Henin was such a treat for the eyes, she was able to execute all shots (especially that legendary one handed backhand) with great elegance, no wonder she was called the Federer of women's tennis. Miss her very much.
Even more amazing is that her skill and artistry thrived in the modern power era of the women's game while others known for similar artistic traits either didn't play in her era or only played doubles thereafter.
@@probablypondering1657 peak years you mean the years she got away with her TUE's from 2012 to 2015? No one gets pulmonary embolism unless you are blood doping, Patrick and Simona halep partnership has brought in some new revelations.
Such a pity Clijsters and Henin retired as early as they did in 2007 and 2008 respectively. With the two Belgians and the Williams sisters playing longer, we would have been spoiled with great tennis rivalries.
@@its_MylesDavid henin first retired first in 2007 came back in 2010 and retired in the same year she played regularly from 2001-2007 she was at peak from 2003-2007 yes she came back during 2010 but retired in the same year on the other hand serena came during 1998 and played till 2022 huge difference
After the 2010 Auatralian Open finals ,Justin Henin had trouble going deep in tournaments that followed ,she decided to quit tennis again.The problem with your wish is that she and Clijsters declined while Serena slightly became more solid up to 2015 then she declined after that year even though she won 2 more slams, lost 3 slam semi-finals and 4 slam finals before her own retirement
@@HeeJunFan only the second time she retired because of the i jury, the first time in 2008 was lack of desire or something like that. She was pretty much unbeatable in 2007 and 2008 so she lost inspiration. All 4 matches she lost in 2008 were basically given away by her because she would let opponent get advantage for some kind of personal thrill lol it was so obvious If she mever retired so young, now would've been a tough to say that serena is goat because she would've had much less slams...
They talk about henins backhand but look at the forehand it's big powerful and versatile she often dominates with the forehand look at the power she generates with the forehand
How i missed the 2000’s women’s tennis. During this golden era women’s tennis was so much more competitive and exciting to watch. There were so many tennis greats in the field such as the William Sisters, the Belgians, Davenport, Capriati, Sharapova, Mauresmo etc. All of them were so consistent in their ranks ans skills as well. Looking at women’s tennis right now, i barely know who is who is competing. Today it’s normal to see a nobody wins a gram slam and then next day she just totally disappears. One word: boring.
Oh wow....seeing Justine in the year 2022 shows how (relatively) unattractive womans tennis became IMHO...no top player of today comes close to Justines technical skills in my eyes...to me its a bit like watching prime Federer - but this time the womans version - so elegant...just beautiful to watch...
Henin is power+talent+handskills.she just kept serena off balance some serves of henin were so perfect just jammed serena really amazing smart play by henin
Justine Henin and Kim Cljsters were two Belgian players who held back the Williams, especially Henin represented a stone in the shoe for Serena Williams.
True, in 2007 Henin had 7 slams while Serena had 8 slams, they were on par with each other. Serena would've had more slams still due to her longevity, but Henin would've had 12-13 slams at least.
@@YDVDNVRR I respect your opinion. But in my opinion Clijsters is just a slight level below from these three in terms of greatness. For me Clijsters is in the same category as Davenport, Sharapova, Capriati.. Justine, Serena and Venus are just truly special players with extraordinary talents! And Serena is the 🐐
@@vvs4804 Venus is a more complete player and peaked in the toughest era of women’s tennis ever. Maria won her 2 RG titles beating players like Errani and Bouchard (with all due respect). Venus also won more Slams, has more titles, a Gold medal, more doubles Slams and had a much higher peak than Maria. She won 4 of 6 Slams at one point, went on a 35 match winning streak (Maria’s most is 19) and reached 4 consecutive Slam finals (and 9 of 12 at one point).
@@regulusarcturus weird how u say Venus is a more complete player when Sharapova has multiple clay masters titles and a career grand slam. Btw she won her second RG against Halep in finals,not Bouchard(who played Wimbledon finals).
Justine got half of her wins in 2007 when she was having a career year and Serena was just showing up. 2007 Serena was winning on grit, not actual play.
What a player! I wish she continued playing. She was the only player who could dominate a prime Serena! I believe she was the only player Serena feared! She could have easily won as many if not more grand slams than Serena! This shows talent alone isn't enough it has to be backed by luck and other factors! I think she played the backhand better than Federer; she had more variations in that shot! What a woman Justin Henin was!
