Should Henin retire? ... Well she did.

daddy · May 14, 2008

zagor said:
Anything is possible but I don't think Henin is the type to do that,in my opinion Henin while a great competitor has always been a little fragile emotionally and needs time off the grueling life of tennis to find herself so to speak,she may very well comeback in the future if she misses competing and tour,I hope she does.

She was and still is one athlete in world of tennis of whom I always though is a 'cheater'. My only reasoning was pure logic - she is so small and light yet can pull out big guns and match girls 15cm higher and 20 kg heavier than she is like Serena, Kim, Maria, Ana etc.

At one point when she withdrew for a while from a tour, before that she looked beefed up and massive, after than she lost at least 20 pounds and came back to play. She quit with her coach then, whatever reason that was, at that point she was taking something.

Now this is only my opinion, and as I pointed out, pure logic is no proof for anything, let alone acusations of this kind. But I have a right to say whats on my mind on a public board, so I did.

flyer · May 14, 2008

cucio said:
For something you are so sure of you don't make very good points.

What's so great about that? Is not that you are a tourist. Constant traveling is quite uncomfortable.

Top shape. Meaning giving your body a sound thrashing that will expose you to injuries and bother you when you reach certain age.

Top tennis. Again blisters, taped joints... It is not playing recreational tennis, it is constant drilling. Let's do 100 serves to the tee, now 100 wide... They cannot say "no, today I don't feel like playing tennis, let's have a lie in."

They cannot take much advantage of that, since they have to keep on a strict diet.

Really? I have read some blogs of top players during tournaments and they train, play, rest, attend endorsing acts, doesn't seem they have much time for sight seeing.

Tell that to Henman, Murray, Young or Gasquet. What of your countrymen dissing you for failing to deliver? What of the paparazzi waiting for you to pick your nose so they can sell some rags? Then there is the people that work for you (trainer, manager...) the companies that endorse you...

No.

you make some good points, and im surprised you say no, im sure you are in a great minority saying you would not want to be a top 10 level tennis player buy if you say so i'll take you at your word.....

my only problem with your argument is that you refuss to see the other side of it, sure there are negative and possitives to every job, woriking as a garbage man i don't think would be very stressful but i don't think it would be worsth it to live without the stress......so yeah tennis players are stressed but in comparrison to other people with stressful jobs they have very short carries, have many weeks off during the year, and make a very large amount of money....then around 30 they retire and live very, very stress free lives comparred to most people who are i the beginning stakes of their careers, seems like a good deal to me despite the stress

zagor · May 14, 2008

daddy said:
She was and still is one athlete in world of tennis of whom I always though is a 'cheater'. My only reasoning was pure logic - she is so small and light yet can pull out big guns and match girls 15cm higher and 20 kg heavier than she is like Serena, Kim, Maria, Ana etc.

At one point when she withdrew for a while from a tour, before that she looked beefed up and massive, after than she lost at least 20 pounds and came back to play. She quit with her coach then, whatever reason that was, at that point she was taking something.

Now this is only my opinion, and as I pointed out, pure logic is no proof for anything, let alone acusations of this kind. But I have a right to say whats on my mind on a public board, so I did.

Of course, everybody has a right to state their opinion and you may be right but then again how does Ferrer who is 1,75 reach the 4th place in the men's tennis? Last year in TMC he beat Nadal,Djokovic and Roddick and all of them are 10 cm or more taller then him.

boredone3456 · May 14, 2008

Its kind of sad she is retiring now. She fought like crazy to get over that energy sapping virus she had and now what, 2/3 years later she suddenly announces she is gonna quit?? I have always seen her as a fighter, and what she has done since beating that virus is phenomal, inspirational and now this?? she could as least defend her Roland Garros and US open titles. If she were like, 30 I could understand, but not at 25. Unless her nagging knee problem is more serious than she has let on and requires some kind of surgury? that would at least explain her sudden departure like this. I hope this isn't true, but if it is, its a sad day for womens tennis...but hey, Sharapova will be happy, she'll get the top spot back now.

thejackal · May 14, 2008

pound for pound the best tennis player in the world for the last 10 years. i will miss watching her play.

flyer · May 14, 2008

thejackal said:
pound for pound the best tennis player in the world for the last 10 years. i will miss watching her play.

