. The daughter of a single mother, Pam comes to live with the Huxtables after her mother moved to California to take care of Pam's grandmother. Upon moving in, Pam is a high school junior—younger than Vanessa, but older than Rudy. At first, she is not used to the Huxtables' upper-middle-class lifestyle or close-knit family relationships. Eventually, she fits in, and becomes just another one of the Huxtable clan.

Frequently, Pam is shown interacting with her best friend, Charmaine Brown (Karen Malina White), and Charmaine's boyfriend, Lance Rodman (Allen Payne).

Russell Huxtable and Anna Huxtable

(recurring throughout the series)

Russell Huxtable and Anna Huxtable (Earle Hyman and Clarice Taylor), are Cliff's parents. They were originally from North Carolina, before moving to Philadelphia and, later, New Jersey. Russell was a touring musician in the "Jazz Caravan", playing the trombone, earning the nickname "Slide" Huxtable. Anna is presumed to have been a housewife and mother, as Russell was on the road for many months out of the year. They, as well as Cliff and Clair, and Clair's parents, attended the civil rights March on Washington in 1963.

In the second and third seasons of the series, Cliff and his family organized "entertainment" for his parents' anniversaries, in the form of lip-sync and dance routines to Ray Charles' "The Night Time (Is the Right Time)" in Season 2, and James Brown's "I Got the Feeling" in Season 3. These are among the best-known, and most popular, episodes of the series, especially the first one.

Russell and Anna are named after Bill Cosby's brother and mother.

Recurring characters

Kenny, aka "Bud"; longtime friend of Rudy (Deon Richmond)

Walter Bradley, aka "Cockroach"; Theo's best friend in high school (Carl Anthony Payne II)

Janet Meiser; friend of Vanessa (Pam Potillo)

Smitty; high school friend of Theo (Adam Sandler)

Justine Phillips; Theo's longtime girlfriend (Michelle Thomas)

Robert Foreman; boyfriend of Vanessa (Dondre T. Whitfield)

Denny; high school, college friend of Theo (Troy Winbush)

Howard; college friend of Theo (Reno Wilson)

Lou Hernandez; college friend of Theo (Alex Ruiz)

Charmaine Brown; best friend of Pam (Karen Malina White)

Lance Rodman; boyfriend of Charmaine (Allen Payne)

Al Hanks; Clair's father (Joe Williams)

Carrie Hanks; Clair's mother (Ethel Ayler)

Nelson Tibideaux; son of Sondra and Elvin (Gary LeRoi Gray)

Winnie Tibideaux; daughter of Sondra and Elvin (Jessica Ann Vaughn)

Kara; friend of Vanessa (Elizabeth Narvaez)

Dabnis Brickey; fiance of Vanessa (William Thomas Jr.)

Jade; friend of Theo (Vanessa A. Williams)

Jeffry Engels; neighbor of the Huxtables (Wallace Shawn)

Peter Chiara; friend of Rudy (Peter Costa)

Kim Ogawa; friend of Rudy (Naoka Nakagawa)

Stanley; boyfriend of Rudy (Merlin Santana)

Arthur Bartell, aka "Slide"; ex-boyfriend of Pam (Mushond Lee)

Aaron Dexter; boyfriend of Pam (Seth Gilliam)

Cheryl; friend of Theo (Vanessa A. Williams)

Notable guest stars

Debbie Allen as Emma ("If the Dress Fits, Wear It", Season 5)

Tichina Arnold as Delores ("Theo's Women", Season 5)

Angela Bassett as Mrs. Mitchell ("Mr. Quiet", Season 1), and Paula ("Bookworm", Season 4)

Norman Beaton as Carleton ("There's Still No Joy in Mudville" Season 7)

U.S. Senator Bill Bradley as Cliff's teammate #1 ("The Boys of Winter", Season 5)

Sônia Braga as Anna Maria Westlake ("Mrs. Westlake" and "An Early Spring", Season 2)

Valerie Brisco-Hooks as herself ("Off to the Races", Season 2)

Roscoe Lee Browne as Dr. Foster ("Shakespeare", Season 4)

Red Buttons as Jake, owner of Jake's Appliances ("Cliff and Jake", Season 7)

Naomi Campbell as Julia ("The Birth" and "Cyranoise de Bergington", Season 5)

Betty Carter as Amanda Woods ("How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall", Season 5)

Robert Culp as Scott Kelly ("Bald and Beautiful", Season 3)

Sammy Davis, Jr. as Ray Palomino ("No Way, Baby", Season 5)

Dave DeBusschere as Cliff's teammate #2 ("The Boys of Winter", Season 5)

Plácido Domingo as Alberto Santiago ("Birthday Blues", Season 5)

Teresa Edwards as Opponent #2 ("The Boys of Winter", Season 5)

Yvonne Irvin as Clair's Sister ("Clair's Sister", Season 2)

Al Freeman, Jr. as Ernie Scott ("Back to the Track, Jack", Season 1)

Minnie Gentry as Gramtee ("The Storyteller", Season 6)

Dizzy Gillespie as Mr. Hampton ("Play It Again Vanessa", Season 1)

Erica Gimpel as Jennifer ("Waterworks", Season 4)

Robin Givens as Susanne ("Theo and the Older Woman", Season 2)

Pam Grier as Samantha ("Planning Parenthood", Season 3)

Moses Gunn as Joe Kendall ("Grampy and NuNu Visit the Huxtables", Season 6)

