Seven-time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin is better than all the rest.
Justine Henin remembers being at the French Open as a little kid and telling her mom, maybe someday when I grow up I will win this tournament1.
She was right. Henin, now 25, has won the past three French Open women’s titles, and has seven Grand Slam championships in her career. In an era of women’s tennis that is best known for tall, powerful players like Maria Sharapova and the Williams sisters, the 165cm, 57kg girl from Belgium has become a dominant2 force. But it hasn’t been easy.
Love of the Game
Henin grew up in Rochefort, Belgium. She began playing tennis at age five, picking up her brother and father’s love of the sport. “I would always go with them and beg them to let me play a little,” she says.
The Henins lived next to a tennis club, and in the summer Justine would spend all day there. Even in those early years, there was never any doubt as to what she wanted to do with her life.“I knew when I was six or seven that I wanted to be a professional tennis player,” she says.“I never worried about not making it.”
Sick Days
Henin steadily worked her way through the junior ranks, but things were tough at times. Her mother, Francoise, died of cancer in 1995, when Justine was 12. Henin also struggled to stay healthy. Those obstacles slowed her rise to the top. Just when things were looking up3, a serious illness threatened her career.
Henin won her first major, the French Open, in June 2003. Then she won the Australian Open in January ’04. But soon after, she was diagnosed4 with a virus that drained5 all her energy. She had to sit out6 for three months but recovered in time to win the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics. Since then, she has won Sony Ericsson WTA tournaments.
Little Feet, Big Feats7
Henin is ranked No.1 in the world and is the shortest player in the top 20. Overcoming her small size is something she takes pride in.“There were people who didn’t believe in me because I was little and fragile8,” she says. “But I worked very hard to build up my physical strength. I am quick on my feet and hustle9 to get every ball.”
There’s more to Henin’s game than just hustle. She has a great understanding of all the angles and dimensions of the court. She also has arguably10 the best shot in the game: a one-handed backhand11.“It is remarkable how much pace she gets on it, and on all of her shots, considering her size,” says tennis legend John McEnroe.
Playing Style
Henin had a very aggressive12 all-court playing style and could hit all the fundamental shots to an extremely high level of technical proficiency. Henin played with a rare combination of power and finesse that allowed success on all surfaces. Consequently, Henin’s playing style was one of the most admired in tennis: McEnroe once described Henin’s tennis as“Federertennis”, frequently describing Henin as “the Roger Federer of women’s tennis”.
Henin’s single-handed backhand, which was by this time rare in both men’s and women’s tennis, was one of the most powerful and accurate in the game. Henin could hit both “flat13”, topspin14 and slice15 variation off this wing and could strike winners from any part of the court. Her backhand could also be disguised16, surprising her opponents with drop shots17. Her slice backhand was one of the best in the world. However, Henin’s forehand was generally regarded as her most dangerous weapon.
Despite her relatively small size, Henin had an extremely powerful serve, which has been measured at a top speed of 200 km/h. Henin’s serve frequently featured in the top 10 of the Women’s Serve Speed Leaders list.
Henin’s footwork, balance, and court coverage were exceptional—most notably on clay—and she was adept at changing from a defensive style to an aggressive one.
Retirement
Henin announced her retirement from professional tennis on May 14, 2008. Her announcement was a surprise because Henin was still ranked World No. 1 and was considered one of the favorites for the 2008 French Open, where she would have been the 3-time defending champion. She said she felt no sadness about her retirement because she believed it was a release from a game she had focused on for twenty years. She also said that in the future, she will be concentrating on charity18 and her tennis school.