La mejor jugadora de tenis que he visto jugar , y eso que era pequeñita y con apariencia muy debil pero de debil no tenia nada elegante y letal con su reves a una mano , una derecha sin misericordia un saque poderoso a pesar de su baja estatura Aparte que en tierra era casi invencible , era un deleite verla jugar , lastima que no gano wimbledon , y muy inteligente para jugar Cuando habia que pegarle fuerte lo hacia y si no pues aplicaba la sutilesa femenina , un encanto su tenis , en mi olimpo del tenis femenino siempre estaras en lo mas alto , y si no se hubiera retirado tan jovencita para dedicarse a ser mamá no se cuantos grand slams mas hubiera seguido ganando , justin henin harden con su retiro junto a kim klijsters les dejaron servida la mesa a las 2 hermanas willians Pero eso ya es otra historia , JUSTIN ERES LA MAS GRANDE !!!!
Henin showed you can be smaller than average in physical size but still win from talent, hard work and nerves of steel. She virtually threw her body at the groundstrokes in order to hit as hard as the bigger ladies and of course she had a great single handed backhand which is even rarer in the women's game than the men's game. To me the most graceful female player ever was Hana Mandlikova who seemed to glide around the court and who also had a beautiful single handed backhand. She made tennis look effortless and when she was in form it was a thing of beauty on the court. Mandlikova won 4 Slams in the era of Evert and Navratilova and was a top player for over a decade but not quite as successful as Henin who won 7 Slams.
It's such a pity that Henin retired so early. Her tennis is a beauty to watch. If she stayed a bit longer, she could have still dominated the women's tennis.
@norman smithers The serve has nothing to do with the opponent. SW's serve in this match is nothing like the serve she had when she dominated the tour.
@@karoldettlaff5345 Is that why Serena beat her 6-3 6-2 in Wimbledon, 6-4 6-2 in Leipzig, 6-2 6-0 in Miami, etc? Clearly she had an answer for Justine, lol.
Justine Henin no doubt was at her imperious best in 2007 where she beat Serena in the quarters at the French, Wimbledon and the US Open. She made Serena looked so slow, sluggish and clueless. Justine won both the French ( hattrick and 4th overall )and the US Open that year and only miss out of the Wimbledon at the semis stage, where she was upset by Marion Bartoli in a stunning 3 setter. And even in the year before that in 2006, Justine had entered the final of all the 4 major events that she competed in, something which the great Serena Williams has not been able to achieve during her stellar career.
As a Serena fan, I must agree. Although, Serena was a little injured at Wimby 2007. She could only slice the backhand but still took it to 3 sets. In the USO match she was just soundly beaten.
@@planestuff5027 it’s so weird that all these stars retired so early but Serena, who was always criticized about her lack of dedication to the game, is just now retiring after a 26 year professional career. If memory serves me right, Justine became injured again with her hand? I still think she could have come back and been incredible. She was one of the very few who could go toe to toe with Serena. Their matches were always dramatic, flashy, and entertaining. I’m still mad about what Justine did in 2003 but I can’t take away the fact that she had an incredible backhand, sensational footwork, and super great tactics for her small frame.
@@willybeama1 Henin fell during her Wimbledon match against Clijsters in 2010 and never fully recovered, retiring after the Australian Open in 2011. I actually think Henin was Serena's chief rival, even moreso than Venus. Their matches had drama, high quality, high stakes, and you could just sense that they didn't really like each other. It's a shame Henin couldn't keep it up, but her size worked against her.
Justine was an amazing player, probably the best when it comes to overall skills. Which is also why I respect Serena so much. Justine retired because she couldn't keep that level of game. Serena stayed, even if there were periods where she couldn't compete with the best, and then she became the best ever. Tennis is gonna miss her so much.
Justine retired cos of her injury and its consequences .. she fell at wimbledon 2010 and never fully healed from that incedent... she didnt retire cos she could not keep up the lvl . she was final first tournement back from retirement 2008 and final of AO 2010 and many more till her accident at wimbledon. Its a shame she didnt continue to play... esp at this moment womens tennis is pretty awful and inconsistant.
When Henin retired in 2008 she was ranked #1 (Similar to Barty). In 2010 she returned back to tennis just to injure her right elbow at that year's Wimbledon. That was the end of her tennis story. "Not being able to keep up" is an old-wives' tale.
@@philanthropenos1074 Err... She retired in 2008 bec she felt burnt out and couldn't mentally complete. Her own coach said that. This is why she had quite a few one-sided losses in the beginning of 2008. That is the very definition of "not being able to keep up".
@@nyh06pfu ""I don’t have the physical drive, the emotional want and everything it takes to challenge yourself at the very top of the level any more. I am spent." Did anyone think that Barty couldn't keep up when she said this?
