Justine Henin

My hero is the professional tennis player, Justine Henin. She was born on June 1st, 1982 in Liege, Belgium. At the young age of 5 she began playing tennis and by the age of 6 she was in her first club. She was discovered there and began playing tournaments and as she grew older her ranking improved up to number one. A tragic event happened when Justine was only 12. Her mother, Francoise, died of cancer and Justine had made a pact with her to win the French Open, her lifetime goal.

Justine Henin and Coach Carlos Rodriquez at a con

At 14, her current coach, Carlos Rodriguez, discovered her. She was still in school then but that did not stop her from tennis. In 1996 she won her first major junior title and by 1997 she was ranked 226 in WTA (Women's Tennis Association) rankings. By 1998 she ceased her studies and focused entirely on the world of tennis. One year after she joined the Belgium Fed Cup team. Professional women tennis players compete in teams with other fellow country mates. Later that year she played her first grand slam, Roland Garros and lost in the second round to the American, Lindsey Davenport, which led her to her highest ranking yet, no. 69.

From 2000-2001 her hard work paid off, she cracked the top ten. She made round 16 of the U.S. Open, won two Australian tournaments, and made it to the semifinals of Wimbledon. On June 7th, she won her first of many to come grand slams; she won Roland Garros, also known as the French Open. In 2005 she won gold at the Olympics and later that year she won her second French Open.

2007 could have been her best year in her tennis and her life. She won 10 of the 14 tournaments she played and she won two prized awards, Belgian Sports Woman Of the Year and World Sports Woman of the Year.

A shocking announcement about her hit the news in May 2008, though. While number 1 in the world she decided to retire, a first ever in women's tennis. After a sixteen-month leave, she decided to come back and now she is currently playing with more force and agility than ever. She will soon be number one again.