It was only fifteen short months ago that Justine Henin, number one player in the world, winner of seven grand slam titles and just 25 years of age, decided to forehand off into the Belgian sunset.
She showed enviable ambition. Humility, too, giving up the bright lights of Miami, Melbourne and Monte Carlo to concentrate on her charity and tennis school.
But just fifteen months later, Henin has decided that watching Kim Clijsters win the US Open is about as much charity as she’s willing to offer, and will therefore be returning to the court.
Now, I love a comeback, don’t get me wrong. But the sheer numbers of women returning to the game are starting to make the retirements of professional boxers look genuine.
There’s always a trailblazer.
Step up, Martina Navratilova. Is she still playing? The woman had more farewell tours than John Farnham.
More recently, we’ve had Lindsay Davenport, Martina Hingis, Aussie Kim, and now Henin announce returns before they’ve even settled in their rocking chairs.
So what’s courting the players to return to the court? It can’t be the birth of the kids. While playing Mum gives Clijsters and Davenport an alibi, Navaratilova more than cancels them out.
Could it be a shared belief that the women’s game is so average at present that, despite a couple of years off, they can return and still be competitive in the big tournaments?
If you were casting an eye on a grand slam and saw Ai Sugiyama dominating, wouldn’t you be tempted?
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