Serena Williams is the GOAT, but Justine's tennis was brilliant. She surpassed her stature handicap (1m67 and 57kg) thanks to pure talent, agility and creativity. Like no one else, she made the most of her abilities. No one had a more extensive range of strokes at their disposal. Billy Jean King called her the best player of her generation, Martina Navratilova said she was head and shoulders above the competition. John McEnroe said her tennis was the most beautiful to watch and described her backhand as the world's best, men and women combined. I miss these exciting tennis times because, let's face it, women's tennis today is boring.
I would second that....and very interesting to read what John, martina and Bilie Jean said about her...I could rave for hours how incredible her technique was and especially her backhand...a bit like the female version of Federer...just lovely...
@@carrerau7138 Graf won 22 grand slam titles and Court won most of her Australian Open titles in a period where most players skipped that tournament. It was mostly Australians who competed, with draws sometimes involving as few as 24 players instead of the 128 that is commonplace these days. Anyway, there's no end to this kind of discussion. For me, Justine's the greatest, but then again, I'm Belgian 😉
I love watching Justine Henin play. She had such raw talent and she could match Serena play for play. They were the female version of Nadal vs Federer. Just seeing Serena and Justine play was so exciting to me. Justine was definitely Serena competition. I was she has retired so early. Justine was such a great player.
true, Serena had 8 slams in 2007 while Justine had 7, they were each other's biggest competitor. I wish Justine had a long career like Serena, it would've been the biggest rivalry in womens tennis.
The usual US commentator bias. Serena then Henin. Justine was half the size, yet still managed to overcome such a disadvantage with brilliant strokes and shot making.
Henin was one of a tiny # of players who had a winning H2H against Serena in Grand Slams (with at least 3 matches played). W-L Henin vs Serena: 4 - 3 Capriati vs Serena: 4 - 3 Pliskova vs Serena: 2 - 1 Osaka (not 3 matches but deserves a mention): 2 - 0
Yes but serena had 8-6 in head to head overall vs henin, and in every way was and is a superior player compared to henin ! not to mention henin's poor sportsmanship !
Yeah but Henin isn’t even top 15 all time but by far the best player in Serena’s era. Soft era. Graf is definitely still the goat . Serena close second with Martina. Can Serena tie the great Margaret court and win the open?? Let’s get it done Serena
Henin was superior to serena . During tjat 5 yr period where henin won 7 grand slams ,serena won 4 ,not bad but slightly more than half the no that henin won
Drama queen serena got lucky henin retired early due to injuries. This is the reason why serena is not the greatest of all time. During the 2000's it should have been Serena's decade as she was younger and at peak during those times, but was not better than Henin at all. Henin even retired in 2008 as world number 1 at a young age of 25 because of injuries. It goes to show how weak the 2010's women's era was as serena dominated until 2016.
If only Henin and Clijsters not quit so young, the trajectory of slams would've likely been a tad different.Taking nothing away from Serena, she was brilliant too. Venus too was from from her best with Sjogrens.
@@tremaine861 aha . definitely .. She would win 50 GS then lol... She had a ptoblem to beat Demietieva Zvareneva and others at that time.. She was lucky that these players decided to finish they carries just to start family life ..
To us true tennis lovers Henin was the GOAT of her era ... amazing skills did not rely on power or howling and other intimitation tactics to win a match (like the other one) and when she retired (the first time) /that was the biggest shock in womens tennis ever - If Henin kept going i can tell you the other one would not be at 23 slams as we speak
I love how racists boil down SERENA’s (she has a name) game to power and intimidation. Any real tennis fan would disagree but you just ‘have’ to put down Serena.
@@sconex8072 in contrast Serena Williams was the one who was putting down others! I also love how when ever this bully was criticized she would always hide behind race or gender! Again a bully is a bully (woman man black white makes no difference) when ever we see one we must call them out! All you do by calling me a racist is give space for these people to thrive
Keeping williams off balance has always been the key to beating her. Henin did it but none of the other WTA players managed to use this as a tactic. baffling. if someone was like this in the ATP, it would get exploited every point.
Henin was the one person who could put serena in her place in her prime years...the only thing serena added was a nasty losing attitude in post match interviews.
The butterfly vs the bumblebee; henin hits were not as strong, but she certainly could MOVE better and thats her strong point. serena at this point was carrying 40 lbs too much, it slowed her down, tired her out, and she just couldnt get to the ball like JH could!
