If Henin had been Serena's height -- she would have been the Female GOAT...
- Thread starter 10is
- Start date
Henin is the 2nd best player in her generation was owe purely on raw, gifted talent. Had she was tall as Serena, that would add more depth in her game which includes power, big serve and even better court coverage. She would be the most complete player on the tour, and if she's not a goat candidate, certainly she would dominated and owned the era she's in.
I feel the same for Laver. Had he was tall as Federer, he would be a more complete player and could be just as good as Federer.
I feel the same for Laver. Had he was tall as Federer, he would be a more complete player and could be just as good as Federer.
kishnabe
Talk Tennis Guru
I think she would play far worse if she were tall as Serena. Her backhand could pounce those lower balls.
She puzzled people with the power she generated in her short frame....it worked to her advantage.
Had Henin been taller....it would less significant when she beat the taller players. Prefer her the way she is....it gives short men/women hope.
She puzzled people with the power she generated in her short frame....it worked to her advantage.
Had Henin been taller....it would less significant when she beat the taller players. Prefer her the way she is....it gives short men/women hope.
HOpe is not an answer. If you lack some physical attributes that limit your game, you are at the disavantage. How many top tier players are at Henin's size? The answer is only one...Henin. The reason why she's one of the best because of her incredible talent that make up for her disadvantage for being small. Henin would definitely be a greater player at a more optimum size and height.
You think Venus and Serena would be the same player if they were only 5' 5"?
Hell no.
10is
Professional
Surely you jest! If anything being taller would have been more advantageous to her game off both wings. Have you soon how much she exerts herself trying to hit a high ball off off her backhand or forehand... it visibly created a lot of wear and tear on her small frame and its one of the main reasons for her premature departure from the game.
... and comparing Rochus to Henin --- LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!
BevelDevil
Hall of Fame
"Talent" is such an ambiguous word. Let's first try to clarify what made her game so effective despite her size.
Two key factors, in my opinion:
1. Her forehand was one of the few "pull" style strokes in the WTA. She pronated at the end of her backswing and her arm was straight-ish upon contact. In other words, her forehand seems to be closer for Federer's than any other female player. (Let me know if there's another female you think comes close.) This allowed for "effortless" power generation.
2. She had a 1hbh. Furthermore, she used an Extreme Eastern grip, which compensates for her small height. Notice that Henin, Schiavone, Rochus, and Carla Navarro are all short players with 1hbhs. They did not achieve their level of success despite their 1hbh-- they achieved it because of their 1hbh. It gives them the power they couldn't generate with a 2hbh. In short (pun intended!), I think short players should be encouraged to try the 1hbh.
The biggest advantage of greater height for Henin would come from the serve. I think her forehand would benefit more from extra height than her backhand, especially her down-the-line forehand, which was usually too spinny to be a weapon (probably in part because of the higher net). Her net play should improve as well. I don't think her backhand would be hurt, and if it were, it wouldn't be by much. Keep in mind that Kuerten was 6'3" and he used a extreme eastern hammer grip, and I hear his backhand was decent...
Yeah, I think she'd be a strong GOAT contender at 5'10".
Finally, I seriously wonder whether her injuries that led to her retirement was really just an excuse for her bruised ego...
Two key factors, in my opinion:
1. Her forehand was one of the few "pull" style strokes in the WTA. She pronated at the end of her backswing and her arm was straight-ish upon contact. In other words, her forehand seems to be closer for Federer's than any other female player. (Let me know if there's another female you think comes close.) This allowed for "effortless" power generation.
2. She had a 1hbh. Furthermore, she used an Extreme Eastern grip, which compensates for her small height. Notice that Henin, Schiavone, Rochus, and Carla Navarro are all short players with 1hbhs. They did not achieve their level of success despite their 1hbh-- they achieved it because of their 1hbh. It gives them the power they couldn't generate with a 2hbh. In short (pun intended!), I think short players should be encouraged to try the 1hbh.
