Clijsters was bigger , stronger , incredibly athletic. So good on defense. Always thought Henin was a little tougher mentally. , and like Serena , Ultra competitive. Kimmie like Venus was nicer , and wanted to win, but didn’t have the killer drive of Serena and Henin. Clijsters got tougher later , and started winning . slams. Henin ‘s backhand is so awesome. Love kimmie . She should have won a few more slams.
Agreed. Becoming a mother didn't necessarily give her that killer instinct but i think she became more confident and happy, allowing her to tense up less in a tennis, because she was able to see it for what it was - a game. Henin's topspin-heavy game was more suited to claycourt, i think Clijsters really shone on hardcourt, that's where her transitional game worked best.
@@al1976-v7m Kim's case is fascinating, because she is the exception. Usually it's the other way around. When they become mother, they also become softer and lose that killer instinct, happened even to Serena who started to choke in Slam finals. For Clijsters I think it was more like a heavy weight was lift off her shoulders, probably with motherhood she filled a void she had before and felt more complete as a human, I don't know, or she lost the pressure of being a young girl.
Amazing thing about Henin was the incredible weight-of-shot she surprisingly had, for being so small. Even more so if you consider she generated power despite using a one-handed backhand. She was a phenom
Tennis history has been blessed to witness one of the greatest rivalries when these two amazing ladies were still playing... By rare, what I mean is a small non-eastern-european country, like Belgium, can have two world's best players in the same era
Omg this was SUCH GOOD TENNIS 🎾 😆 We had my sistas the one and only Williams Sisters, Sharapova, Capriati, Hingis, Kuznetzova, the Belgians, Seles, and Graf. These were legends pretty much playing each other towards the end of beginning of their careers ❤
Jason Englisbe yes it’s strange as Kim suffered emotional set backs early in her career... the 2003 semifinal in Aussie open with Serena an the 2001 French final with capriati did The deed.. it’s strange as clijsters furst big final was French.. henins first big final Wimbledon next month.. both never won or conquered there furst final.. an also they both had two visits to chances in there original finals ..
Had henin made it to the finals she would have likely beaten Jennifer capriati as I give henin a better edge over Jennifer then what clijsters had.. henin was a little more aggressive .. an henin also managed to beat Jennifer on grass next month at Wimbledon.. The problem here was henin was mentally tough enough to beat Kim yet ..
I always thought the same thing - Henin would've beaten Jennifer in that final - but man - when mental toughness Justine developed AFTER collapsing in this SF. I loved Justine's game - miss it so much!
THE highest level match of the XXIst century. I was, i am still not from far, a female tennis fan ! but ... this one !!?? i just had some sight ... and ... wasn't able to switch off. pure quality on every .... shot for a lonnng time ! length, accuracy ... maybe with the semi beetween Federer and Djokovic, in RG too ( 2011 right?) ?? i mean, don't look at names, don't look at the score ... look at ... the ball ( as all players do ^^^) it can't be a HL or all the match was a HL :)
No opportunity for that, unluckily... 2000: Both had yet to make their breakthrough 2004: Kim was injured 2008: Both had temporarely retired 2012: Justine had retired
@@ProudTarjaholic if not temporarily retired in 2008, they would have won the competition. Imagine Clijsters and Henin against the Williams sisters 🔥🔥🔥
@@ProudTarjaholic Kim wouldn't have played the Olympics in 2004 had she been healthy. The Belgium Olympic committee wanted all their athletes to be outfitted with Adidas apparel. And as Kim wore Fila, that just wouldn't have worked contractually. And she had no intentions to leave Fila, as they were the only one that gave her a deal after her Nike contract expired.
The level of shotmaking we see in this match is outstanding
Clijsters was bigger , stronger , incredibly athletic. So good on defense. Always thought Henin was a little tougher mentally. , and like Serena , Ultra competitive. Kimmie like Venus was nicer , and wanted to win, but didn’t have the killer drive of Serena and Henin. Clijsters got tougher later , and started winning . slams. Henin ‘s backhand is so awesome. Love kimmie . She should have won a few more slams.
Agreed. Becoming a mother didn't necessarily give her that killer instinct but i think she became more confident and happy, allowing her to tense up less in a tennis, because she was able to see it for what it was - a game. Henin's topspin-heavy game was more suited to claycourt, i think Clijsters really shone on hardcourt, that's where her transitional game worked best.