Walt Hazzard as Cliff's teammate #3 ("The Boys of Winter", Season 5)

Lena Horne as herself ("Cliff's Birthday", Season 1)

Iman as Mrs. Montgomery ("Theo and the Joint", Season 1)

Danny Kaye as Dr. Burns ("The Dentist", Season 2), in one of his last TV appearances

Alicia Keys as Maria ("Slumber Party", Season 1)

B.B. King as Riley Jackson ("Not Everybody Loves the Blues", Season 6)

LaChanze as Sylvia ("The Prom", Season 4)

Audrey Landers as Cookie Bennett ("Cliff and Jake", Season 7)

Sheldon Leonard as Dr. Wexler ("Physician of the Year," Season 1)

Nancy Lieberman as Opponent #1 ("The Boys of Winter", Season 5)

Miriam Makeba as herself ("Olivia Comes Out of the Closet", Season 8)

S. Epatha Merkerson as Book Club Member 5 ("Bookworm", Season 4)

Melba Moore as Patricia Abbott ("Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", Season 4)

Rita Moreno as Mrs. Granger ("You Only Hurt the One You Love", Season 3)

Lou Myers as Mr. Davis ("You Only Hurt the One You Love", & "Andalusian Flu", Season 3)

Tony Orlando as Tony Castillo ("Mr. Quiet", Season 1)

Tito Puente as timbal player ("Play It Again, Russell", Season 2)

Christopher Plummer as Professor Jonathan Lawrence ("Shakespeare", Season 4)

Patricia Richardson as Mrs. Schrader ("Calling Doctor Huxtable", Season 3)

John Ritter as Ray Evans ("Total Control", Season 7)

Frank Robinson as Frank Potter ("There's Still No Joy in Mudville", Season 7)

Victoria Rowell as Paula Kendall ("Cliff's Wet Adventure", Season 6)

Howard "Sandman" Sims as himself ("Mr. Sandman", Season 6)

Special Ed as J.T. Freeze ("Warning: A Double-Lit Candle Can Cause a Meltdown", Season 8)

Bern Nadette Stanis as Carolyn Thompson ("Adventures in Babysitting", Season 7)

Elaine Stritch as Mrs. McGee ("Shall We Dance?", "Cliff la Dolce", & "Mr. Sandman", Season 6)

Leslie Uggams as Kris Temple ("The Return of the Clairettes", Season 7)

Blair Underwood as Denise's boyfriend (uncredited) ("Jitterbug Break", Season 1), and Mark ("Theo and the Older Woman", Season 2)

Mario Van Peebles as Garvin ("Clair's Sister", Season 2)

Jim Valvano as John Velarde ("The Getaway", Season 8)

Dick Vitale as Dan Vicente ("The Getaway", Season 8)

Malinda Williams as Althea Logan ("Calling Doctor Huxtable", Season 3) and Shana ("Denise Kendall: Singles Counselor", Season 6)

Nancy Wilson as Lorraine Kendall ("Grampy and NuNu Visit the Huxtables", Season 6)

Stevie Wonder as himself ("A Touch of Wonder", Season 2)

Amy Yasbeck as Alicia Evans ("Total Control", Season 7)

References

Cosby Show, The Category:Dyslexia in fiction Category:Fictional African-American people

Playername	Justine Henin
Nickname	Juju
Plays	Right–handed (one-handed backhand)
Careerprizemoney	US$20,863,335 (7th in all-time rankings)
Singlesrecord	503–109
Singlestitles	43 WTA
Highestsinglesranking	No. 1 (20 October 2003)
Australianopenresult	W (2004)
Frenchopenresult	W (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007)
Wimbledonresult	F (2001, 2006)
Usopenresult	W (2003, 2007)
Othertournaments	Yes
Wtachampionshipsresult	W (2006, 2007)
Olympicsresult	Gold medal (2004)
Doublesrecord	47–35
Doublestitles	2
Highestdoublesranking	No. 23 (14 January 2002)
Updated	10 January 2011

}}

Justine Henin (born 1 June 1982), formerly known as Justine Henin-Hardenne (2002–2007), is a former professional Belgian tennis player and former World No. 1.

Henin won 43 WTA singles titles and seven Grand Slam singles titles, including four French Open titles, one Australian Open title, and two US Open titles. She has also won the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships twice and the singles gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Tennis experts cite her mental toughness, the completeness and variety of her game, her footspeed and footwork, and her one-handed backhand (which John McEnroe has described as the best single-handed backhand in the women's or men's game) as the principal reasons for her success.

Critics and all-time-great players have made testament to Henin's talent. Upon Henin's first retirement from the WTA in the early part of the 2008 season, Billie Jean King said that "pound for pound, Henin is the best tennis player of her generation." as well as that "Justine is the best women's athlete I've ever seen." Andre Agassi said of Henin, "Justine Henin is one of the most talented women ever to have played the game of tennis."

On 26 January 2011, she announced that she had been forced to retire from professional tennis once again because of an elbow injury.

Playing style

At the 2007 French Open, Martina Navratilova said that "Henin's offense is just phenomenal ... it's sort of like we've got 'the female Federer', or maybe the guys have 'the male Justine Henin', because she is just head and shoulders above everyone else right now." Henin's footwork, balance, and court coverage—and she is adept at changing from a defensive style to an aggressive one. Henin's volleying skills are considered exceptional. She utilized serve-and-volley play with more frequency prior to her 2-year long retirement. Henin has started approaching the net more often, in addition to utilizing serve-and-volley going after quicker points rather than opting for long rallies like she used to.