The biggest advantage of greater height for Henin would come from the serve. I think her forehand would benefit more from extra height than her backhand, especially her down-the-line forehand, which was usually too spinny to be a weapon (probably in part because of the higher net). Her net play should improve as well. I don't think her backhand would be hurt, and if it were, it wouldn't be by much. Keep in mind that Kuerten was 6'3" and he used a extreme eastern hammer grip, and I hear his backhand was decent...
Yeah, I think she'd be a strong GOAT contender at 5'10".
Finally, I seriously wonder whether her injuries that led to her retirement was really just an excuse for her bruised ego...
10is
Professional
Well said!
I am not so sure. It's rather perplexing how she went from having perhaps one of the best seasons ever in Women's tennis (barring her derpy error strewn performance against Bartoli at Wimbly) to having probably her "worst" year ever. If anything, from my recollection she seemed utterly unfocused and listless in 2008, especially considering the confounding nature of some of her losses. Personally I think it was a combination of mental fatigue, injury and a loss of passion for the game. Remember, she was going through some turmoil in her personal life as well.
N
NadalAgassi
Guest
No, she didnt have the will or mental toughness needed. Hence why she quit tennis at 25 at her ultimate peak and seemingly on the verge of becoming the best of her generation at that point. No potential GOAT would have such a weak spirit or mind.
THUNDERVOLLEY
G.O.A.T.
Not a chance. Remember, Henin's approach to the game was--to a great degree--based on the limits of her size, and the changing direction of the women's game. Smaller players were already on their way out as a serious force during the Hingis mini-era, and it has not turned around to make smaller women the supreme player body type in terms of majors success. In Justine's own era, Venus, Serena and even Sharapova--all big women--sold the ill-named "big babe tennis" argument, which strongly suggests Henin was a "hiccup" of sorts, and had to compensate for the aforementioned size-imposed effects on her game.
Add five or six inches to her, and she's a completely different player who would not have arrived at the solutions for size, thus she may not have played in the manner which helped her against bigger players, or earned any of her majors.
I think Graf's size is an ideal size for a female tennis player. Just think how much of a lesser player Graf would be had she was only at 5'5"
Henin could be the best player to ever play the game had she was at 5'9", and I don't see any hole in her game. She would be like the Federer in the ATP...supreme talent, perfect size and mechanics.
Most people don't realize how size can impact a player's ability. Sharapova is 6'2", too tall for a female tennis player and it's the reason why she only won 3 slams despite being very talented.
For a female tennis player, at around 5'9" is the perfect height. For the men, at least 6' tall.
jones101
Hall of Fame
Henin at 5'5 was the best she could be!
People seem to underrate how much movement and footwork were such a hugh part of her game. Being shorter helped her in this regard to cover the court quicker and get in position easier.
If she has 5 inches taller, would her mobility have been impared? I think so!
Would prime Hewitt have moved as well if you added 5 inches to him?
I think she was so impressive because of her height, it forced her to find more solutions to other players. If she was physically bigger, would she have worked as hard to become such a good player?
Henin is a great player, top 15 of all time, why cant that be enough?
And to answer the OP's question - no, I dont think she would have been GOAT, but she would have had a fantastic career, as she has did!
Was watching MoMo/Ennah Eastbourne highlights earlier, wondering if we will see such a brand of tennis again
People seem to underrate how much movement and footwork were such a hugh part of her game. Being shorter helped her in this regard to cover the court quicker and get in position easier.
If she has 5 inches taller, would her mobility have been impared? I think so!
Would prime Hewitt have moved as well if you added 5 inches to him?
I think she was so impressive because of her height, it forced her to find more solutions to other players. If she was physically bigger, would she have worked as hard to become such a good player?
Henin is a great player, top 15 of all time, why cant that be enough?
And to answer the OP's question - no, I dont think she would have been GOAT, but she would have had a fantastic career, as she has did!
Was watching MoMo/Ennah Eastbourne highlights earlier, wondering if we will see such a brand of tennis again
10is
Professional
^^^How would being 2-3 inches taller inhibit her mobility -- that's like saying Nadal and Federer would have had better movement if they were a tad shorter. Like TMF stated there's an optimal height for tennis players below/beyond which their overall game suffers despite prodiguous abundance of talent; for Henin this would have been around 5'8"-5'9".