It proves one thing in tennis, being muscular doesn't help you in tennis at all...look how thin djokoviv and federer are.....it is all about quickness and precision and power of your shots
@@brianpun8028 it is focused energy..djokovic has never been as thin as today yet he know when to exactly use his strength to manuever his forehand and backhand and his foot work........he is probably the lightest weight top 10 right now besides medvdev
Henin's level of play in 2007 was the best I'd ever seen at that point. Serena hadn't reached her peak yet. Such a pity Henin's career was cut short by injuries and personal problems. In the "what if..." category, this could have been the greatest rivalry in women's tennis history. I also think they had more in common than what meets the eye.
Henin was such a treat for the eyes, she was able to execute all shots (especially that legendary one handed backhand) with great elegance, no wonder she was called the Federer of women's tennis. Miss her very much.
That's... a stretch lol
And has given up too early, her trainer had sobbed during her retirement. What a pity for tennis it was.😔
Even more amazing is that her skill and artistry thrived in the modern power era of the women's game while others known for similar artistic traits either didn't play in her era or only played doubles thereafter.
Serena leads 8-6 head to head and never even played her during her peak years. 2010- 2016
@@probablypondering1657 peak years you mean the years she got away with her TUE's from 2012 to 2015? No one gets pulmonary embolism unless you are blood doping, Patrick and Simona halep partnership has brought in some new revelations.
Justine had such a beautiful style - Federer-like. Elegant and powerful. One of my favorite players ever!
I wrote the same thing a few days ago...100 % eye-candy - like feds game - and so sucsessful at the same time...I watching this over and over again...
she was a straight up cheat
Yeah many people compared her game to Feds. Coincidentally they both peaked 2003-2007.
Such a pity Clijsters and Henin retired as early as they did in 2007 and 2008 respectively. With the two Belgians and the Williams sisters playing longer, we would have been spoiled with great tennis rivalries.
They all came back and we got matches with them into 2010
@@its_MylesDavid henin first retired first in 2007 came back in 2010 and retired in the same year she played regularly from 2001-2007 she was at peak from 2003-2007 yes she came back during 2010 but retired in the same year on the other hand serena came during 1998 and played till 2022 huge difference
After the 2010 Auatralian Open finals ,Justin Henin had trouble going deep in tournaments that followed ,she decided to quit tennis again.The problem with your wish is that she and Clijsters declined while Serena slightly became more solid up to 2015 then she declined after that year even though she won 2 more slams, lost 3 slam semi-finals and 4 slam finals before her own retirement
Henin's backhand is a poetry in motion..
I wish Henin continued to play longer.She is such an amazing player.
Same here. Unfortunately injuries didn't allow her to
She can still come back if she wants
@@24ghosh24 OH too old to return .Henin now is 40
@@petenewyork9359 just a number
@@HeeJunFan only the second time she retired because of the i jury, the first time in 2008 was lack of desire or something like that. She was pretty much unbeatable in 2007 and 2008 so she lost inspiration. All 4 matches she lost in 2008 were basically given away by her because she would let opponent get advantage for some kind of personal thrill lol it was so obvious
If she mever retired so young, now would've been a tough to say that serena is goat because she would've had much less slams...
They talk about henins backhand but look at the forehand it's big powerful and versatile she often dominates with the forehand look at the power she generates with the forehand
Justine Henin was a brilliant player. The semi against Venus was terrific too
How i missed the 2000’s women’s tennis. During this golden era women’s tennis was so much more competitive and exciting to watch. There were so many tennis greats in the field such as the William Sisters, the Belgians, Davenport, Capriati, Sharapova, Mauresmo etc. All of them were so consistent in their ranks ans skills as well. Looking at women’s tennis right now, i barely know who is who is competing. Today it’s normal to see a nobody wins a gram slam and then next day she just totally disappears. One word: boring.
There was mary pierce early days of kuznetsova vidisova ivanovic and jankovic
Myskina, Dementieva too
Henin played like an atp player, her shots, her movement and variety
Henin was my favourite player! So much elegance and power in that tiny frame!
Justin Henin was pure talent, class, elegance! A joy for the eyes to watch her playing ❤🎾🔥👏💪🏆
I remember watching this live back in my day 😊
To me there is Federer in the Men's circuit and then Henin in Women's - what elegance !
Cant get enough of Justine's backhand. My favorite shot in all of tennis history.
perfect, perfect, perfect Justine Henin!
Backhand by one Hand so perfect
Oh wow....seeing Justine in the year 2022 shows how (relatively) unattractive womans tennis became IMHO...no top player of today comes close to Justines technical skills in my eyes...to me its a bit like watching prime Federer - but this time the womans version - so elegant...just beautiful to watch...