Despite her relatively small size, Henin has a powerful serve, which has been measured at a top speed of 196 km/h (122 mph) at the 2005 Family Circle Cup. Henin's single-handed backhand, is one of the most powerful and accurate in the game. She can hit her backhand 'flat', with heavy topspin, or slice [underspin]. Her backhand can also be used to surprise her opponents with dropshots, breaking up the pattern of a groundstroke rally. Her slice backhand is regarded as one of the best of all time. However, Henin's forehand is generally regarded as her most dangerous weapon, and the stroke that she normally uses to dictate the play of a match.

Personal life

Justine Henin was born in Liège. Her father is José Henin; her mother, Françoise Rosière, was a French and history teacher who died when Justine was 12 years old. She has two brothers (David and Thomas) and a sister (Sarah).

When Justine was two, her family moved to a house in Rochefort, situated next to the local tennis club, where she played tennis for the first time.

Henin's mother routinely took the young Henin across the border to France to watch the French Open. Henin saw the 1992 final involving her idol Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. Although Graf lost, the experience impressed Henin.

In 1995, shortly after her mother's death, Henin met her coach Carlos Rodriguez who guided her career both before her retirement in 2008 and during her 2010 comeback. Following a conflict between Justine and her father over her tennis career and her relationship with Pierre-Yves Hardenne, Rodriguez soon became not only her trainer but in some ways a second father figure.

On 16 November 2002, Henin married Pierre-Yves in the Château de Lavaux-Sainte-Anne. On 4 January 2007, Henin withdrew from the upcoming tournaments in Australia, including the Australian Open, due to personal problems. and she also resumed her maiden name, Justine Henin, instead of Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Tennis career

Justine Henin is a globally recognized tennis player, who has had huge success on all surfaces of the game, and has so far achieved Grand Slam success on clay and hard courts, winning four French Open titles, including three consecutive titles between 2005 and 2007, which ties Monica Seles' record of most consecutive Roland Garros titles won by a woman. This achievement has made her the most successful female clay court player of the last decade (2000–2009). She has also won three Grand Slam titles on hard court, winning the US Open title in 2003 and 2007, and the Australian Open title in 2004. She has also reached the Wimbledon final twice, in 2001 and 2006; it is the only Grand Slam singles title she has not won.

Early career

Henin, known as "Juju" to many of her fans, was coached by Carlos Rodriguez of Argentina. In 1997, she won the junior girl's singles title at the French Open. Early in her senior career, she regularly reached the late rounds of international competitions and won five International Tennis Federation tournaments by the end of 1998.

She began her professional career on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tour in May 1999 as a wild card entry in the Belgian Open clay tournament at Antwerp and became only the fifth player to win her debut WTA Tour event. She defeated three top 50 players on the road to the title.

Henin established herself as a major competitor in 2001 when she reached the women's singles semifinals of the French Open and then upset the reigning Australian Open and French Open champion Jennifer Capriati in the semifinals of Wimbledon, losing to defending champion Venus Williams in three sets in the final. By the end of the year, Henin was ranked seventh in singles, with three titles to her name. Also that year, she reached the French Open women's doubles semifinals with Elena Tatarkova and helped Belgium win the 2001 Fed Cup.

In 2002, she reached four WTA finals, winning two of them, and finished the year ranked World No. 5. Her German Open victory, her first win at a Tier I tournament, was noteworthy as she beat Jennifer Capriati in a semifinal and Serena Williams in the final, the then number two and number five ranked players, respectively.

2003

Henin started the year as the fifth ranked player in the world but lost to Kim Clijsters in the semifinals of the Medibank International in Sydney. In the fourth round of the Australian Open in Melbourne, Henin defeated Lindsay Davenport 7–5, 5–7, 9–7. In a match lasting more than three hours, Henin overcame a 4–1 final set deficit, high temperatures, and muscle cramps to defeat Davenport for the first time in her career. Henin then lost to Venus Williams in the semifinals in straight sets.

Henin then lost to Clijsters in the semifinals of the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp. At the Dubai Tennis Championships one week later, Henin defeated former World No. 1 Monica Seles in the final 4–6, 7–6, 7–5 after Seles had a match point at 5–4 in the second set. It was Henin's first victory over Seles.

Henin's next tournament was the Tier I Miami Masters. She lost in the quarterfinals to World No. 10 Chanda Rubin 6–3, 6–2.

At the clay court Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, Henin defeated World No. 1 Serena Williams in the final. This was Williams' first loss of the year after 22 wins.

The following week, Henin reached the semifinals of the Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Florida, losing to eventual winner Elena Dementieva 3–6, 6–4, 7–5. Henin then helped Belgium defeat Austria 5–0 in a first round tie of the Fed Cup.

In May, Henin successfully defended her Tier I title at the Qatar Telecom German Open in Berlin. In the final, Henin saved three match points in the third set before defeating Clijsters.

At the French Open, Henin was the fourth seeded player. She defeated the defending champion, Serena Williams, in a semifinal 6–2, 4–6, 7–5 after Henin trailed 4–2 in the third set. In the final, Henin defeated Clijsters in straight sets. This was Henin's first Grand Slam title, and she was the first Belgian ever to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Henin then began her preparations for Wimbledon. At the grass court Ordina Open in Rosmalen, Henin lost in the final to Clijsters when Henin was forced to retire from the match after injuring her finger.