Also, with all due respect to the gal in your avatar, even with her short stature I still consider Henin a WAY more talented player than either Venus or Serena.
Also, with all due respect to the gal in your avatar, even with her short stature I still consider Henin a WAY more talented player than either Venus or Serena.
To be fair, Henin is in great shape. She doesn't carry extra baggage or overweight. If Graf who's in great shape herself have excellent movement at 5 9 then there's no reason not to believe Henin can move great at the same height.
THUNDERVOLLEY
G.O.A.T.
If that was true then Henin would be the best player of her generation, which she clearly was not (and failed to win even one of the biggest major of all).
Exactly. Fed and Nadal owe their success from being the right size for the game. Novak is a great mover, and he added extra reach(tall player) help him further to cover the court. Davydenko has tremendous footwork, but his size limited his court coverage.
10is
Professional
Your conflating achievements with talent which is a fallacy. If Henin had been taller she would no doubt have been the best female player to have ever graced the game.
Don't expect any WS lovers to agree, or at least understand the important of size/height. They only see what they wanted to see.
N
NadalAgassi
Guest
She is also the 8th best female clay courter of all time behind only Graf, Seles, Evert, Wills Moody, Lenglen, Connolly, and Seles.
10is
Professional
True. This is the first time I have heard anyone argue that being shorter in tennis is an "asset" instead of a blatant liability. Henin achieved her success "Despite" her short height not because of it -- to argue otherwise is simply mindbogglingly foolish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vRI3ArtOVI&feature=related
C
celoft
Guest
No kidding.
jones101
Hall of Fame
I can see your point - and im not disagreeing per-se, but I think she had a fantastic career being 5'5, the work and effort she put in BECAUSE she was 5'5, made her the player she was.
Maybe she would not be as fluid, explosive and agile a mover at 5'9, thats all Im saying. Im not disrespecting her at all.
And re: your Venus comment, thats your opinion. I cant really prove you otherwise. I like Venus better but Henin was one talented pocket rocket!
THUNDERVOLLEY
G.O.A.T.
Henin's "talent" is questionable where achievement is concerned, as it did not result in a game which allowed the best majors results of her era, and a rather poor record (i.e. not winning) at the biggest major.
Moreover, you are projecting a GOAT status to a taller Henin sans acknowledging the "how and why" of her playing style; the very abilities which put her on the map were created as a result of being a smaller woman in the "big babe tennis" era. Add inches to her, and there's no reason she would play in the same manner, thus she's not the same player.
There's no sense in attempting to rewrite history with "what ifs" when it was clear Henin had to struggle to achieve what she did in this "big babe" era of the sport, and likely ran from the sport because of it. If she was as great as you think she is/was, the majors results--particularly at Wimbledon--would be far different.
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Netzroller
Semi-Pro
10is
Professional
Talent is never questionable -- it's always evident. If it wasn't we wouldn't have the terms "underachiever" or "unrealized potential".
How can I possibly project a "status" unto an entity that does not exist. Other than that a taller height would undoubtedly have aided Henin's playing style. She was certainly great enough to have performed admirably at the majors despite her short stature (a testament to her talent) -- with Wimbledon understandably being the only exception -- a tournament vaunted for its serve-dependent gameplay, an attribute which obviously manifests itself easier (and with less physical stress) for taller players.
----
@kiki: LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!
THUNDERVOLLEY
G.O.A.T.
Talent is subjective, hence the reason some on this board will say (for one example) Nalbandian was a "talented" player, while others disagree.
By offering any idea of Henin being one of the greatest or greatest if she gained a few inches:
That is projection which ignored the reason why she played in the manner seen.
...and if her genes took another path with the end result being Henin gaining a few inches (around Serena's height), she would not be the same player, as the circumstance and demands of being small--again, her solutions in the form of her syle of play--would not exist. there's no getting around that.
10is
Professional
No. Nalbandian's tennis talent is evident to any erstwhile tennis enthusiast -- likewise Gasquets. There are many "other" intangibles that determine success than talent alone.
