Justine Henin + Absence = Chaos
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Aug 5, 2008 | Print |
Can the loss of one player truly make a big difference in a sport that features hundreds of ranked competitors?
In the case of Justine Henin, her absence has turned the professional women’s tennis world upside down.
The enigmatic Belgian let her tennis do the talking for her and could hardly have been called a stateswoman on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. She wore the mantle of being the best tennis player in the world loosely and did everything on her own terms. Just when it appeared that she would take a stranglehold on the sport, she shockingly announced her decision to retire.
Unlike other pros who frequently caused chaos with their words and actions, Henin did not like to make waves—unless it was on the court. A few infamous experiences went down in the history books during her career, but altogether, Henin was shrouded in a mantle of obscurity off the court. In stark contrast to most celebrities, Justine managed to get a divorce, return to work, and continue with business as usual without even attempting to explain a reason or rationale for her new marital status.
Once Henin hung up her racquet, it was widely assumed that the tennis world would not be affected by her absence. When asked about how her retirement would impact the future of the sport, Larry Scott, president and CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, cavalierly opined that “we won’t lose any sleep over it.”
Scott and his fellow executives might not have lost any sleep over Henin’s retirement in May, but now that August is here, they might want to start thinking about the women who have tossed the No. 1 ranking around like a hot potato.
Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, and now Jelena Jankovic have exchanged the top spot over the past three months. Jankovic is the most mind-boggling of all. Historically, she will be the weakest No. 1 in tennis history with a career resume devoid of any significant Grand Slam results. Playing almost every week was Jankovic’s ticket to fame and fortune, a game plan that brought her the No. 1 ranking and a host of injuries before the age of twenty-four.
Women’s tennis has struggled with an image problem since its inception, but over the past three months it has sunk to new lows. At the time this article was published, a poll ran by Tennis.com revealed that 62% of tennis fans surveyed believe that Jankovic’s ascension to No. 1 is telling evidence of “disarray” at the top of the WTA Tour.
Despite standing just over 5″5, Justine Henin left large shoes to fill. Had she not asked to have her name removed from the rankings, she would still be the No. 1 player, active or not. She had an opportunity to take the tennis bull by the horns and enjoy dominance similar to Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, or Chris Evert, but Henin opted to call it quits before her game had a chance to slip.
While one cannot whole-heartedly fault Henin for her decision to retire, she did start this period of inconsistency and instability. Jankovic will hold an eight point lead over Ana Ivanovic next week, so do not expect her reign to be long and uninterrupted. Statistically, Jankovic plays her worst tennis in the fall, not a surprise with her bizarre schedule. Ivanovic has failed to impress since winning Paris, and with Maria Sharapova on the injured list, it is anyone’s guess who will end the season as No. 1.
Tennis is not often a predictable sport, but right now one thing is safe to predict.
The era of one woman dominating the sport is over for the moment—and we all know whom to thank for that fact.
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Randy Nichols | Aug 6, 2008 | Reply
Nice writing style. I look forward to reading more in the future.
milanolino | Aug 6, 2008 | Reply
Quite impressive one sided article at best.
As for projected imaginary “stranglehold” and
future “dominance”…
Justin started getting B-A-G-E-L-E-D by Marija, Serena, Dinara.
She knew The TRILL is GONE!
Wise to stop while on top.
Great style!
Rob | Aug 6, 2008 | Reply
She had said after winning the Madrid final in November 2007, and as we soon learned had played after another family tragedy (her sister had a miscarriage, and Justine was talked into playing in the final by her father) that the fire was gone.
If she had taken the first 3 months off as her coach Carlos wanted, then there would not have been any bagels. Justine would have won, but she was emotionally drained and hit the wall in May.
For many years people bashed her for not caring enough about things off court. Now that she’s decided to leave for a life life off court - she’s bashed.
Make up your minds!
Rob | Aug 6, 2008 | Reply
Milano- LOL Let me guess? You’re a Williams or Mauresmo fan right?