Yes, she had the most beautiful, compact, perfect game.
to be fair, the same thing has happened to men's tennis as well
More classic Extended Highlights pls!!
So much power in such a small frame. Pound for pound the hardest hitter ever in women’s tennis.
Justine Henan backhand shot is classic i think I'm watching this clip because of it awesome 😎
Henin was great to watch play!
Ridiculous
@@Bambotb ridiculously great, I agree! Such a fantastic player.
Justine Henin was the most skillful female tennis player ever. She was truly brillant.
Such a shame Justine retired so young
She was fantastic
Can't get enough of Henin's match highlights. My favorite player ever!
What a shame, I wish Henin had a longer career. She was a rare talent in womens tennis
Love this!!! Amazing match performance
100%
Henin the most exciting player to watch in women's tennis ❤😊
Henin is power+talent+handskills.she just kept serena off balance some serves of henin were so perfect just jammed serena really amazing smart play by henin
Justine Henin and Kim Cljsters were two Belgian players who held back the Williams, especially Henin represented a stone in the shoe for Serena Williams.
They were cheaters!
But Serena still has the better win/loss head to head against both of them.
what an amazing player Justin, beautiful and aggressive tennis like Federer
same service move like Federer
Williams would've never gotten to 23 slams had she faced Henin throughout her career, unfortunately, Justine's career was cut short by injuries.
True, in 2007 Henin had 7 slams while Serena had 8 slams, they were on par with each other. Serena would've had more slams still due to her longevity, but Henin would've had 12-13 slams at least.
I think we can say the same with Steffi and Seles.
Nonsense....
Wow....we all know that's not true
@@tumimakgalane9061 Of course it's true, replays, and cameras don't lie, on this occasion henin cheated...
Justine, Serena and Venus are the best three players of their generation!! Great upload!
I’d add Clijsters as a fourth one.
@@YDVDNVRR I respect your opinion. But in my opinion Clijsters is just a slight level below from these three in terms of greatness. For me Clijsters is in the same category as Davenport, Sharapova, Capriati..
Justine, Serena and Venus are just truly special players with extraordinary talents! And Serena is the 🐐
@@OSB1111 How is Venus a better player than Sharapova who has a career grand slam?
@@vvs4804 Venus is a more complete player and peaked in the toughest era of women’s tennis ever. Maria won her 2 RG titles beating players like Errani and Bouchard (with all due respect).
Venus also won more Slams, has more titles, a Gold medal, more doubles Slams and had a much higher peak than Maria. She won 4 of 6 Slams at one point, went on a 35 match winning streak (Maria’s most is 19) and reached 4 consecutive Slam finals (and 9 of 12 at one point).
@@regulusarcturus weird how u say Venus is a more complete player when Sharapova has multiple clay masters titles and a career grand slam. Btw she won her second RG against Halep in finals,not Bouchard(who played Wimbledon finals).
Serena was sure glad Henin retired prematurely. She gave her so much humiliation and nightmares.
Justine got half of her wins in 2007 when she was having a career year and Serena was just showing up. 2007 Serena was winning on grit, not actual play.
@@ak-xp4hp stop take drugs. And do some googling
Are u kidding? Do you know the h2h?
@@Laballe377-6
@@YDVDNVRR 8-6, in serena's favour.
Une grande championne Justine comme on en fait plus bravo pour ça belle carrière
great hitting by both..classic battle
Henin is pound for pound the best tennis player of the last 30 years. Male or female.
What a player! I wish she continued playing. She was the only player who could dominate a prime Serena! I believe she was the only player Serena feared! She could have easily won as many if not more grand slams than Serena! This shows talent alone isn't enough it has to be backed by luck and other factors! I think she played the backhand better than Federer; she had more variations in that shot! What a woman Justin Henin was!
La mejor jugadora de tenis que he visto jugar , y eso que era pequeñita y con apariencia muy debil pero de debil no tenia nada elegante y letal con su reves a una mano , una derecha sin misericordia un saque poderoso a pesar de su baja estatura
Aparte que en tierra era casi invencible , era un deleite verla jugar , lastima que no gano wimbledon , y muy inteligente para jugar
Cuando habia que pegarle fuerte lo hacia y si no pues aplicaba la sutilesa femenina , un encanto su tenis , en mi olimpo del tenis femenino siempre estaras en lo mas alto , y si no se hubiera retirado tan jovencita para dedicarse a ser mamá no se cuantos grand slams mas hubiera seguido ganando , justin henin harden con su retiro junto a kim klijsters les dejaron servida la mesa a las 2 hermanas willians
Pero eso ya es otra historia , JUSTIN ERES LA MAS GRANDE !!!!