Pound for pound? Its not boxing or wrestling the players don't even ever touch

daddy · May 14, 2008

zagor said:
Of course, everybody has a right to state their opinion and you may be right but then again how does Ferrer who is 1,75 reach the 4th place in the men's tennis? Last year in TMC he beat Nadal,Djokovic and Roddick and all of them are 10 cm or more taller then him.

Yes this is a good thinking point. But then again, Ferrer did not dissapear from the tour for a while, almost a year and came back 20 pounds lighter. I know it can be done normaly but she did look very beefed up at one point in 2003 or there about, comparing to now - much slimer look. And Ferrer has good weapons, but you can not say he has the hardest backhand or forehand on the tour, not nearly. Henin rips some seriously hard shots, from both wings. Top of the table in WTA.

Greenfin Beta · May 14, 2008

HoVa said:
I bet you guys anything that she feels burned out.

What does she have left to win? She's been at the top for years and maybe wants to mend up her personal life.

Wimbledon, for one and the chance to equal or surpass Serena's 8 slams. But if she does retire now, she could go down as the highest ranking player in tennis history to have retired .

cucio · May 14, 2008

im surprised you say no, im sure you are in a great minority saying you would not want to be a top 10 level tennis player buy if you say so i'll take you at your word.....

Look, everybody would love to be a top 10 player. For one year. But unless you are a child, you have to be aware that a top 10 player is not something you are, it is something you become, after years and years of very hard unidimensional work. And once you are there you have to keep up with it.

Something tugged at my heart when she said "maybe she would study." I can only imagine how crap a life of doing just one single thing must be, no matter how good you are at it. Only a few have the obsessive personality that it takes to become a top tennis player, a top executive or a concert pianist and not crack down in the attempt.

Being a man myself, I also understand fully how women may consider ending their careers prematurely for the experience of motherhood. Building a relationship and a state of mind to properly raise children is not something you do in a couple of years after quitting.

my only problem with your argument is that you refuss to see the other side of it, sure there are negative and possitives to every job,

No, I don't, I already mentioned some of the positives in my first post in this thread. To me it wouldn't be worth the pain, but I cannot hope to know what I am talking about, perhaps the competition it is such a rush you cannot have enough of it.

THUNDERVOLLEY · May 14, 2008

I think everyone here knows i'm not a Henin fan at all, but for her to quit now? She still has enough good physical years left, and let's be honest, with the exception of the Williams sisters, the latest "ovas" and "vics" of the scene are not going to alter the record books, so Henin should run for another 3 years, at least.

This is a waste, but it is her life.

IvanYentl · May 14, 2008

Chauvalito said:
You have got to be kidding me...why not just take 6 months off?

Is this due to pregnancy, or another medical issue?

I believe there is more to this than just simple burn-out. If you look at Henin's recent history, she has had several unusual absences from the tour -- one explained by a lingering virus, others I can't remember the details.

If I had to guess I would say there may be an underlying mental illness creating a situation where her emotional state is unstable, thus making it difficult to focus on tennis.

This is of course internet conjecture, so take it with a grain of salt. I have always admired Henin's play and if she retires I will miss her backand most of all.

veroniquem · May 14, 2008

This is so depressing, such a beautiful backhand and intelligent game. I'm gonna miss her terribly. Back to the ball bashers (sigh!)

N23 · May 14, 2008

Wow.. amazing. Watching players retire, quit, whatever at the top of their game is sad and jaw dropping.

veroniquem · May 14, 2008

Wow, the Williams sisters floundering and now Henin going away. Not much serious competition left for Sharapova to beat... (could the Russian mafia be involved? ha ha)

wangs78 · May 14, 2008

They don't make 'em like Navaratilova anymore heheh. When did she retire from singles play, when she was pushing 40 I think.

Batoussai · May 14, 2008

I'm Following the press conference right now and she just said it...
She's quitting tennis...
The fire went out...
She didn't have anything to express anymore...
She won't reconsider... She's actually happy now with her decision... She will continue giving aid to her foundation...
And then she started thanking people, her trainer, family...