Always the same ugly bitter fanbases thrashing a former player that took their favorites down.
Aaress Lawless | Aug 6, 2008 | Reply
Randy, thank you for your kind comment!
Jamie Lewis | Aug 6, 2008 | Reply
There is a great event at the USTA Tennis Center in NYC, NY on Saturday August 23rd. It’s for Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, which is a huge kick off for the US Open. There will be tennis, music and all sorts of fun stuff. The lineup looks awesome. Musicians Demi Lovato, Colby O’Donis, Menudo, Push Play will be there. Plus, Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic will help kids improve their swings! Check it out! http://www.usopen.org/arthur_ashe_kids_day/fullstory.sps?iType=13846&iNewsid=405543
Alice | Aug 6, 2008 | Reply
Aaress this is an impressive and nuanced bit of writing. Professional standard.
I hear what you say concerning Justine.
What role do you feel Larry Scott has in all this - Can you expand?
Aaress Lawless | Aug 6, 2008 | Reply
Alice, thank you for your kind words. I appreciate your support!
My main point with this piece was that I don’t believe that most people realized Justine Henin’s impact on the sport until after she retired. Venus, Serena, and Maria may be the three most popular stars, but Henin was clearly the backbone of the sport.
In the roughly 2 1/2 years before she retired, Henin missed ONE Grand Slam - the Australian Open in 2007. Out of those last eight majors, she failed to reach the semifinals only one time. Injuries failed to stop her, because she played smart, saving her best form and fitness for when it mattered.
Henin’s popularity was not fully realized partly because she did not fit the “marketing mold”, hence the reason for some of the nonchalant attitudes after her retirement. Perhaps part of this is Justine’s own choosing - who knows? I fully understand that marketing has a crucial role in our sport—and if the players don’t want to cooperate, there is little that Larry Scott and the Tour can do to boost a fan’s interest.
I also suggest that the WTA Tour is at a crossroads. Believe it or not, Venus and Serena are aging and Maria Sharapova is dealing with a very serious injury. It makes one wonder what would happen to the sport if the three of them would suddenly retire in the next 2-3 years.
Yes, the Tour has depth, but the question remains whether it has quality.
Jankovic is No. 1 in computer ranking only, and will remain so until she produces more champion-worthy results.
KC | Aug 7, 2008 | Reply
Nice comment Aaress!
You’re right when you say that people didn’t realize how important Justine Henin was for tennis worldwide. I think the media should get the blame for this. They almost decide who’s popular and who’s not and who’s the ‘best’ player.
I’m from Belgium and of course Justine was very popular here (and still is I guess). But we live in a small country where a lot less money is spend on advertising than in the US.
I have a question … Do you think that Serena or Venus can become number 1 again?
Lance | Aug 7, 2008 | Reply
The comments so far are interesting. Well done people. People tend to forget that it is not Henin’s fault that cause this chaos. Although her retirement came too surprising but let’s not forget that Maria and Ana did won a Grand Slam earlier this year. Their performance was spectacular I should say but as the months gone by, their performance went down as well. That is the main reason the number 1 ranking went from one to another.
If Henin’s ‘fire’ was still there and she is still going strong, she could possibly be the best player in the WTA tour. And I totally agree with KC comments; “People didn’t realize how important Justine Henin was for the WTA tour”.
mkeller | Aug 7, 2008 | Reply
“The era of one woman dominating the sport is over for the moment…”
you write that like it’s a bad thing. what’s wrong with not knowing who’s going to win a tournament before it even starts, or watching matches and having the outcome be surprise? players like safina and the williams sisters are playing such great tennis right now, and knowing that several players have a shot to be number one makes it more exciting.
it’s true that jankovic being number one is a joke, but it won’t last long.
Aaress Lawless | Aug 7, 2008 | Reply
KC, I firmly believe that both Venus and Serena have the skill, talent, and ability to become No. 1 again. But at this point, I don’t see it occurring anytime soon because of their reduced schedules and the Tour’s ranking point system.