At Wimbledon, Henin was the third seeded player. She defeated Mary Pierce in the fourth round and Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals before losing to Serena Williams in a straight sets semifinal.

Henin's first competition after Wimbledon was the Fed Cup tie against Slovakia. Henin won both her singles matches to help Belgium win the tie 5–0.

Henin then played two tournaments during the North American summer hard court season before the US Open. At the Tier I Acura Classic in San Diego, the third-seeded Henin defeated the top-seeded Clijsters in the final. Two weeks later at the Tier I Rogers Cup in Toronto, Henin defeated Russia's Lina Krasnoroutskaya in the final.

Henin was the second-seeded player at the US Open. She won her first four matches against unseeded players before defeating seventh-seeded Anastasia Myskina in the quarterfinals. Henin then defeated sixth-seeded Jennifer Capriati in the semifinals 4–6, 7–5, 7–6(4) in a match that lasted more than three hours and stretched to midnight. Henin recovered from a 5–3 deficit in the second set and a 5–2 deficit in the final set and was just two points from defeat eleven times. She was treated for muscle cramps and dehydration overnight but returned to play in the final the next day. In the final, Henin defeated Clijsters in straight sets. The win raised Henin's ranking to World No. 2, just behind Clijsters.

Henin next played the indoor Sparkassen Cup in Leipzig, Germany where she lost to Myskina in the final. This ended Henin's 22-match winning streak. Two weeks later at the indoor Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Filderstadt, Germany, Henin lost in the final to Clijsters. Had Henin won this match, she would have immediately replaced Clijsters as the World No. 1.

At the Tier I Zurich Open the following week, Henin reached her sixth consecutive final where she defeated Serbia's Jelena Dokić. This win caused Henin to become the thirteenth World No. 1 on the Women's Tennis Association computer on 20 October 2003. Henin, however, held this ranking for only one week as she declined to defend her title at the Generali Ladies Linz tournament in Linz, Austria.

At the WTA Tour Championships in Los Angeles, Henin defeated Myskina and Capriati but lost to Japan's Ai Sugiyama in her round robin matches. In the semifinals, Henin lost to Amélie Mauresmo 7–6(2), 3–6, 6–3.

Henin was named the International Tennis Federation's women's singles World Champion for 2003. She ended the year as the World No. 1.

2004

Henin started 2004 by winning a warm-up tournament in Sydney. She then won the Australian Open in Melbourne, defeating Kim Clijsters in three sets.

As of 22 March 2004, Henin had accumulated the highest point total (7626) in the history of the WTA rankings. Because the awarding of quality points was eliminated in 2006, this point total may never be exceeded.

By the end of the 2004 spring hard court season, Henin had built a 25-match Tier I winning streak and a 22–1 win-loss record (winning her first 16 matches).

At the start of the 2004 spring clay court season, Henin's health was adversely affected by infection with a strain of cytomegalovirus and an immune system problem. She often slept up to 18 hours a day and barely had the strength to brush her teeth, let alone play competitive tennis.

Although she decided to defend her French Open title and was seeded first in the tournament, she lost her second round match to a much lower-ranked player, Tathiana Garbin of Italy. At the time, the loss marked only the second time in 15 Grand Slam events that she'd lost before the fourth round.

After months of layoff because of a virus, Henin returned to competition in August and won the women's singles gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, defeating Amélie Mauresmo of France in the final 6–3, 6–3. Henin reached the gold medal match by defeating reigning French Open champion Anastasia Myskina in a semifinal 7–5, 5–7, 8–6 after having trailed 1–5 in the final set. Her medal ceremony was attended by fellow countryman and IOC president Jacques Rogge.

In September, she was unsuccessful in her defence of her US Open title, losing to Nadia Petrova in the fourth round. This defeat caused her to lose the World No. 1 ranking, which she had held for 45 non-consecutive weeks. She then withdrew from the 10 remaining tournaments of the year in an effort to recover her health and improve her fitness.

2005

Her plan to rejoin the tour at the beginning of 2005 was delayed when she fractured her kneecap in a December 2004 training session.

On 25 March, after more than six months away from competition, Henin returned to the Women's Tennis Association tour at the Miami Masters. She lost to second ranked Maria Sharapova in a quarterfinal. She rebounded at her next tournament, winning the clay court Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina. She won two more clay court titles before the start of the 2005 French Open. Her victories over top ranked Lindsay Davenport, Sharapova, Elena Dementieva, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Petrova made her a top contender for the title there.

Henin was seeded tenth at the French Open and defeated the French player Mary Pierce in the final in straight sets to take her second title at Roland Garros. The win marked Henin's 24th consecutive clay court win and her tenth consecutive final win, a streak dating back to Zurich in October 2003. In capturing the title, she defeated Kuznetsova in the fourth round, Sharapova in a quarterfinal, and Petrova in a semifinal. Henin saved two match points to defeat Kuznetsova in the fourth round 7–6(6), 4–6, 7–5 and thus became only the second woman to win the French Open after saving a match point.

With her French Open victory, Henin moved from World No. 12 to World No. 7 in the women's singles rankings. Henin was a perfect 24–0 on clay this year and joined Monica Seles as the only two currently active (in 2005) players on the WTA Tour to have won the French Open at least twice.

