Justine Henin burst into the psyche of a tennis fan (yours truly) during the month of June 2001. It was the turn of a new millennium and the post Steffi Graf hunt was on for the next mojo of women’s tennis.

At the time Martina Hingis, Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport, who had been slugging it out for the honour for quite some time, were busy thwarting the threat of a resurgent Jennifer Capriati. Capriati - biggest example of burnout of the biggest teen prodigy - was on a roll. She had bulldozed past Hingis and Davenport at the Australian Open and was steadily heading to a French Open title with no one seemingly capable enough to stop her.

It was around this time that the first mention of Henin started doing the rounds. Another teen prodigy who had been sidelined the past few years due to injuries, she had made herself heard during the pasting she had given to Venus at Rome on the way to a runner-up finish. At Roland Garros she was steadily making progress and was on the verge of booking the final berth when suddenly her wheels came off. She was facing her childhood rival-compatriot Kim Clijsters and was a set and a break up in the semi-final when it happened.

'Henin met the Williams sisters for the first time after 2003, the years of her ascent to the top, and it looks like as if they were a litmus test she wanted to pass before she truly started believing in herself'


My first memory of Henin belongs to that loss with footage of her in the players' lounge - alone and seemingly disconsolate. I am not even sure now if it was for real or if I had imagined the scene. But that is what I remember.

And that was only the beginning of June. She would get a chance to take on Capriati (who had won the French and was now chasing a calendar Slam) again at Wimbledon and this time she would confirm her appointment. John McEnroe declared her backhand ‘'the prettiest shot in tennis'’ and the purists salivated at this showdown between new-world biceps and old world finesse.

They were not disappointed. A set and 3-1 down, Henin called for the trainer to get the taping on her toe loosened. And when she came back it was fearless hitting all the way. She reached the final but could only manage a set off of Venus. It was later discovered that her grandfather had passed away a day before and she had been kept in the dark about it. Nevertheless, it was a fantastic debut on the big stage for a girl who seemed to be an aberration (and still is) in the era of big-babe tennis.

Her wins, losses, method, character and personal life have all been dissected time and again. Some people like me adore her and some absolutely hate her. A lot of 'what ifs' have plagued Henin’s reputation over the years when she won Roland Garros four times, lifted two US Opens and an Australian and held the No.1 ranking while looking like a No.1. Again, no one stops to wonder what would have happened had she not caught Cytomegalovirus in 2004. Yes, there has been a lot of drama, most of it her own creation, but at last she seems to be steadily heading towards the kind of greatness she has always seemed destined for.

It is remarkable, though, how little self-assurance Justine has even after these years. Her desire to win tennis matches has carried her through all these years to a spot where she could well become the first bonafide mojo after Steffi Graf. She finally seems unafraid to take it. It has much to do with her wins over the Williams sisters this year. She met them for the first time after 2003, the years of her ascent to the top and it looks as if they were a litmus test she wanted to pass before she truly started believing in herself.

And she has learnt that it is important to win matches. Of course, if she could do that playing great tennis, all the better. Does anyone remember Steffi’s Wimbledon final wins in ’91 and ’93? She was down 5-3 in the third against Gabriela Sabatini and 4-1 against Jana Novotna. She was carried through those games because she was a champion. So if Henin does win Wimbledon and lots of other titles in the coming years she would hold the mantle of the greatest of her generation. And that would not be because the Williams sisters gave up, but because Henin staked her claim for glory.