Really?!! Wherefore may I find this "tall Henin" then? Since only a tall Henin could have had the potential to be considered the GOAT in my estimation.
Hmmm.... lets see... a sublime player with classical nigh perfect mechanics off both wings, wonderful feel and touch, and cat like reflexes and agility. <--- Might as well be describing Federer, except for the fact that her short height compromised her serve and reach. Nothing ignored at all.
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Nalbandian is talented enough to consistently compete to win slams. Gasquet same as well. They would have been perrenial QF/SF, and occasional finalists depending on the draw, but nothing says that they would have year in and year out won slams. The best projected Nalbandian results that aren't biased would be like 1-2 slams.
If you are talented enough, you can wing your way to a slam victory. Agassi was clearly able to do so.
Out of sight, out of mind. I'd almost forgotten how great Henin was. That was a great video to remind us of her great talent. If only a player who had her abilities was in competition today.
If you are stating that she was the exact same player (same strokes, same variety, same movement) but just 4-6 inches taller I can buy your story that she could be in the GOAT argument. However, I also think, if Henin had been 4-6 inches taller she would have been steered to ball bashing tennis. Her great variety and net rushing developed because she had to compete against the tall and powerful women who were training in her era. She became successful because she took her limitation (height) and developed a more complete game.
If you are stating that she was the exact same player (same strokes, same variety, same movement) but just 4-6 inches taller I can buy your story that she could be in the GOAT argument. However, I also think, if Henin had been 4-6 inches taller she would have been steered to ball bashing tennis. Her great variety and net rushing developed because she had to compete against the tall and powerful women who were training in her era. She became successful because she took her limitation (height) and developed a more complete game.
BevelDevil
Hall of Fame
I understand what you are saying, but I think there is an implicit "no second-order effects" assumption in these kind of hypothetical discussions. Without that assumption the range of plausible predictions explode to absurdity. e.g., if Henin were taller, maybe she'd quit tennis at 21 to be a runway model... or maybe she'd have higher self-esteem and would be an even better player, etc., etc.
However, I will consider your hypothesis that her height caused her to play a certain way, which in turn, led to much of her success.
As I stated in my last post, I think it's the technical aspects of her backhand and forehand groundstrokes that contribute the majority of her success.
I don't know how her game evolved, but I assume she chose to use a 1hbh before the age of, say 14 or 15. (If I'm wrong, let me know... maybe she did a Sampras.) In other words, she chose that stroke before she knew how short she would be as an adult. Thus, even if she ended up being 5'10", she would still have her 1hbh. I also don't see why she would choose to become a mindless pusher on that side had she been taller. Kuerten, Edberg, Federer, Wawrinka, all have great 1hbhs and use them effectively, and they are all above average in height.
As for the development of a pull stroke, it's quite possible (or likely?) she began pulling her forehand at an early age, thus the same argument that I made for the backhand applies here. Furthermore, the big pull strokes in today's game: Federer, Nadal, and Del Potro, belong to people of above average height (especially Delpo). So it seems a straight/ish-arm pull stroke is not something that only short people decide to use.
You may be right about other aspects of Henin's game, such as her willingness to come to the net and point construction. But I think all that would be overshadowed by likely huge increase in performance from her forehand and serve (and to a lesser extent, her net coverage, return of serve, and probably movement).
I also think my argument regarding her strokes involves much less speculation. It's pretty well founded that going from short to above-average height usually opens up possibilities on the serve and forehand. That's a matter of physics. Whereas, saying, "She would choose to play in a less effective manner if she were taller" is a matter of psychology and circumstance, and thus is much more speculative.
Having said that, let me say something a little speculative myself: I think if Henin were 5'10" her forehand would be the GOAT in the women's game.