The best women's tennis player with one of the most complete games - Justine Henin.
Henin showed you can be smaller than average in physical size but still win from talent, hard work and nerves of steel. She virtually threw her body at the groundstrokes in order to hit as hard as the bigger ladies and of course she had a great single handed backhand which is even rarer in the women's game than the men's game. To me the most graceful female player ever was Hana Mandlikova who seemed to glide around the court and who also had a beautiful single handed backhand. She made tennis look effortless and when she was in form it was a thing of beauty on the court. Mandlikova won 4 Slams in the era of Evert and Navratilova and was a top player for over a decade but not quite as successful as Henin who won 7 Slams.
That was a demolition in the second set. Amazing performance
I love how when Williams foul-mouthed Justine before a point, she got served a blistering winner haha !
Classless Serena.
It's such a pity that Henin retired so early. Her tennis is a beauty to watch. If she stayed a bit longer, she could have still dominated the women's tennis.
@norman smithers yes, Henin was the most talented player of that generation. Serena had no answer for Henin in her prime
She wouldn't dominate. SW in this match is nowhere near her dominant version.
@norman smithers The serve has nothing to do with the opponent. SW's serve in this match is nothing like the serve she had when she dominated the tour.
@@karoldettlaff5345 Is that why Serena beat her 6-3 6-2 in Wimbledon, 6-4 6-2 in Leipzig, 6-2 6-0 in Miami, etc? Clearly she had an answer for Justine, lol.
@@regulusarcturus for Henin in her prime...
Thank you Justine Henin " Allez !'
Justine Henin no doubt was at her imperious best in 2007 where she beat Serena in the quarters at the French, Wimbledon and the US Open. She made Serena looked so slow, sluggish and clueless.
Justine won both the French ( hattrick and 4th overall )and the US Open that year and only miss out of the Wimbledon at the semis stage, where she was upset by Marion Bartoli in a stunning 3 setter.
And even in the year before that in 2006, Justine had entered the final of all the 4 major events that she competed in, something which the great Serena Williams has not been able to achieve during her stellar career.
As a Serena fan, I must agree. Although, Serena was a little injured at Wimby 2007. She could only slice the backhand but still took it to 3 sets. In the USO match she was just soundly beaten.
@@willybeama1 I wish Henin didn't retire early, would have been a great rivalry
@@planestuff5027 it’s so weird that all these stars retired so early but Serena, who was always criticized about her lack of dedication to the game, is just now retiring after a 26 year professional career. If memory serves me right, Justine became injured again with her hand? I still think she could have come back and been incredible. She was one of the very few who could go toe to toe with Serena. Their matches were always dramatic, flashy, and entertaining. I’m still mad about what Justine did in 2003 but I can’t take away the fact that she had an incredible backhand, sensational footwork, and super great tactics for her small frame.
I believe the two of them played each other 14 times. Serena won 8.
@@willybeama1 Henin fell during her Wimbledon match against Clijsters in 2010 and never fully recovered, retiring after the Australian Open in 2011.
I actually think Henin was Serena's chief rival, even moreso than Venus. Their matches had drama, high quality, high stakes, and you could just sense that they didn't really like each other. It's a shame Henin couldn't keep it up, but her size worked against her.
Justine was a unique player like Roger. Same beauty and success in the gane
Justine was an amazing player, probably the best when it comes to overall skills. Which is also why I respect Serena so much. Justine retired because she couldn't keep that level of game. Serena stayed, even if there were periods where she couldn't compete with the best, and then she became the best ever. Tennis is gonna miss her so much.
Justine retired cos of her injury and its consequences .. she fell at wimbledon 2010 and never fully healed from that incedent... she didnt retire cos she could not keep up the lvl . she was final first tournement back from retirement 2008 and final of AO 2010 and many more till her accident at wimbledon. Its a shame she didnt continue to play... esp at this moment womens tennis is pretty awful and inconsistant.
When Henin retired in 2008 she was ranked #1 (Similar to Barty). In 2010 she returned back to tennis just to injure her right elbow at that year's Wimbledon. That was the end of her tennis story. "Not being able to keep up" is an old-wives' tale.
@@philanthropenos1074 exactly
@@philanthropenos1074 Err... She retired in 2008 bec she felt burnt out and couldn't mentally complete. Her own coach said that. This is why she had quite a few one-sided losses in the beginning of 2008. That is the very definition of "not being able to keep up".