Unless one of them was to win 2-3 Grand Slams a year, they will never achieve enough ranking points to overtake the players who are competing at 15-20+ tournaments a year.
Mkeller, tennis is unpredictable by nature, so there will always be the thrill of an upset or a young star making a big breakthrough at the hands of a veteran or dominant player.
Having multiple players compete for No. 1 is exciting, but in a way, it cheapens its meaning when it is passed back and forth every few weeks.
Sarav | Aug 7, 2008 | Reply
hey Aaress,
I dont think it would have mattered much if Justine Henin had played through 2008, she would have just faced more humiliating losses..remember she wasnt playing as well as she was in 2007 and of-course the other players had closed the gap on her during the off-season.. serena even went past her by beating her 2 and 0(thrashing her).. and even in her favourite surface of clay, safina was able to beat her.. so i guess henin wudnt have won anything major this year and she wud have been no.1 in just the computer like how jankovic is and not the “2007 Henin”
if she was still playing, right now wud hav been her best chance with the williams sisters(YET AGAIN) and sharapova injured.. and ivanovic showing poor form, henin could have strung up a few tournament victories which could have brought her form back, but i doubt henin playing at her best can beat the williams sisters when they themselves play their best and are fit.. and interestingly i think you should have made a not to Kim clijsters’ absence from the tour as well.. she wud have been the player to beat on hard-cours if she was playing her best..
Lance | Aug 7, 2008 | Reply
Hey Sarah,
The word retirement was floating on Henin’s mind for almost 6 months. She has lost the ‘fire’ in herself and she herself knew it. She did struggled in a few competition and that’s what makes her choose this decision. Let’s put it this way, if her ‘fire’ was still there, do you think she would be bageled 3 times (if I am not mistaken)? I really doubt that..
Alice | Aug 7, 2008 | Reply
Do you think Justine could’ve, should’ve, been more cooperative?
I agree marketing is an important means of promoting the sport. I’m not a Luddite in that regard. For me the issue is not marketing as such, but what’s being marketed and how it’s being done.
Thank you Aaress.
Aaress Lawless | Aug 8, 2008 | Reply
Wow, Alice, that’s a tough one!
You know, hindsight is always 20/20 and I’m sure Justine, the Tour, and even fans have regrets regarding how Henin was portrayed to the public. She was so intensely private that it was difficult for the world to embrace her, yet as time went on, I for one found myself respecting her more because of her personality.
Henin was never “expected” to be a great champion, so for years, nothing much was made of her as she quietly won a few majors in the shadow of Venus, Serena, Jennifer, and to an extent, even Maria Sharapova. Then all of a sudden in 2006, an on-fire Justine Henin emerged, forcing her onto center stage.
Most people thought of her as the clay-court queen and nothing else, and just after she shattered that preconception, she announced her retirement.
By tennis standards, Henin was a great achiever. But when it came to marketing, Henin didn’t either fit the mold—or did not want to be in the mold. Other than official tournament pieces, I’ve probably only seen Justine in two commercials, Rolex and Wilson. Granted, she is one of sport’s wealthiest female athletes, but a large portion of her riches came from prize money, not sponsorships.
I’m hesitant to say that Henin should have been more cooperative because again, if that’s not her personality, I don’t see why she should have been forced to do more than the Tour’s requirements. She was a tennis player, not a supermodel or actress.
She knew what she did best and stuck to it.
Aaress Lawless | Aug 8, 2008 | Reply
Sarav,
Thanks for mentioning Clijsters in the discussion. She was a phenomenal hard court player and could have likely won many more Slams if her body could have handled the strain better.
annie | Aug 8, 2008 | Reply
Great article. I have felt a void in the womens game ever since Justine hung up her racquet. There is not another player with such a crisp, beautiful backhand. Not another beautiful fighter who is able to support such fire and determination with such a small frame, quiet yet lethal. She was a pure, true tennis player and I loved watching her perform. I mean, she beat two Williams sisters on her way the US Open crown! WHO DOES THAT!?!