You missed my point. I said complete player. Laver would be better player had he was bigger/taller playing in the modern era. Laver would have a better fh, bigger serve and power on both wings. Henin and Laver are tremendous talented, however being undersize has it's disadvantage, for ANY player. When you observe the game today, talent alone isn't enough to dominate the field, you have to be at the right size. Maybe it's possible in the 60s during Laver's era, but today is another story. Just take a look at the past champions who dominate the tour...Sampras, Federer, Nadal and now Nole...they are all big men, top tier in goat discussion. Even in the women - Graf, Seles, Serena are all best in their heyday and obvious they are bigger player than a 5'5". Even the current #1 Azarenka, who is listed at 5'11". You don't have to take my words for it, just open your eyes and watch tennis and keep up with to date with the sport, eventually you'll get it !!
10is
Professional
When Henin emerged (I'll call it 2001, because that's when she first actually mattered), she was tiny. And I don't mean simply short. She was physically tiny. Back in 2001, she had an anemic serve, her forehand wasn't the weapon it was in 2007, and she had a smooth, powerless game. She was supremely talented which is something that even pundits acknowledged way back when she hadn't made her breakthrough, but she simply lacked physical strength.
The biggest thing that Henin did from late 2001 to early 2003 was add muscle. A lot of muscle. When people described her as a gym-bunny, they meant it as an enormous mark of respect. The woman spent HOURS in the gym. She probably added 10 pounds of muscle onto a frame that doesn't carry 10 extra pounds easily. There are two things that we have to realize as a result: it compensated for her size and height, and it was extremely taxing. Henin had to work much harder off-court than just about anyone else. When Serena's body was rebelling in 2006-2007, she could still hit the ball extremely hard, with driving topspin, no problem. When Henin's body was rebelling (2004 and 2005, 2008 till ret.) she could get overpowered. She has to rely on her timing when she's not at 100% physically, and her timing can't carry her through 7 matches in a row. Part of the reason Henin started playing a lighter schedule later in her career (2006 and 2007) than she did in 2003 was to sustain the form that brought her to the top. I maintain that part of the reason she collapsed after 2007 was from the strain of her training; she simply was not physically meant to carry that kind of muscle and still do the things she does. She needed off time to keep from snapping. One of the many reasons she struggled at Wimbledon despite skills that (obviously) translate beautifully to grass is the length of her clay season and the brief chance she has to recover from the physical toll. She's an extremely physical player now, and not in a way 100% conducive to her natural build and height. Obvious when you look at the statistics and see her serve percentage drop off remarkably the more matches she played at wimbledon -- a serve dominant slam if there ever was one.
All that physical stress on her short frame eventually led to injuries and a premature departure from the game. This is why had she been taller there is no doubt in my mind she would have ruthlessly dominated the women's game much like Federer has. If you assess the average height of top female players of the game you will reralize just how much Justine Henin was an exceptional exception to the rule as far as her build was concerned -- it was her supreme talent and hard work that carried her through to success. I hesitate to write more since I would be merely repeating what BevilDevil and and TMF have already so articulately stated.
The biggest thing that Henin did from late 2001 to early 2003 was add muscle. A lot of muscle. When people described her as a gym-bunny, they meant it as an enormous mark of respect. The woman spent HOURS in the gym. She probably added 10 pounds of muscle onto a frame that doesn't carry 10 extra pounds easily. There are two things that we have to realize as a result: it compensated for her size and height, and it was extremely taxing. Henin had to work much harder off-court than just about anyone else. When Serena's body was rebelling in 2006-2007, she could still hit the ball extremely hard, with driving topspin, no problem. When Henin's body was rebelling (2004 and 2005, 2008 till ret.) she could get overpowered. She has to rely on her timing when she's not at 100% physically, and her timing can't carry her through 7 matches in a row. Part of the reason Henin started playing a lighter schedule later in her career (2006 and 2007) than she did in 2003 was to sustain the form that brought her to the top. I maintain that part of the reason she collapsed after 2007 was from the strain of her training; she simply was not physically meant to carry that kind of muscle and still do the things she does. She needed off time to keep from snapping. One of the many reasons she struggled at Wimbledon despite skills that (obviously) translate beautifully to grass is the length of her clay season and the brief chance she has to recover from the physical toll. She's an extremely physical player now, and not in a way 100% conducive to her natural build and height. Obvious when you look at the statistics and see her serve percentage drop off remarkably the more matches she played at wimbledon -- a serve dominant slam if there ever was one.