@@nyh06pfu ""I don’t have the physical drive, the emotional want and everything it takes to challenge yourself at the very top of the level any more. I am spent." Did anyone think that Barty couldn't keep up when she said this?
Serena Williams is the GOAT, but Justine's tennis was brilliant. She surpassed her stature handicap (1m67 and 57kg) thanks to pure talent, agility and creativity. Like no one else, she made the most of her abilities. No one had a more extensive range of strokes at their disposal. Billy Jean King called her the best player of her generation, Martina Navratilova said she was head and shoulders above the competition. John McEnroe said her tennis was the most beautiful to watch and described her backhand as the world's best, men and women combined. I miss these exciting tennis times because, let's face it, women's tennis today is boring.
I would second that....and very interesting to read what John, martina and Bilie Jean said about her...I could rave for hours how incredible her technique was and especially her backhand...a bit like the female version of Federer...just lovely...
Serena is a lot.
GOAT she ain‘t.
@@carrerau7138 Although I'm not a big fan of Serena, figures don't lie.
@@l.t.6180 Yes, and the stats tell us that Court and Graf especially are way ahead of Serena.
@@carrerau7138 Graf won 22 grand slam titles and Court won most of her Australian Open titles in a period where most players skipped that tournament. It was mostly Australians who competed, with draws sometimes involving as few as 24 players instead of the 128 that is commonplace these days. Anyway, there's no end to this kind of discussion. For me, Justine's the greatest, but then again, I'm Belgian 😉
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Love Justin .😊
My favorite player is Justine Henin. I am not a tennis fan, but I love her because she retained the number 1 ranking.
Beauty vs Beast, Grace vs Heavyness, Intelligence vs force.
I love watching Justine Henin play. She had such raw talent and she could match Serena play for play. They were the female version of Nadal vs Federer. Just seeing Serena and Justine play was so exciting to me. Justine was definitely Serena competition. I was she has retired so early. Justine was such a great player.
true, Serena had 8 slams in 2007 while Justine had 7, they were each other's biggest competitor. I wish Justine had a long career like Serena, it would've been the biggest rivalry in womens tennis.
I miss this era with Justine
Best backhand i have ever seen
The usual US commentator bias. Serena then Henin. Justine was half the size, yet still managed to overcome such a disadvantage with brilliant strokes and shot making.
I wish she hadn’t retired so early. Justine backhand was top notch. She was quick on her feet.
such a tough and talented player Justine Henin. She gave a lesson to Serena Williams that day.
I miss this level of tennis. The women were so much better back then with much more complete games.
Justine has one the biggest one hand backhand in tennis history..!!
Henin was one of a tiny # of players who had a winning H2H against Serena in Grand Slams (with at least 3 matches played).
W-L
Henin vs Serena: 4 - 3
Capriati vs Serena: 4 - 3
Pliskova vs Serena: 2 - 1
Osaka (not 3 matches but deserves a mention): 2 - 0
Yes but serena had 8-6 in head to head overall vs henin, and in every way was and is a superior player compared to henin ! not to mention henin's poor sportsmanship !
Yeah but Henin isn’t even top 15 all time but by far the best player in Serena’s era. Soft era. Graf is definitely still the goat . Serena close second with Martina. Can Serena tie the great Margaret court and win the open?? Let’s get it done Serena
Serena had a great H2H vs Henin before this quarteRENA year where her level dropped after Miami
Henin was superior to serena . During tjat 5 yr period where henin won 7 grand slams ,serena won 4 ,not bad but slightly more than half the no that henin won
@@tonykiriakidis5219 Graf would be number 6-7 in Serena's era.
Justine Henin! oh my
For me Justine Henin is best player ever
She has losing records against all 3 of her best contemporaries.
6-8 vs Serena
2-7 vs Venus
12-13 vs Clijsters
Drama queen serena got lucky henin retired early due to injuries. This is the reason why serena is not the greatest of all time. During the 2000's it should have been Serena's decade as she was younger and at peak during those times, but was not better than Henin at all. Henin even retired in 2008 as world number 1 at a young age of 25 because of injuries. It goes to show how weak the 2010's women's era was as serena dominated until 2016.
Magnifique ❤❤❤ Justine
Justine lost only 32 games in the whole 7 matches, she went 2-0 all matches. Thats 2,2 games per set. Incredible.
Justine is so amazing 🤩
compare this generation to what we have now :(
Henin and Hingis were the only few girls who defeated both venus and serena in a grandslam
Not sure about Hingis, but Henin did it in back-to-back matches.