This is just sooooooooooo sad... So tragic for WTA Tennis...

tennis_hand · May 14, 2008

it's a total waste. she should look at Federer, who also didn't play well this year but said to continue until 35 years old.

christos_liaskos · May 14, 2008

its Official, She Has Retired. News Just Announced On Eurosport

CGMemphis · May 14, 2008

willgonase10 said:
I bet she is doping. She is not gifted athletics-wise. The idea of a failed urine analysis sounds about right.

Once a cheater, always a cheater.

LOL...yea right.

Sad thing is she would wipe the court with most any man on these boards.

Its one thing to be a keyboard commando, monday morningquarterback on a chat board, but until you have lived it, I put zero stock in posts such as this.

In watching a recent interview with her, her heart is still in tennis, just not on the court, more with the kids back at her club in Belgium. I doubt she doped, and I will believe it when I see it.

veroniquem · May 14, 2008

I' m crushed.

Romeo · May 14, 2008

Does anyone know how many players have actually retired while they were still number one?

jelle v · May 14, 2008

Wow..I'm watching right now.. especially Carlos Rodriguez is getting really emotional, fighting the tears in his eyes. This press conference makes me realise just how intense these years must have been for Henin en Rodriguez, 12 years..

christos_liaskos · May 14, 2008

jelle v said:
Wow..I'm watching right now.. especially Carlos Rodriguez is getting really emotional, fighting the tears in his eyes. This press conference makes me realise just how intense these years must have been for Henin en Rodriguez, 12 years..

where are you watching it?

gocard · May 14, 2008

This is awful, she's been my favorite WTA player for a long time and is the only reason I'd watch any women's matches on TV.

There's no one to replace her on the court. I hope it's only temporary and we get a couple more years out of her! I want a comeback!

tbonegas · May 14, 2008

Sky Sports

Have just confirmed that Henin has quit the game

jelle v · May 14, 2008

christos_liaskos said:
where are you watching it?

Belgium television.. I live in The Netherlands, a country next to Belgium.

sureshs · May 14, 2008

The one-handed backhand is now even closer to extinction.

Salsa_Lover · May 14, 2008

gocard said:
This is awful, she's been my favorite WTA player for a long time and is the only reason I'd watch any women's matches on TV. There's no one to replace her on the court. I hope it's only temporary and we get a couple more years out of her! I want a comeback!

So true, I watched the match between Azarenka and Safina in Berlin. So awful. They weren't even trying to build points, just hit as hard as they could to make the opponent fail.

Finally the pounding took on Azarenka who was apparently injured and couldn't play well anymore.

Will this be the future of tennis ?

riggy 69 · May 14, 2008

Confirmed on BBC. Good riddance.

christos_liaskos · May 14, 2008

jelle v said:
Belgium television.. I live in The Netherlands, a country next to Belgium.

Lol i know where The Netherlands and Belgium is thankyou very much

. In the UK we rarely get live press conferences. Only from major football clubs in the UK. They dont bother with other small stories like the world no1 retiring.... IDIOTS

1970CRBase · May 14, 2008

Well, this is complete utter %^&%&@ sad sad day

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/7399963.stm

World number one Justine Henin has announced her retirement from tennis with immediate effect.

No reason to watch WTA anymore EVER. Can't stand the non stop screaming two fisted bashing bashing.

christos_liaskos · May 14, 2008

How does this affect the rankings then? Will everyone be shifted up one place in the rankings? Surely not? Strange situation. Will she not keep her points on the computer until 52 weeks from now?

boredone3456 · May 14, 2008

christos_liaskos said:
How does this affect the rankings then? Will everyone be shifted up one place in the rankings? Surely not? Strange situation. Will she not keep her points on the computer until 52 weeks from now?

if they do what they did after clijsters retired...then I think everyone moves up a spot...which means Sharapova becomes number one by way of a default.

tennis_wako137 · May 14, 2008

She should not retire now, she should at least play Rolland Garros. It is only two weeks away. She would win it.

jelle v · May 14, 2008

christos_liaskos said:
Lol i know where The Netherlands and Belgium is thankyou very much . In the UK we rarely get live press conferences. Only from major football clubs in the UK. They dont bother with other small stories like the world no1 retiring.... IDIOTS

I apologize.. I had not looked at your location.

:mrgreen:

montx · May 14, 2008

Losing and discouragement can make you quit or want to quit. I know that as a fact myself.

