Tennis Number 1 Justine Henin retires! Maybe some of you are as surprised as I am by this news. Justine’s announcement came strictly out of the blue, especially that the French Open is just 2 weeks away. She made her intention known at a conference last Wednesday. Justine was firm in her decision and it looks like she’s really putting an end to her glorious career immediately. She was resolute as she spoke to the press for nine minutes. Not once did she lose her composure. She said that she had thought long and hard about retirement since last year and the decision was made after her match in Berlin. By retiring while presently on the No. 1 spot, Justine is leaving with her head held high.

At 25, Justine had already won seven Grand Slam singles titles making her the No. 1 ranked tennis player. Last year was a great one for Henin, but this year is not. Burnout is the most likely reason for her early retirement. She no longer feels motivated to put in long hours for her training and only wants to concentrate on her personal life.