@@laprimaverrra 2001 Australian Open hingis defeated both
Clijsters did the same in 2009 and won the USO.
If only Henin and Clijsters not quit so young, the trajectory of slams would've likely been a tad different.Taking nothing away from Serena, she was brilliant too. Venus too was from from her best with Sjogrens.
Serena would probably have been even sharper if she was forced to compete against these ladies
@@tremaine861 aha . definitely .. She would win 50 GS then lol... She had a ptoblem to beat Demietieva Zvareneva and others at that time.. She was lucky that these players decided to finish they carries just to start family life ..
If justine didn't retired so early she might had been the goat
Justine always had Serenas number, and she knew it!
Serena won the head-to-head 8 to 6. It was an excellent rivalry, but let's give both players their due.
This comment is hilarious...their last 2 matches were won by Serena
She is the true all rounder. Federer was essentially a serve and forehand player compared to Henin.
Justine, she is the one.
Anyone think Ash Barty modelled her game on Justine’s?
To us true tennis lovers Henin was the GOAT of her era ... amazing skills did not rely on power or howling and other intimitation tactics to win a match (like the other one) and when she retired (the first time) /that was the biggest shock in womens tennis ever - If Henin kept going i can tell you the other one would not be at 23 slams as we speak
THERES A REASON WHY SHE RETIRED! SHE KNEW WHEN TO GO.
I love how racists boil down SERENA’s (she has a name) game to power and intimidation. Any real tennis fan would disagree but you just ‘have’ to put down Serena.
@@sconex8072 in contrast Serena Williams was the one who was putting down others! I also love how when ever this bully was criticized she would always hide behind race or gender! Again a bully is a bully (woman man black white makes no difference) when ever we see one we must call them out! All you do by calling me a racist is give space for these people to thrive
Great highlights! And any lip readers want to try deciphering what Williams was mouthing just after 9:18?
@ghostofyeats What are you writing about? It's ok to be biased. It isn't to make stuff up.
@@kextrz you can clearly see her saying "b***h" ... Serena always was pure class
Justine henin.. best backhand...
Henin is a class of her own. What she lacks ib height and power, she makes up with intelligent play.
peak women's tennis
Keeping williams off balance has always been the key to beating her. Henin did it but none of the other WTA players managed to use this as a tactic. baffling. if someone was like this in the ATP, it would get exploited every point.
What type of raquet did henin use in this match?
raw power and athleticism vs technique and elegance.
Henin is better the Williams to be honest
My favourite memory of Serena.
Oh look Serena, an opponent who can actually run
Henin was the one person who could put serena in her place in her prime years...the only thing serena added was a nasty losing attitude in post match interviews.
Me realising that this match is almost as old as me💀😂(i was born in 2007)
Henin hits the ball so hard for such a spindly woman
The butterfly vs the bumblebee; henin hits were not as strong, but she certainly could MOVE better and thats her strong point. serena at this point was carrying 40 lbs too much, it slowed her down, tired her out, and she just couldnt get to the ball like JH could!
9:19
Yuck 🤢😲
Henin by far the best female player with her technique ever, if taller , she would have been unplayable, womens tennis is now awful
But they have faced each other 14 times and Serena has won 8 times
Back when women’s tennis was awesome. Last 10 years has been so poor
After. Hénin. Retire tennis. Is nothing
Now that Serena is also retiring… 😢
Yeah, tennis today is nowhere near as exciting as in those days 😢
It proves one thing in tennis, being muscular doesn't help you in tennis at all...look how thin djokoviv and federer are.....it is all about quickness and precision and power of your shots
23 GS
But being strong does. Strong legs and core helps you balance better.
@@brianpun8028 it is focused energy..djokovic has never been as thin as today yet he know when to exactly use his strength to manuever his forehand and backhand and his foot work........he is probably the lightest weight top 10 right now besides medvdev
tecnicamente muita mais superior essa jogadora:Justine
the only one can beat serena
If justine never had the elbow injury that requires her to retire. She could have taken 3-5 slams off serena.
I saw her at RG in 2014 wearing some kind of medical tapes on.her right elbow. ..
Serena I'm most proud that you retired when you wanted too. The new next step is a great one. Can't wait to see you and Ms Olympia.
Henin's level of play in 2007 was the best I'd ever seen at that point.
Serena hadn't reached her peak yet.
Such a pity Henin's career was cut short by injuries and personal problems.
In the "what if..." category, this could have been the greatest rivalry in women's tennis history.
I also think they had more in common than what meets the eye.
Mariah carey was at this game?