Who will take over? It’s comparable, in my opinion, to Federer suddenly announcing his retirement. Chaos!
Alice | Aug 10, 2008 | Reply
I agree. Let’s face it unless your glam and sexy the world dont want to embrace you.. Certainly in the televisual, money and image era.
The tour has became so much about other stuff, perhaps at the expense of the tennis. Yes there’s plenty of money swilling around at the elite level, but like you say Aaress, no standout Steffi or Martina, dominating the game and driving sport for women to new performance heights.
Who can say what went through Justine’s mind, or if there are other reasons that we are not privvy to that caused her retirement. All I know is that I just felt a sense of sadness about her departure, for the game and for Justine.
She is an enigma. She bubbled under for years. My dads favorite.. then BOOM,,, there she was, from comparative mediocrity to world domination. Strange.
Anyway, thanks Aaress. You got nub of it all.
backfence | Aug 11, 2008 | Reply
You are not alone…!
http://www.tennishead.net/on-tour/features/2008-08-11/dear-justine/
Cristina | Aug 12, 2008 | Reply
Great article, Aaress.
I’ve been contemplating Henin’s sudden retirement and in my opinion she has yet to fully gain the respect she deserves and this is evident from tennis fans’(me included) nonchalant reaction to her departure all the way to Larry Scott’s apathetic comment.
Sure we’ve seen glimpses of greatness from today’s top players, but none of have close to playing the game as consistently good as Henin. At only 5’5 Henin’s fluid strokes and effortless movement made her a dominant player in the women’s game. Who else can produce such a great one-handed backhand in the game today? She was #1 and she truly deserved it with her consistent and effective game.
She wasn’t a marketing machine like other players and I believe that it was her all business attitude that turned fans off, but in the end what made her so great.
Is it a mere coincedence that the WTA just spent $15 million in their new “Looking for a Hero” campaign? I think not. Why? Because its exactly what’s missing in the tour today; a dominant and consistent player who will step up and produce great tennis.
Aaress Lawless | Aug 12, 2008 | Reply
Thank you, Cristina!
I appreciate your point about the Tour’s marketing campaign. It is a very ironic campaign, because right now the Tour is truly looking for a dominant hero to take the tennis world by storm.
Who do you see as the likely player to replace Henin, if that is even possible at the moment?
Cristina | Aug 12, 2008 | Reply
Being an Ana Ivanovic fan, I would love for her to be the next superstar on the tour. I believe she has the perfect combination of talent, personality and looks.
However, a string of recent poor performances and the current thumb injury leads me to believe that I would have to wait just a little bit longer for her to reach her peak.
Aaress Lawless | Aug 12, 2008 | Reply
Ivanovic certainly has the talent, but still struggles a bit with consistency, not unlike Jankovic. I don’t believe that she has recovered mentally from winning the French Open and taking the No. 1 ranking. Her life literally changed over the course of one weekend.
It was a shame to see her pull-out of the Olympics, but hopefully, her thumb will heal in time for the US Open.
Cristina | Aug 12, 2008 | Reply
I feel your pain, Aaress. Its exactly what I meant when I said glimpses of greatness from the current top players. No one has consistently performed at the top level, except for maybe Safina.
Ritchie | Aug 15, 2008 | Reply
Safina didn,t bagel Justine it was 6-1..And remember Justine getting from a hospital bed and Thrashing Clijsters in the US open final.Justine was the best!.And I think she,s Hot as well..Just look at the Armani photo shoot for proof.
Baloe | Aug 16, 2008 | Reply
The comments have been quite interesting to read. Especially on the image Justine left after all these years…
The first time I heard of Justine was 10 years ago during my courses of French in high school. We had a series of cartoons and one displayed a girl playing tennis with a pacifier. Right after that, I saw the first matches she played and I was mesmerized and since then, I was sold as her fan.
In these 10 years, she reached what every Belgian tries to achieve: work hard, be successful and at the end stay modest. Luckily for her, she avoided the big spinning wheel of capitalism and commercialism. She lived for her sport and she wanted to achieve great things without having to act like someone else, since she probably would have felt this as selling her soul. At the end, she did achieve a lot, and of course, it’s a pity she never conquered Wimbledon.
