Play Back Time
After retiring at the height of their careers, Belgian tennis rivals Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin return to face each other at this month’s Wimbledon
WORDS | MARK HODGKINSON
Image – Corbis
BE THANKFUL FOR ROGER FEDERER, and for a little voice in Justine Henin’s head, or ‘Juju’ as she’s affectionately known wouldn’t be back on the Wimbledon lawns this summer. On that dank, grey afternoon in Paris last June, when Federer won the French Open title for the first time, the voice in Henin’s head would not stop talking. “I knew that if Roger won in France, I would be in trouble,” Henin told me when we met in Miami earlier this year.
With his victory in France, Federer completed his set of grand slam trophies, and Henin, who had retired a year earlier, found herself wondering about a ‘second career’. Actually, it was more than ‘wondering’; she felt compelled to return to tennis, to try to win Wimbledon’s Venus Rosewater Dish to finish her own collection of slams.
It was Martina Navratilova who described Henin, all five feet and five inches of her, as “the female Federer”. For Henin and Federer, grace trumps graft; they’re known for bringing elegance and sophistication to the international tennis tour. John McEnroe believes that Henin’s backhand might just be the ‘cutest’ backhand in tennis – and he’s referring to the men’s game as well as the women’s. If it wasn’t for the Belgian’s huge respect for Federer, she would probably still be in retirement: skiing, sky-diving and taking cameo roles in French soap operas.
“I admire Roger for everything he has done,” says Henin when we meet, three months into her ‘second career’. “He’s an inspiration. He had been in trouble for two years before winning the French Open, and everyone thought that he wouldn’t win in Paris when Rafael Nadal was still around. But he did it. He kept fighting, he kept believing that he could do it.”
But Henin won’t be the only Belgian former world number one in the draw at this year’s Wimbledon. We will also see the return of ‘Tennis Mama’ Kim Clijsters.
The last two Wimbledon finals have been contested by one family from California, with Serena Williams beating Venus last summer, and Venus defeating her little sister the year before that. But do not be surprised if it is two Belgians curtseying in front of the Royal Box before the women’s final. At Clijsters’ return to the grand slams last season, she won the US Open. At Henin’s first slam back, she was the runner-up to Serena at January’s Australian Open. Both women are contenders for that silver dish.
It would be easy to just lump the two Belgians together. After all, there are not many players from that small northern European nation who have been a grand slam champion, who have been ranked the world number one, and who have quit tennis, only to then go on to return to the sport – it’s just the two of them. Some would have it that it was a Belgian ‘system’ that produced Kim and Justine; more likely, it is happenstance.
“Our rivalry has always been special, and it will always be special, because Kim and I grew up together; we arrived on the tour almost at the same time; we retired at the same time; and we came back at the same time – it’s strange. It’s always a special match between the two of us. I think we’ve helped each other to get better” says Henin.
There are also many differences between the Belgian players. When Clijsters retired, it was to start a family with her husband. When Henin quit, it was because she was fearful that tennis was slowly destroying her as a woman. She had to prove to herself that she was “capable of existing other than through the world of tennis.”
The duo have highly disparate personalities too. Clijsters has always been known for being engaging and sunny. During her first career, Henin appeared cold, hard and intense on the way to winning seven slam titles. But that was understandable, given her turbulent off-court life. At the age of 12, she lost her mother Françoise to cancer, then for several years she cut off relations with her father and siblings.
One reason for the feud was Henin’s relationship with Pierre-Yves Hardenne whom she married and subsequently divorced. The reconciliation with her family came in 2007 after her brother crashed his car, and spent two days in a coma. Last September, the morning after she disclosed live on Belgian television that she was to return, she told me that she was going to be a different person the second time around on tour: “There’s going to be a serenity, a new calmness about me,” she said. And, so far, it would appear that, yes, we are getting a remodelled Henin in 2010.
“I really feel as though I’m in the right place and I’m very happy,” she says. “I’ve learnt a lot of things about myself in the time I’ve been away. Before, tennis was everything to me, I gave everything, and I lived in a bubble. I had people who protected me from normal life outside tennis. Now tennis is important for me, but it’s not the only thing in my life.”
Since she decided to come back to tennis, she hasn’t been skiing or skydiving. But, if she wins this Wimbledon, she might just jump out of a plane. Wimbledon begins on 21 June
Tennis isn’t the only draw to Wimbledon, says Sarah Warwick.
While you are around there, Voyager recommends the following:
RICHMOND PARK
The largest of London’s Royal Parks, lush and sprawling Richmond Park is three times the size of New York’s Central Park and the biggest open space in the city. Home to hundreds of friendly red and fallow deer, the park was once a prime hunting ground for Henry VIII and his merry men. www.royalparks.org.uk
BUDDHAPADIPA TEMPLE
The only Thai temple in Europe, Buddhapadipa offers guided tours of its elaborately decorated buildings at the weekends (9am-6pm). The ordination hall’s hand-painted murals depicting Buddha’s life are a definite highlight. 14 Calonne Road, London SW19, +44 (0)20 8946 1357, www.buddhapadipa.org
NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE
This grand old dame of west London theatre turns 100 this year and is celebrating with dozens of fabulous productions. Offerings are a typically inclusive mix of musical theatre (My Fair Lady), children’s favourites (The Gruffalo) and drama (The Harder they Come). 93 The Broadway London SW19, +44 (0)20 8545 7900, www.ambassadortickets.com/New-Wimbledon-Theatre
KEW BRIDGE STEAM MUSEUM
Step back in time at this museum to the industrial world, where steam was king and machinery was massive. From pump engines to Thomasesque tank engines, this place is a showcase of the 19th century’s finest industrial craftsmanship. Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, Middlesex TW8, +44 (0)20 8568 4757, www.kbsm.org
CANNIZARO PARK
A Grade-II listed park, named for the jilted wife of an Italian count, and containing sunken gardens, water fountains and even a charming dell, is one of west London’s most romantic places for a wander. In July, this magical little secret garden comes to life for the Cannizaro Park Festival, a music and comedy extravaganza. Westside Common, Wimbledon, London SW19