At Wimbledon 2005, Henin's win streak of 24 matches was snapped in the first round by Greek Eleni Daniilidou 7–6, 2–6, 7–5. It was the first time that a reigning French Open champion failed to win a match at Wimbledon. A hamstring injury sustained earlier in the year eventually limited her to playing only 11 more matches for 2005.

Henin next played the Rogers Cup in Toronto, where she reached the final after beating Mauresmo in a semifinal before losing to Clijsters in straight sets.

She lost in the fourth round of the US Open to eventual finalist Mary Pierce 6–3, 6–2.

Following this, she played in Filderstadt, but after losing her first round match to Flavia Pennetta, she decided not to play for the rest of 2005.

In 2005, TENNIS Magazine placed her in 31st place on its list of the 40 Greatest Players for the period 1965 through 2005.

In November, at the 2005 WTA Tour Championships, she was named the inaugural winner of the Whirlpool 6TH SENSE Player of the Year, which honors the player who has demonstrated the most sixth sense intuition, that is to say "heightened intelligence, unbeatable performance and pinpoint precision".

2006

In January, Henin returned to competitive tennis at the tournament in Sydney, a tune-up for the Australian Open. She was seeded fifth and played former World No. 1 (and newly returned to competitive tennis) Martina Hingis in a much hyped first round match. Henin won 6–3, 6–3. She then defeated former US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in a semifinal before defeating Francesca Schiavone in the final.

At the Australian Open, Henin defeated top ranked Lindsay Davenport and fourth ranked Maria Sharapova in three-set matches to set up a final against third ranked Amélie Mauresmo. While trailing 6–1, 2–0, Henin retired from the match, citing intense stomach pain caused by over-use of anti-inflammatories for a persistent shoulder injury. Henin stated afterwards that she feared possible injury had she continued to play. Henin was criticized by the press because she had stated after her semifinal win against Sharapova that she was at the "peak of her fitness" and was playing the "best tennis of her life". This was only the fourth Grand Slam women's singles final to end by retirement since 1900 and the first in the open era.

Henin captured her second title of the year at a Tier II event in Dubai, defeating Sharapova 7–5, 6–2. This was her third Dubai title, having won previously in 2003 and 2004. At the Tier I Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, Henin lost in the semifinals to fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva 2–6, 7–5, 7–5 after leading 6–2, 5–2 and serving for the match twice. Henin also lost in the second round of the Tier I Miami Masters to Meghann Shaughnessy 7–5, 6–4.

On clay, Henin failed to retain her title at the Tier I Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, losing in the semifinals to third-seeded Patty Schnyder 2–6, 6–3, 6–2. It was her first career defeat at this tournament and the end of her 27-match winning streak on clay. Henin then helped Belgium defeat defending champion Russia in a Fed Cup quarterfinal. She beat fifth ranked Nadia Petrova 6–7, 6–4, 6–3, and ninth ranked Elena Dementieva 6–2, 6–0. Petrova had come into the tie with two consecutive clay court tournament victories and a 10-match clay court winning streak, while Dementieva had defeated Henin in their last meeting in Indian Wells and defeated second ranked Belgian compatriot Kim Clijsters on the first day of the tie. Three weeks later, Henin played the Tier I Qatar Telecom German Open, defeating Mauresmo in a semifinal 6–1, 6–2 before losing to Petrova in a three-set final.

At the French Open, Henin defeated second seeded Clijsters in the semifinals 6–3, 6–2. She then defeated Kuznetsova in the final to win her third French Open singles title in four years. Henin captured the title without losing a set and became the first French Open champion to defend her title successfully since Steffi Graf in 1996.

At the Eastbourne grass court tournament just before Wimbledon, Henin defeated Anastasia Myskina in the final in three sets.

Henin was the third seed going into Wimbledon and advanced to her third consecutive Grand Slam final without losing a set. She defeated Clijsters (who was seeded second) in a semifinal 6–4, 7–6(4) but lost the final to Mauresmo. The final featured two finesse players who used their all-court games, a break from recent years that featured a succession of power baseliners claiming the title. At almost every point throughout the match, both players approached the net to volley. Tipped as the tournament favorite, Henin won the first set. But Mauresmo recovered to win the next two sets and her second Grand Slam singles title and deny the Belgian a career Grand Slam. This was the only Wimbledon final of the decade that did not involve Venus Williams and/or Serena Williams.

Henin withdrew from Tier I events in San Diego and Montreal because of injury but played the tournament in New Haven, Connecticut. There, she defeated Kuznetsova and Davenport en route to the title. It was her 28th WTA tour title. She returned to the World No. 2 ranking and crossed over US$12 million in career prize money.

At the US Open, Sharapova defeated Henin in the final after Henin had defeated Davenport in the quarterfinals and Jelena Janković in the semifinals 4–6, 6–4, 6–0. Henin became the first woman since Hingis in 1997 to reach the finals of all four Grand Slam singles tournaments in a calendar year.

Henin won both of her singles matches during the Fed Cup final against Italy in Charleroi, Belgium. However, Henin retired from the deciding doubles match because of a knee injury while she and her partner Kirsten Flipkens were trailing 3–6, 6–2, 2–0, giving Italy the championship.

Henin guaranteed her year-end World No. 1 ranking by reaching the final of the Sony Ericsson Championships, defeating Sharapova in the semifinals 6–2, 7–6(5). Henin then defeated Mauresmo and won the tournament for the first time in her career.