But maybe now and again you get inspiration to go on a little more and keep trying.

crazylevity · May 14, 2008

daddy said:
She was and still is one athlete in world of tennis of whom I always though is a 'cheater'. My only reasoning was pure logic - she is so small and light yet can pull out big guns and match girls 15cm higher and 20 kg heavier than she is like Serena, Kim, Maria, Ana etc.

At one point when she withdrew for a while from a tour, before that she looked beefed up and massive, after than she lost at least 20 pounds and came back to play. She quit with her coach then, whatever reason that was, at that point she was taking something.

Now this is only my opinion, and as I pointed out, pure logic is no proof for anything, let alone acusations of this kind. But I have a right to say whats on my mind on a public board, so I did.

She has been with the same coach, Carlos Rodriguez, since 14. Your logic is fallacious...she puts in twice the effort to get into the kind of shape that makes her competitive. Pat Etcheberry, trainer to other amazing athletes such as Andre Agassi, once said that he has NEVER seen anyone, male or female, work harder than Justine at fitness.

BeHappy · May 14, 2008

Does anyone know WHY Henin retired?

This is just bizarre, has her virus returned?, injury?, positive drugs test?, pregnant? WHY?

Batoussai · May 14, 2008

BeHappy said:
This is just bizarre, has her virus returned?, injury?, positive drugs test?, pregnant? WHY?

As she said in her press conference:

-The fire was out
-She couldn't motivate herself anymore, she felt like she had accomplished everything
-Winning Wimbledon wasn't going to make her happier
-She wants to focus on new things. Love, travelling, studying and family
-She's been playing tennis for over 20 years now. It's time for something new

PimpMyGame · May 14, 2008

She had a falling out with the WTA re pulling out of a recent event due to injury, and didn't attend the photo shoot on Monday. Maybe she's just stuffing it back up them but it seems a little odd and childish.

My bet is that the last couple of incidents were the straws that broke the camel's back. Wouldn't be at all surprised if she'll recharge her batteries and give it another go in a year. I certainly hope so anyway.

Aabye · May 14, 2008

Right, if anything she worked too hard at the expense of her health. She packed a real fighter and true talent inside that little body. Hats off to the #1, hope she has as much success off the court.

BeHappy · May 14, 2008

Batoussai said:
As she said in her press conference:

-The fire was out
-She couldn't motivate herself anymore, she felt like she had accomplished everything
-Winning Wimbledon wasn't going to make her happier
-She wants to focus on new things. Love, travelling, studying and family
-She's been playing tennis for over 20 years now. It's time for something new

thanks, I couldn't find her press conference anywhere in any of the news reports on the web.

zebano · May 14, 2008

Very sad. There is now little reason to watch the WTA. Quite unfortunate. For those of you watching the press conference did she cite any reasons?

boredone3456 · May 14, 2008

I don't see her coming back, Justine was always a person who, once she made up her mind about something, stuck to it. I think this is really it for her...which is sad because she could have won quite a few more slams and officially surpassed Serena as the greatest of this generation of players, but now she's left us wondering what could have been

ckthegreek · May 14, 2008

Sad day indeed. I hope Mauresmo is not next...

PimpMyGame · May 14, 2008

flyer said:
Rock stars are not normal we should compare ourselves to animals before rockstars but ok you make some good points.....

Answer me thi though, if possible would you trade places with the highly stressed Roger Federer, or even lets say somebody lower on the totem pole...idk Tomas Berdych?

STRESS vs REWARD

Roger Federer - yes.

Tomas Berdych - no.

Ljubicic for number1 · May 14, 2008

Its gotta be a Belgian thing, just a pity its not Swiss

martin · May 14, 2008

She could have won Wimbledon now she's still in her prime. Hope she won't regret it.

Morrissey · May 14, 2008

I think she's stupid for doing this at this particular time. To me, she's overreacting and taking this slump too seriously. There's still 3 Grand Slams left to be played this year. She's defending champ at 2 of them and maybe she set the bar too high after her best year in 2007. But she's not thinking clearly right now. She's too caught up in the moment, a rough 2008 but the good thing is that only 1 GS has been played so far. There's plenty of time to improve, just look at Fed even.

Ljubicic for number1 · May 14, 2008

Word is she was in love with Stepanek and just couldnt handle seeing him with Nicole around the tournaments.

Should Henin retire? ... Well she did.

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