七次获得大满贯的贾斯汀·海宁是最优秀的网球运动员。
海宁还记得自己第一次观看法网的情景：她当时还是个小女孩，她告诉妈妈，也许有一天我长大了，我要得冠军。
她没有说错！现年25岁的海宁是过去三届法国公开赛女子冠军，职业生涯中获得过七次大满贯。当今女子网坛，身高力大的选手，如莎拉波娃和威廉姆斯姐妹，名气很大，而海宁这位来自比利时的身高1米65、体重57公斤的女孩已经成为一种主宰力量。但是，这一切来之不易。
热爱网球
海宁出生在比利时罗什福尔，她父亲和哥哥都热爱网球，5岁的海宁受他们的影响也开始打网球。她说：“我总是跟他们一块儿去，求他们让我打一会儿。”
海宁家旁边有一家网球俱乐部，夏天，海宁会整天呆在那里。即使在幼年，她就看准了自己一生要做什么。她说：“我六七岁的时候就知道我要当一位职业网球运动员，我从来没有担心过我会做不到。”
病魔缠身
海宁不断努力，一步一步提高自己少年网球赛的排名，但有时候事情变得很艰难。1995年海宁12岁的时候，妈妈弗朗索瓦丝患癌症去世，海宁自己也经常患病。这些障碍减缓了她问鼎冠军的步伐。正当事情有所好转的时候，一场大病给她的职业生涯带来威胁。
2003年6月，海宁第一次获得网球大满贯——法国公开赛的冠军，然后于2004年1月获得澳大利亚公开赛冠军。但随后不久，她被诊断感染一种病毒，这种病毒耗尽她所有的体力。她不得不休养3个月，但她及时康复，并获得了2004年奥运会冠军。此后，她还赢得索尼爱立信世界女子网球巡回赛冠军。
身高不是问题
海宁排名世界第一，是排名前20名中个子最矮的。她引以自豪的是她克服了身高的障碍。“有人不相信我，因为我矮小、体弱，”她说，“但是我努力去增强体力。我迅速移动，积极去接每一个球。”
除了接球积极外，海宁还有其他的法宝。她对球场的角度和大小有深刻的认识。她还掌握了网球运动最好的击球方式——单手反手击球。“考虑到她的个子，她在球场上，在击球的时候，要跑多少步啊，这真是了不起！”网球传奇人物约翰·麦肯罗说。
打球风格
海宁的风格是富有攻击性的全场型打法，所有基本的击球方法她都可以达到一种极其高超的技术熟练程度。她将力量和技巧结合起来，这种罕见的打法使她在各种场地上都能夺冠。因此，海宁的打法是网球界中最受赞赏的打法之一。麦肯罗曾经称海宁的网球是“费德勒网球”，他经常说海宁是“女子网球中的罗杰·费德勒”。
海宁的单手反手击球到目前为止在男网和女网中都不常见，是网球运动中最强有力、最精准的一种打法。海宁既可以在边线外打出不同变化形式的平击球、上旋球和削球，还可以在球场的任何一个地点打出致胜球。她的反手球还具有欺骗性，往往球过网后急剧下落，让对手措手不及。她的反手削球在世界网坛数一数二。不过，海宁的正手击球被公认为是她最危险的武器。
尽管个子相对矮小，海宁的发球极其有力，最高球速达到每小时200公里。海宁的发球在女子网球发球速度排名榜中经常排在前10位。
海宁的步法、平衡性以及球场活动范围都是一流的——尤其是在粘土场地上，她擅长由防守转为进攻。
急流勇退
2008年5月14日，海宁宣布退出职业网球，这一消息让人感到意外。因为她现在依然排名世界第一，而且被认为是2008年法国公开赛的热门夺冠人物之一，如果她能够参加这次法国公开赛，她将是三度卫冕冠军。她说退役并不让她感到悲伤，因为她相信她将从这项20年来全身心投入的运动中解脱出来。她还说将来她要集中精力办慈善事业和她的网球学校。
1. tournament n. 比赛，锦标赛
2. dominant adj. 突出的，占优势的
3. look up （情况等）好转
4. diagnose v. 诊断
5. drain v. 耗尽
6. sit out 不参加，置身事外
7. feat n. 伟业，功绩
8. fragile adj. 不强健的，弱的
9. hustle v. 匆忙
10. arguably adv. 可论证地
11. backhand n. 反手抽击的技术
12. aggressive adj. 进攻的
13. flat n. 平击。一种自旋度极低的击球方式。
14. topspin n. 上旋球
15. slice n. 切削球。（回球）用下旋方式击球；（发球）带侧旋的发球
16. disguise v. 假装，伪装
17. drop shot 使球过网后急落的打法
18. charity n. 慈善