Henin was the first player since Hingis in 2000 to win the WTA Tour Championships and end the year as the top ranked player. Henin was the first woman to win at least one Grand Slam singles title in four consecutive years since Graf from 1993 through 1996. Her prize money earnings for the year totaled US$4,204,810.

2007

.]] On 4 January 2007, Henin withdrew from the Australian Open and the warm-up tournament in Sydney to deal with the break-up of her marriage. Not playing those tournaments caused Henin to lose the World No. 1 ranking to Maria Sharapova.

In Henin's first tournament of the year, she lost in the semifinals of the Open Gaz de France in Paris to Czech Lucie Šafářová 7–6(5), 6–4. She then won two hardcourt tournaments in the Middle East, the Dubai Duty Free Women's Open (for the fourth time in five years) over Amélie Mauresmo and her first Qatar Total Open title in Doha, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. She also reached US$14 million in career prize money and on 19 March, regained the World No. 1 ranking.

At the Miami Masters, Henin reached the final for the first time in her career, where she lost to Serena Williams 0–6, 7–5, 6–3 after holding two match points at 6–0, 5–4. Her next tournament was the J&S; Cup in Warsaw, Poland, which she won, beating Alyona Bondarenko of Ukraine in the final, 6–1, 6–3. Later, at the Qatar Telecom German Open in Berlin, Henin won her quarterfinal against Jelena Janković 3–6, 6–4, 6–4 after being behind 4–0 in the third set, only to lose her semifinal against Kuznetsova 6–4, 5–7, 6–4. The loss was only her second to Kuznetsova in 16 career meetings.

At the French Open, Henin was the two-time defending champion and top seed. In a highly-anticipated quarterfinal match against Serena Williams, Henin won 6–4, 6–3. She then defeated Janković in the semifinals 6–2, 6–2. In the final, Henin defeated Ana Ivanović in straight sets, 6–1, 6–2 to claim her third consecutive French Open title, equalling Seles's open era record. She also surpassed US$15 million in career prize money earnings. Henin won the tournament without dropping a set and had not lost a set at this tournament since the 2005 French Open quarterfinals. She had not lost a match at the French Open since 2004.

The International Women's Open in Eastbourne was Henin's first grass court tournament of the year. She and Mauresmo reached the final, which was the first time in nearly 30 years that the Eastbourne final included both finalists from Wimbledon the previous year. Henin recovered from a breakdown in the final set to win in a third-set tiebreak for the second consecutive year.

At Wimbledon, Henin lost to Marion Bartoli in the semifinals 1–6, 7–5, 6–1, one day after Henin defeated Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. It was Henin's first win over the American on a surface other than clay. In the semifinal, Henin was up a break at 1–0 and 4–3 in the second set, but could not hold the lead.

In August, Henin won the Tier I Rogers Cup in Toronto, defeating Janković in the final. The tournament championship was Henin's 35th on the WTA tour, moving her past Clijsters who retired with 34 tournament championships.

At the US Open, Henin defeated her first four opponents in straight sets, with a 6–0 set in each match. Henin then faced Serena Williams in the quarterfinals for the third consecutive time in a Grand Slam tournament, and for the third time, Henin won, 7–6(3), 6–1. In the semifinals against Venus Williams, Henin was up a break in the first set but could not hold it. She finally won the set in a tiebreak. In the second set, Henin was ahead 3–0 before Williams leveled the set at 3–3. Williams then had three break points on Henin's service but could not convert and lost the game. Henin then broke Williams's serve and held her own serve to go up 5–3. Williams then broke Henin to pull within 5–4 but Henin broke Williams again in the last game to win the match 7–6(2), 6–4. Henin became only the second player to defeat both Williams sisters in the same Grand Slam tournament (after Martina Hingis at the 2001 Australian Open). In the final, Henin won her second US Open singles title, defeating Kuznetsova in straight sets, 6–1, 6–3. Henin won the tournament without dropping a set.

Henin won her next tournament, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, defeating Tatiana Golovin in the final. Two weeks later, Henin won the Zurich Open, her ninth title of the year, by again defeating Golovin in the final.

At the WTA Tour Championships, Henin won all three of her round robin matches, defeating Anna Chakvetadze, Janković, and Bartoli. Going into the match against Bartoli, Henin had won 22 consecutive matches since Bartoli defeated her in the 2007 Wimbledon semifinals. Although Henin had already clinched a spot in the semifinals, both Henin and Bartoli did not know Bartoli had to replace Serena Williams until several hours before the match and lost 6–0, 6–0. In the semifinals, Henin defeated Ivanović 6–4, 6–4. In the final, Henin overcame Sharapova in three sets in a match that lasted 3 hours, 24 minutes. Sharapova won the first set on her eighth set point in the 12-minute last game. Henin won the match on her fifth match point in the final game of the match. This was Henin's longest ever match, the longest final in tournament history, and the twelfth longest women's match ever.

This victory extended Henin's winning streak to 25 matches. She only lost three sets after Wimbledon. This victory made her the sixth player to successfully defend her title at the WTA's season-ending championship and the first player to claim at least 10 tour titles in a year since Hingis won 12 in 1997. She also became the first woman to break the US$5 million barrier in prize money in a year, and by crossing US$19 million, Henin is now ranked fifth on the all time prize money list.

