[新聞] Henin-Hardenne Continues Comeback at SW19
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2005-06-14/20050614111877
2157574.html
Henin-Hardenne Continues Comeback at SW19
Tuesday, 14 June, 2005
The body of a finely-tuned athlete is always a hair's-breadth away from
injury. Throw illness into the equation and a sporting life could be under
threat. Justine Henin-Hardenne knows all about such scenarios. A debilitating
virus made her question whether she had a tennis future before a knee problem
at the beginning of the year was followed by back trouble. It was a lot of
physical and mental baggage to carry around and Henin-Hardenne struggled with
the load.
"When I was not feeling well I was worried for my career and for the rest of
my life," Henin said. "I couldn't go out with friends to eat in a restaurant
because I was too tired. All sorts of things come into your mind like 'are
you ever going to be normal again?'."
But the Belgian has slowly worked her way back onto the circuit, up the
rankings and into tournament-winning positions by learning the error of her
past ways when she pushed herself too hard in too many events.
The American hard court and European clay court seasons saw Henin-Hardenne
return to the form which took her to world No.1 and, in 2003, the French
Open. Triumphs in Charleston, Warsaw and Berlin were solid indications but it
was her reclamation of the Roland Garros crown on June 4 which was proof that
Henin-Hardenne was once again an opponent to be feared.
The Belgian now she hopes a greater respect for the frailties of her body
makes her all the more fearsome this Wimbledon. Suffering from back and hip
concerns, Henin-Hardenne withdrew her entry to compete at Eastbourne in the
build-up to the latest Championships.
"I was sad to make the decision but I had to take it if I wanted to be ready
for Wimbledon," she said. "It was clearcut. You have to be realistic. I had
to rest my injury for at least ten days and my body was a little tired after
I won the French Open. I had a lot of matches in the previous few weeks.
"I was determined to not make the mistakes I made in the past when I played
and worked too much. I have spoken to my doctors and it is clear I won't be
doing that in the future. Limiting my schedule will be key over the next few
months."
At the beginning of the year, Henin-Hardenne slept almost around the clock
because of the effects of her virus. Her condition sidelined her for seven
months before she returned for Miami in late March. "I lost a lot of
confidence and there were days I couldn't get up," she admits.
But she insists the more circumspect approach to her career is not just about
her worries related to the illness: "It is about burn out too. I've worked so
hard and never stopped over the last few years. I never took a break for more
than a couple of weeks. I'm not tall or strong so the energy I've put in has
been a lot.
"I'm not going to complain because I won three Grand Slams putting in all
that effort but in the future I'm going to be smarter because I don't want to
go back to the problems I have had. I have learned a big lesson."
Henin-Hardenne believes the post-viral effects will eventually be overcome:
"I have been told that in a few months I will be 100 per cent. I am feeling
better and better each week, which is good. So probably by the end of the
year I will be back to my best again."
The French Open final was her 24th successive victory to prove there is no
question she has developed the winning habit again. Moreover, her success at
Roland Garros may have lifted her to a level that could be good enough to
bring her glory at Wimbledon.
"I didn't know I was going to be able to reach my best level again," she said
"But in the past few weeks I have shown that I can get there. I'm so proud of
my win in Paris."
But good fortune has not always been with her. Life has been a roller-coaster
so far. Her mother died of cancer when she was 12 and she became estranged
from her father five years ago. And then, of course, came the virus and the
injuries. However, she believes her experiences have provided positives.
"I have had it pretty hard. Losing my mother so early affected me so badly I
saw no reason to play again at the time. And it has been very difficult time
for the past year when a lot of questions were asked. But, although things
have been bad, the good side is that they have made me stronger as a person."
Henin-Hardenne has a support group to help her through, led by her husband
Pierre-Yves and coach Carlo Rodriguez. She said: "It is not easy to support
me but my husband always has and Carlos has never lost faith in me for the
nine years we have worked together. I've been fortunate to get a lot of
backing from my family, coach and friends which has helped me a lot through
my hard experiences."
Rodriguez is a tough coach - he ordered her to quit 'showboating' during the
French Open - and compassionate friend. He is certainly sensitive to his
protege's need to treat her body with respect: "This is a transition year for
us. We still don't know how Justine is going to recuperate and how she will
be feeling in the coming weeks. We need six to eight weeks before the
niggling injury worries are behind us. It is fabulous to have won the French
Open but we must keep our feet on the ground. A champion's health is often
fragile and you have to preserve it."
Should Henin-Hardenne lift the Wimbledon title no one would begrudge the lady
from Liege a full set of Grand Slam titles after all the injury and illness
problems she has faced.
Written by Mike Donovan
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