One year ago yesterday, world number one Justine Henin surprised the tennis world by announcing her immediate retirement from the sport.
How has the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour evolved since Henin retired? Tell us your opinion in this week’s edition of Open Forum Friday!
It would be foolish of me to say that Henin’s absence had little-to-no impact on the Tour because a look at the revolving door of incoming and outgoing number one players tells a different tale. But has the lack of a dominant player helped or hurt the women’s game? Did her retirement open the floodgates for a host of young players hungry to achieve success?
After one year, one thing is certain. Justine is missed, especially as we are on the eve of Roland Garros, the site of her greatest triumphs.
Everyone, thank you for participating in this week’s discussion! Have an excellent weekend!
Some say that the women’s tour has regressed rather than evolved since Justine’s retirement.
Many times I have heard tennis fans and tennis journalists say that the tour ‘needs a star’. But to be fair, Justine Henin was never the kind of photogenic tennis celeb that the media crave, she was no Maria Sharapova. Justine was just an outstanding tennis player.. which after all is what the professional game should be about; outstanding tennis.
However in reality with the womens game there is all this other sex, glamor, and showbiz stuff attached to it’s commercial credibility, media exposure, and public popularity. In other words, if your worldbeater is not a 6 foot tall supersexy blonde, then they don’t really wanna know.
Justine Henin wasn’t enough to popularise the sport or gain exposure and revenue for the sport.
I’m not saying it’s right, far from it. I’m saying that’s how it is.
So much as many tennis fans quite understandably miss Justine, if she came out of retirement I feel it would not be the kind of panacea that some hope for. I feel if she were return to tennis it wouldn’t succeed in stimulating a better level of competition within the women’s game.
But maybe my analysis is wrong. Time will tell. I’m glad anyway to hear that Justine is finding fufillment at the moment in other activities, and wish her well.
Sorry Alice you are wrong. All the tour has now is your so called glam/sex/FHM players and this is the reason it’s terrible now.
Tennis maybe fun and glamour, but this is a side dessert. It’s about the sport and the game. Justine’s departure took all of this away.
The sponsors are leaving, executives and CEO are jumping ship.
Glam, hotness or whatever you say Justine wasn’t simply is not what tennis was about in the first place.
You know when you’re at the grocery store and you pick that one orange in the middle of stack of oranges, and as soon as you pick it up, the rest of the oranges fall on the floor? Henin’s departure from tennis was something like that. (Not that I’ve ever picked that orange and walked away, pretending like someone else did it.)
Women’s tennis has been going through a transitional phase for the last year, and it will be fascinating to see what layers of dominance form when it stratifies again.
Personally, I think Maria Sharapova’s absence has damaged the women’s game more than Henin’s, but it is still incredibly addictive, and even more exciting now that Maria is about to come back!
I love the analogy, Paula!
Andrew, I agree. Losing Henin and Sharapova was a killer one-two punch against the women’s game. They each brought a different element of appeal to the table and to lose both of them hurt the sport.
Hopefully, things are back on the upswing. Henin won’t be replaced anytime soon, but having Clijsters and Sharapova back on Tour will boost the game, not to mention the competition.
I think with Henin’s retirement, players got lazy. I’m talking about Serena. I’m sure if Henin was around, Serena would be in much better shape right now. Henin motivated other players to get better IMO because she was the one to beat.
henin was the last dominant number one. not even serena could claim to be one.not since 2004
justine coming back won’t ever happen. i’m still hoping safina would finally learn to win big. otherwise, azarenka seems to be the next best thing.
and will see next week, if maria will ever be back into contention.
Oranges are not the only fruit…
:)
I just want to start this by saying that i am a big fan of tennis.
For me it does no matter if there is a dominant player or not. What matters the most in my humble opinion is the game.
When i turn on my TV to watch a tennis game I want see 2 players going at it, giving their all. I do not care about their shape, their height nor their beauty.
A tennis game should be about performance not glamour only.
Unfortunately women’s games are more about glamour nowadays than anything else. I am sure male fans do not complain about that, the question is what message tennis organizers are sending to young people who are interesting on tennis. And also somebody like Justin Henin who held the number 1 position for quiete sometimes and her work was not promoted as much as someone like Maria Sharapova’s because she is not as pretty as Maria, how do you think she must have felt; afterward the profession she has invested in for so long is being glamourized, sexualized at the expanse of performance on and off the tennis courts
My other concern is the fact that male tennis games are shown more on TV’s than female games. What’s up with that?
A perfect example of is the latest Master in Spain. The Tennis Channel which I have to pay an additionnal fee monthly on the top of my cable bill Showed the women’s semi and final with commentaters from the TV studio that was not the case for the male games. The commentaters were in Spain in the Staduim. I should be happy at least this time they showed at least that game.
PS: Serena & Venus play when they can. They are not that young anymore to play as many tournaments as they should. I believe tha twhen they are healthy they play at least the mandatorie, premier events.
If tennis is about glamour just what is the point of it? We have glamour models but that’s not what we want on the WTA tour. We want women who can play tennis, well. If anything, I think the modelling etc has detracted from Sharapova’s appeal on the tour. I get the impression it’s more important to her than her tennis. If you’re a tennis player tennis should come first. That’s how it was with Justine Henin and that’s why she was the best. Oh and welcome back Kim.
Justine was the best thing that happened to women’s tennis since Martina Navratilova. It was with mixed sadness for the game, though understanding that she made the decision that was best for her at the time. It is great to see that Amelie is hanging in there, as much as she loves the game; and that Carla Suarez Navarro is also looming large on the horizon. The current crop of #1 ‘wannabes’ on the current
WTA ranking seesaw is a host of two-fisted ************ of the art, grace and beauty of the game, sorry to say, and when they heap on top of that the most fiendish screaming and screeching along with their bashing and smashing (many in the men’s game would be included in this bunch), it’s almost intolerable, impossible to stay tuned. Justine should be welcomed back with open arms at any time she may choose to resume our beloved pastime at a professional level. In the meantime, we continue to watch the revolving door of mediocrity posing as mastery,
gamesmanship flourishing, etc, etc…
There is much more depth in tennis. Now, you cannot predict the results. Lower ranked players are doing a much better job too.
When Henin retired, Ana Ivanovic won her first slam at French Open. Had Henin been there, this would not have happened.
Henin was proof that you don’t have to be 6 feet tall and glamorous to be a tennis player. That’s what I miss now :(
Bohdi is spot on,Justine Henin was a Master Crafstwomen,and womens tennis has regressed into the Baseline bash since she retired,there is now no one to aim for and the No.1 position has become a Joke!..And for those of you who think Jutine is not a glamour girl..look again at her Armani photo-shoot,and her TV appearances,and her ambassadeur for Armani at Carlos et Fils Boutique..OK she,s not 6ft3″ she is a girl sized girl,but this woman has CLASS on or off the Tennis Court!