Henin ended the year ranked World No. 1 for the third time in her career, having done so previously in 2003 and 2006. She was the first player since Martina Hingis to end the year ranked World No. 1 consecutively for two years (Hingis was ranked year-end World No. 1 in 1999–2000). She also ended the year with a 63–4 record, having lost to only four players: Lucie Šafářová, Serena Williams, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Marion Bartoli.

2008: Retirement

Henin started the year as the World No. 1. 14 January marked Henin's 100th career week as World No. 1, and on 10 March, Henin became only the seventh female player to be ranked World No. 1 for 12 consecutive months.

The Medibank International in Sydney was Henin's first tournament of the year. She defeated Ana Ivanović in the semifinals 6–2, 2–6, 6–4. She then defeated World No. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova 4–6, 6–2, 6–4, overcoming an 0–3 deficit in the final set.

At the Australian Open in Melbourne, Henin won her 32nd consecutive match in the fourth round, defeating Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan 6–2, 6–2. The winning streak ended in the quarterfinals when Sharapova, the eventual winner, defeated Henin 6–4, 6–0. This was Henin's first 6–0 loss since the 2002 French Open and the first time since the 2005 US Open that Henin had been defeated in a Grand Slam singles tournament before the semifinals.

At the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp, Henin defeated Karin Knapp in the final. This was Henin's second singles title in her native Belgium. Two weeks later at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, Henin was the defending champion but lost for the first time in eight meetings to Francesca Schiavone in the quarterfinals 7–6(3), 7–6(4). Henin had struggled for three hours in her first match against Katarina Srebotnik, eventually winning 7–5, 6–7, 6–3.

After taking a four week break, Henin's next tournament was the Tier I Miami Masters. She lost in the quarterfinals to Serena Williams 6–2, 6–0. Henin then withdrew from the Tier I Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina because of an injury to her right knee.

At the Tier I, clay court Qatar Telecom German Open in Berlin, Henin lost in the third round to Dinara Safina 5–7, 6–3, 6–1, in what turned out to be her last match before retirement. In their five previous career matches, Henin had never lost a set to Safina. The day after her defeat, Henin withdrew from the Tier I Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, citing fatigue.

Henin announced her immediate retirement from professional tennis on 14 May 2008, and requested the Women's Tennis Association to remove her name from the rankings immediately. Her announcement was a surprise because Henin was still ranked World No. 1 and was considered the favorite for the 2008 French Open, where she would have been the 3-time defending champion. She said she felt no sadness about her retirement because she believed it was a release from a game she had focused on for twenty years. She also said that in the future, she will be concentrating on charity and her tennis school.

2010: Return

Belgian newspaper, Vers l'Avenir, reported on Tuesday 22 September 2009 that Henin would formally announce her return to competitive tennis after 16 months of retirement. Later that day, Justine Henin confirmed her return to competition. Henin mentioned seeing Roger Federer finally complete the grand slam of titles by winning the French Open in 2009 had been an inspiration, as had Kim Clijsters return to the tour and her victory at the US Open.

Henin made her return to tennis at the 2010 Brisbane International where she was given a wildcard. She defeated No. 2 seed Nadia Petrova, Sesil Karatantcheva, No. 7 seed Melinda Czink and No. 3 seed Ana Ivanović to make it to the final. She then lost to her Belgian compatriot Kim Clijsters in the final, 6–3, 4–6, 7–6(6) in a 2 hour, 23 minute match.

At the 2010 Australian Open, Henin was given a wildcard as an unranked player. Henin started off with a straight sets victory over Belgian Kirsten Flipkens. She set up the most highly anticipated second round match of the tournament with No. 5 seed Elena Dementieva, whom she defeated 7–5, 7–6(5). Lasting two hours and fifty minutes, commentators felt this match was worthy of a final. Henin approached the net forty-three times, winning thirty-five of those points. In the third round, she defeated No. 28 seed Alisa Kleybanova from Russia; where she made a comeback to win 3–6, 6–4, 6–2. In the fourth round she faced World No. 16 and fellow Belgian, Yanina Wickmayer, defeating her in 3 sets 7–6, 1–6, 6–3. She then defeated No. 19 seed Nadia Petrova from Russia in the quarter-finals. Henin won 7–6, 7–5 after having been down 0–3 in the second set. She then went on to defeat Zheng Jie from China in the semi-finals in convincing fashion 6–1, 6–0, setting up a clash with World No. 1 Serena Williams in the 2010 Australian Open ladies final. This was the first time in their long rivalry that Henin and Serena Williams met in a Grand Slam Final. Henin would eventually fall to Serena Williams in 3 sets 6–4, 3–6, 6–2.

A wildcard was granted for Henin to compete at the 2010 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, a Premier Mandatory tournament. In the first round, Henin defeated Magdaléna Rybáriková 6–2, 6–2 in a little over an hour. Henin then lost to Gisela Dulko, 2–6, 6–1, 4–6, in a 2 hour match. The result gave her a new rank of World No. 33 as of 22 March 2010. She defeated Jill Craybas of USA 6–2,6–2 in the first round of Sony Ericsson Open. In the second round, Henin defeated World No. 6 Elena Dementieva 6–3, 6–2 in 90 minutes. In the third round, Henin defeated Dominika Cibulková in 93 minutes, 6–4, 6–4 advancing to the quarterfinals where Henin thrashed Vera Zvonareva 6–1, 6–4 to set up a meeting in the quarterfinals with World No.2 Caroline Wozniacki. After defeating World No. 2 Wozniacki in a three-set match, she fell to compatriot Kim Clijsters in a semifinal battle, 2–6, 7–6 (3), 6–7 (6). Following her Sony Ericsson Open performance, Henin moved into the top 25 for the first time since her comeback.