Now, after 10 whole years of enjoying her play, I’m tremendously disappointed to see her absence but I also admire her. To be able to say: ‘Well, maybe I was just not good enough to win Wimbledon’. It’s that same modesty that got her so far without losing herself and I genuinely applaud that. How many people, who could change their career, do their jobs against their will and how many of these people are able to say: ‘***** it, I will do something I like!’? Most people don’t even know what they like, so to them only the virtue of criticism remains. And what do they hate the most? That what they are not, or what they cannot achieve.
I also hope that Justine does find again a sense in this other life and that it will fulfill all her wishes. Maybe that search might result in a come back, which would be great news for all her fans, but I now, personally, hope that she can find it in something else because a come back might indicate she couldn’t succeed in this new life of hers…
As for the current state of women’s tennis after Justine left…? We just turned the clock backwards with 10 years. That was the time where the hard hitters arrived, like the Williams’ sisters. It sure woowed us all or at least me. The Williams’ sisters with their strange things in their hairs blowing away all the competition… After that, we’ve only got more of the same, or something similar but just better looking at times. Justine was for me the next evolution… she was able to elegantly counter all that force. For that, I take off my hat and wish her all the best!
Pat | Aug 31, 2008 | Reply
Now that we have seen how the US OPEN 2008 draw on the women’s side has hit the skids. It’s rather ironic, and even quite sad that the last words of the CEO of the WTA Larry Scott to the Ne York Times was “we won’t lose any sleep over it”.
Someone wake Larry Scott up! He’s sleeping in the deluxe suite of the WTA Titanic. Not only has the WTA tour suffered, the grand slams, and finesse fans of tennis - but the casual viewers have dropped interest in women’s tennis. Please note the blatant decline in major tv coverage since the Italian Open for women’s tennis. EUROSPORT showed more summer ATP hardcourt than WTA. The USA Network and even CBS yesterday showed more men’s tennis than women’s.
Women’s tennis cannot survive on “Babe” tennis players. Hype can only carry a player so far, but what I find the most missing in womens’ tennis right now besides Justine’s technique is a pure Tennis Star. A real tennis star, not a hyped tennis starlet, and that is what we have now.
Pat | Aug 31, 2008 | Reply
The WTA doesn’t need a new Hero. They need Justine henin back - a real Tennis Star.
Aaress Lawless | Aug 31, 2008 | Reply
Very well said, Pat. Hype will only last if results back it up.
Suze | Sep 1, 2008 | Reply
I do agree with Pat and Aaress.
I actually wouldn’t lose any sleep over it if no female player was dominant but the quality and level of tennis was high.
It’s now quite glaring, the inconsistency left behind with the absence of Justine Henin. In my opinion, it will take another player who is not swayed by the stardom and money to re-establish that ‘Hero’ persona with skill and talent. I don’t believe the current WTA setup and media hype allow for that.
Nevertheless, some also quite like it like this, simply because you can have anyone win the tournaments now, and the up and coming wannabes also get their time in the limelight.
Pat | Sep 1, 2008 | Reply
[In my opinion, it will take another player who is not swayed by the stardom and money to re-establish that ‘Hero’ persona with skill and talent. I don’t believe the current WTA setup and media hype allow for that.] - Suze
Totally agree on this. One of the reasons that the current top 16 looks pale is because the C team never moved up to the B list. Maria Kirilenko, Shahar Peer, Sania Mirza, Tatiana Golovin and Nicole Vaidisova never made the big breakthrough despite all being pushed on the WTA hype wave with media coverage. Off course, alot of their elongated sophmore slump are due to injuries, but they haven’t improved their tennis games to go beyond steps made by winning their WTA Tier I or Tier II or Tier III titles.
In typical WTA mode, the machine simply moved onto younger “babes” like Wozniacki
and Cornet this year.