All that physical stress on her short frame eventually led to injuries and a premature departure from the game. This is why had she been taller there is no doubt in my mind she would have ruthlessly dominated the women's game much like Federer has. If you assess the average height of top female players of the game you will reralize just how much Justine Henin was an exceptional exception to the rule as far as her build was concerned -- it was her supreme talent and hard work that carried her through to success. I hesitate to write more since I would be merely repeating what BevilDevil and and TMF have already so articulately stated.
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So if you had the talent to be a female pro tennis player, which would you rather be, 5'5" or at least 5'9" ?
M
monfed
Guest
Henin was 5'5 for god sakes. That's short by any standards. None's saying she should've been 6'6 or something, which would probably hamper her movement. It's being simply said that if she'd been atleast the standard height of say 5'10 or 6 how much better she would've been. Did i get it right,TMF?
Yep. It's only a few members who can't get it. If you ask anyone which size would they preferred to be pro tennis player, they would say 5'10", not 5'5"
Assuming that Henin had Serena physique, then I agree she would be prone to injury. But Henin's physique suits well for a tennis player. You look at Venus who's 6'1", turned pro back in 1994 and is still active. So I believe a 5'10" Henin would be just fine.
Her height didn't affect her at all. She serve over 120mph at least once a match usually. She was literally a freak, and lb for lb probably the most powerful player who's ever lived.
She served just as big as James Blake and Agassi to put that into perspective,.
She was a bit slow though, a bit more speed would have been good.
She served just as big as James Blake and Agassi to put that into perspective,.
She was a bit slow though, a bit more speed would have been good.
BlewByU
Semi-Pro
10is.
I would personally like to thank you for creating this excellent thought-provoking thread.
You hit a home run right off the start! Didn't you?
Can't wait to read your next threads.
Absolutely great to philosophize on our all-time favorite player, Justine Henin.
I feel soooooooo lucky to be a contemporary of Justine ,, although she is sometimes a bit of an enigma to me.
I remember early 2000s when both Henin and Federer started making noise.
It was greatest of times.
To me, it was Henin rather than Federer who truly excited me - from the very foundation, i mean.
I swear, i knew that i was witnessing the making of the greatest female tennis player. Ever. Bar none. No ifs. No buts.
I also wouldn't have hesitated bestowing Henin the greatest male or female.
Then came the fateful 2008.
And i am broken hearted ever since,,,
(although Kvitova is here now)
------------------------------------
I can't wait to grab Henin's auto-biography if and when she writes one.
I hope she writes it frankly.
I want to know :
1. honest account of why she decided to leave tennis
2. true account of how she developed her backhand stroke
(3). if she was happy with the forehand she ended up with
(4). if she was happy with the serve she ended up with
(5). what really happened during her first marriage
although i have a feeling she wants to take 'em all to her grave,,,
. . . . .
Actually it was her lack of height that forced her to develop such a lethal offensive game for such a small woman. I think people forget that her lethal backhand was a direct development to the fact that she was short. Anyone that plays tennis knows that you tend to lean towards more western grips to compensate for higher balls when you are developing as a player, and that is what exactly happened to Justine Henin. Her entire arsenal developed due to the fact that she was short, and that she was FORCED to develop a different type of game. She couldn't overpower anyone, but she could combine power, precision, and variety together to beat her opponents. It was great when she was on (see the USO 2007 where she beat both Serena and Venus), but when she was off she was wildly inconsistent. Her body type was indeed a handicap, but it was that handicap that forced her to develop the way she did, and alot of people tend to forget that.
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BevelDevil
Hall of Fame
Yeah, I don't think she'd be open about 1,3,4, and 5.
Right now, I'm inclined to think her ego/insecurity drove her to first retire, then gamble on altering her forehand to try to eek out a little more performance in her quest for total dominance.
However, reading 10is's post makes me wonder if her problems were actually physical, which then lead to her attempt to reduce strain by altering her strokes.