Henin's next tournament was the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Henin played through this tournament injured, having previously broken her left pinkie during Fed Cup practice. In the first round, Henin saw off German qualifier Julia Görges 7–6 (3), 6–1. In her second round, she defeated World No. 12 and fellow Belgian Yanina Wickmayer, defeating her for the 2nd consecutive time, 6–3, 7–5. In the quarterfinals, she defeated fourth seed and World No. 7 Jelena Janković 3–6, 7–6 (4), 6–3 for the tenth time in her career. She defeated World No. 20 Shahar Pe'er in the semifinals, 6–3, 6–2, and reached her third final in five tournaments this year. She faced World No. 10 Samantha Stosur. Henin won the final 6–4, 2–6, 6–1 in 100 minutes, to procure her first title in 2010 (in her 3rd final). Winning this tournament also sent Henin into the Top 20 for the first time since her comeback.

At the 2010 Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open she was defeated in the first round by eventual champion Aravane Rezaï 4–6, 7–5, 6–0. As a result of this shock loss, Henin dropped out of the Top 20 to No.23. Henin then participated at the 2010 French Open, seeded 22nd, the second grand slam of the year where she has won four previous titles. In the 1st round, she defeated Tsvetana Pironkova in 89 minutes, 6–4, 6–3. In the 2nd round, Henin faced Klára Zakopalová and defeated her 6–3, 6–3. In the third round, facing former World No. 1 Maria Sharapova, Henin ended her streak of consecutive sets at 40, losing the 2nd set to Sharapova but going on to win 6–2, 3–6, 6–3. She had then tied the number of consecutive sets won at the French Open with Helen Wills Moody. She lost to World No. 7 Samantha Stosur 2–6, 6–1, 6–4 in the fourth round, her first defeat at Roland Garros since 2004.

Henin began the grass court season at the 2010 UNICEF Open, where she was the top seed for the first time since her return. In the first three rounds she defeated Angelique Kerber, Roberta Vinci, and Kristina Barrois in straight sets. She then demolished No. 5 seed Alexandra Dulgheru in the semifinals, 6–2, 6–2. In the final, she defeated No. 7 seed Andrea Petkovic to win her 43rd career title and second of the year.

At the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, Henin was the No. 17 seed. In the third round, she had a convincing victory over Nadia Petrova, winning 6–1, 6–4. Justine was eventually defeated in the fourth round by Kim Clijsters 2–6, 6–2, 6–3, after claiming a convincing first set win. Midway through the first set, Henin slipped on the court, injuring her right elbow. Further examinations revealed a partial ligament fracture in her elbow, causing her to end her 2010 season prematurely.

2011: Second retirement

Henin started her season at the 2011 Hopman Cup. She did not lose any sets in the competition earning comfortable victories over Alicia Molik from Australia, Sesil Karatantcheva from Kazakhstan, Ana Ivanović of Serbia and Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the USA in the final.

Henin was the 11th seed and a defending finalist at the 2011 Australian Open. Henin defeated Sania Mirza from India in the first round 5–7, 6–3, 6–1 and Elena Baltacha in the second round, 6–1, 6–3. She then fell to 23rd seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the third round 4–6, 6–7(8).

After that defeat, Henin announced her definitive retirement from professional tennis on 26 January 2011, due to a new injury of the elbow that she had injured the year before at Wimbledon. At the 2009 US Open – Girls' Doubles the Ukrainian tennis player Maryna Zanevska became the first "6th Sense player" to win a Grand Slam title.

On 30 November 2007, Henin opened her own tennis academy Club Justine N1 (in French, "N1" is pronounced almost exactly the same as "Henin").

On 14 May 2008, Henin announced her immediate retirement from professional tennis. She was 25 years old and ranked World No. 1 at the time. She announced her return to competitive tennis on 22 September 2009.

Career statistics

Records

These records were attained in the open era of tennis.

Open era record for most consecutive sets won at the French Open: 40 (2005–2010). Also tied with Helen Wills Moody for the all-time record for the number of consecutive sets won at the French Open.

Awards and honors

2002 UEPS European Sportswoman of the Year. 2003

Belgian Sportswoman of the Year.

ITF World Champion.

UEPS European Sportswoman of the Year.

ITF World Champion.

Belgian Sportswoman of the Year

Member of the Belgian Sporting Team of the Year (Fed Cup – Team) UEPS European Sportswoman of the Year. EFE Sportsperson of the Year. UEPS European Sportswoman of the Year.

WTA Player of the Year (for 2007).

2010

WTA Comeback Player of the Year

See also

List of female tennis players

List of Grand Slam Women's Singles champions

Belgium at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Henin – S. Williams rivalry

Clijsters–Henin rivalry

References

;Notes

External links

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Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:Australian Open (tennis) champions Category:Belgian expatriates in Monaco Category:Belgian female tennis players Category:French Open champions Category:Olympic gold medalists for Belgium Category:Olympic tennis players of Belgium Category:Order of the Crown (Belgium) recipients Category:People from Liège (city) Category:People from Monte Carlo Category:People from Namur (province) Category:Tennis players at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:United States Open champions (tennis) Category:Walloon sportspeople Category:World No. 1 tennis players Category:Olympic medalists in tennis