@@al1976-v7m Kim's case is fascinating, because she is the exception. Usually it's the other way around. When they become mother, they also become softer and lose that killer instinct, happened even to Serena who started to choke in Slam finals. For Clijsters I think it was more like a heavy weight was lift off her shoulders, probably with motherhood she filled a void she had before and felt more complete as a human, I don't know, or she lost the pressure of being a young girl.
Amazing thing about Henin was the incredible weight-of-shot she surprisingly had, for being so small. Even more so if you consider she generated power despite using a one-handed backhand. She was a phenom
Tennis history has been blessed to witness one of the greatest rivalries when these two amazing ladies were still playing... By rare, what I mean is a small non-eastern-european country, like Belgium, can have two world's best players in the same era
proximity with France make it all ! :o)
Kim deserves win Roland Garros at least once
Omg this was SUCH GOOD TENNIS 🎾 😆 We had my sistas the one and only Williams Sisters, Sharapova, Capriati, Hingis, Kuznetzova, the Belgians, Seles, and Graf. These were legends pretty much playing each other towards the end of beginning of their careers ❤
It crazy to see a time when Henin had bigger groundies on both wings than Clijsters.
Amazing rivalry
Pity Kim couldn't follow on to beating Henin in the three grand slam finals she faced her in 2003 and 2004 :(
I think that 2003 loss to Serena really held her back for a few years. She got afraid to close at that point.
Jason Englisbe yes it’s strange as Kim suffered emotional set backs early in her career... the 2003 semifinal in Aussie open with Serena an the 2001 French final with capriati did The deed.. it’s strange as clijsters furst big final was French.. henins first big final Wimbledon next month.. both never won or conquered there furst final.. an also they both had two visits to chances in there original finals ..
Justine admitted to cheating in the 2004 one
If we're being honest, the reason she won this one was that Justine choked. Wasn't she up something like 6-2 5-2?
That's because Justine matured into the more superior player. Plain and simple.
Had henin made it to the finals she would have likely beaten Jennifer capriati as I give henin a better edge over Jennifer then what clijsters had.. henin was a little more aggressive .. an henin also managed to beat Jennifer on grass next month at Wimbledon..
The problem here was henin was mentally tough enough to beat Kim yet ..
I always thought the same thing - Henin would've beaten Jennifer in that final - but man - when mental toughness Justine developed AFTER collapsing in this SF. I loved Justine's game - miss it so much!
match de très haut niveau, personne recule , revers magnifique de Henin, frappe très fort,
Je me rappel, moi je suis pour madame Justine Henin ,mais elles sont 2 championnes(belge, contre belge),je suis belge aussi;) 20 an déjà.
Kim is one of the best ♥️
A young Justine already showing why she would become the best gravel player of her generation. Such talen.
So good!!
Kim and Lleyton Hewitt really look like each other.
Masterclass between 2 women and from.belgium.. 😊
THE highest level match of the XXIst century.
I was, i am still not from far, a female tennis fan ! but ... this one !!??
i just had some sight ... and ... wasn't able to switch off.
pure quality on every .... shot for a lonnng time ! length, accuracy ...
maybe with the semi beetween Federer and Djokovic, in RG too ( 2011 right?) ??
i mean, don't look at names, don't look at the score ... look at ... the ball ( as all players do ^^^)
it can't be a HL or all the match was a HL :)
Great match from Clijsters!
Wow Kim beat JustLyin at RG? Didn’t know this.
I dont know that these 2 played each other on Rg 2001...anyway congrats to kim...
No idea how Justine lost to a Kim clijsters on a slow clay court? That is pretty rare.
Henin made clijsters look like an amateur, insane level she displayed
They should have played doubles at the Olympic Games
No opportunity for that, unluckily...
2000: Both had yet to make their breakthrough
2004: Kim was injured
2008: Both had temporarely retired
2012: Justine had retired
@@ProudTarjaholic 💔
@@ProudTarjaholic if not temporarily retired in 2008, they would have won the competition. Imagine Clijsters and Henin against the Williams sisters 🔥🔥🔥
@@Luca33600 Would have won? Against Venus and Serena? Maybe they can dream about winning two more games than Medina Garrigues and Ruano Pascual lol
@@ProudTarjaholic Kim wouldn't have played the Olympics in 2004 had she been healthy. The Belgium Olympic committee wanted all their athletes to be outfitted with Adidas apparel. And as Kim wore Fila, that just wouldn't have worked contractually. And she had no intentions to leave Fila, as they were the only one that gave her a deal after her Nike contract expired.