Ugh, when I saw her "new" forehand I wanted to cry, even though it was performing adequately.
First off, Henin uses an "Extreme Eastern" grip, which is only 1/2 bevel back from Eastern. It's easy to imagine, or even assume, that she used an Extreme Eastern grip at a young age, before she even knew she would be short as an adult. Also note that among clay courters of all heights, an Extreme Eastern is somewhat common. (Kuerten, 6'3" used one)
In any case, even if you're right, I think a plausible scenario would be:
1. As a young junior she is small and so she develops her weapons,
2. She has a growth spurt in her mid-teens and grows to 5'10",
3. She becomes the Federer of the WTA.
The fact that Henin was shorter than everyone else forced her to play an unconventional game in the WTA. Had she not been her height, it is unlikely that she would have developed the same game. You're talking about a theoretical situation that is basically impossible, because if Henin was taller her game would have taken a totally different approach.
Western/Extreme Eastern grips develop as a result of growing up on claycourts. Henin's height was both an advantage and disadvantage. It forced her to play a more complete game, while also allowing her to move far better than most players that are taller than her. People keep assuming Henin would have the same movement and anticipation if she were taller; that's false. I seriously doubt Henin develops along the same lines if she had a different body type; I'd venture a guess she'd play a much more conventional game if she was taller. She'd play far more big bang tennis rather than creative point construction, and we all know that would never work against the Williams Sisters.
If Henin was taller, she'd play more conventional, which results in probably worse results. Her height directly forced her to play in a way that was in stark contrast to what other WTA players were doing. If she played a more conventional game, sure she'd have more firepower, but her movement, variety, and overall work ethic would be worse. Her point construction likely wouldn't be as good, and neither would her overall technique. People want to make assumptions in a vacuum that if we keep all factors the same, then we can get certain results. Well unfourtanately, that's not the way things work. You can't make choices in a vacuum and assume Henin develops her game along the same path if she was at a different height.
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N
NadalAgassi
Guest
That is all true. Henin would just be another Big Babe if she were taller most likely, and considering Big Babe players the quality of Davenport and Capriati won only 3 slams, she probably wouldnt have done any better than that, if not perhaps worse, hence a noteably inferior career to her current one most likely. What set her apart from nearly all other top WTA players was her all around game, and mostly her precision and variety from the baseline combined with power, which she developed since she was so short.
She probably wouldnt have the movement either if she was taller. Venus is a rare exception, an extremely tall player who moved sensationally, one cant assume Henin would be that same exception. Serena meanwhile is blessed with having the strength, power, and psychique of a 6"3 or taller player despite being only 5"10 or 5"11 herself, plus still being a superb mover. It is unlikely Henin would be blessed with that rare combination if she were taller.
She probably wouldnt have the movement either if she was taller. Venus is a rare exception, an extremely tall player who moved sensationally, one cant assume Henin would be that same exception. Serena meanwhile is blessed with having the strength, power, and psychique of a 6"3 or taller player despite being only 5"10 or 5"11 herself, plus still being a superb mover. It is unlikely Henin would be blessed with that rare combination if she were taller.
Exactly, the reason why Henin at her best was able to compete/score wins over the William Sisters was because she was able to utilize precise offensive groundstrokes to move them around. When she was off, it was pretty bad to watch. But when Henin was on, she was extremely difficult to beat, because you had basically nowhere to go, and the only thing you could do was pray that she choked or just simply try and outplay her.
Her aggressive precision game developed as a DIRECT result of her lack of big power and her height. Her body type FORCED her to play the type of tennis that she did. To think that she would develop along the same lines if she was taller is asinine; she'd probably play something more like a Clijsters, who by all means is good, but did not have the same success as Henin did. Let's face it; if Justine Henin attempts to play like Clijsters (which I would assume she would considering Clijsters is listed at 5'9), she probably wins maybe 1-2 slams, AT BEST. The era that Justine Henin played in was NOT easy. Having to face off against the Williams Sisters near their best/at their best is a totally different animal than what Clijsters has been handed.
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