Justine Henin: 'A first major win changes everything and it changes nothing' - Legends' Voice

We pick up from the first part of this story, which left Henin after her semi-final victory over Serena Williams. In this second part, she looks back at the final victory over her compatriot Kim Clijsters after an almost one-sided match (6-0 6-4) and at what this first major coronation changed (or not) for her. Roland-Garros 2003 is first and foremost the story of a little girl's dream and the fulfilled ambition of a never-satisfied competitor.

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Can I put this victory behind me in two days? How do I get back on track? That's always a question. There was a lot of excitement after the semi-final against Serena, but for me it wasn't that difficult to deal with because I’ve always had my feet on the ground. At that moment, Carlos [Rodriguez, her coach] also paid a lot of attention to keeping a calm environment. Maybe it was subconscious, of course, but I think the confidence of the win and my fightback against Serena [Justine came back from 4-2 down in the third set] played a role. I also think I was on a mission. 

I felt guided by something that took over and didn't paralyse me at all, on the contrary it set me in motion. I could feel it, in relation to my history, in relation to the little girl I had been, to the moment shared with my mother [on Court Philippe-Chatrier court in 1992]. It had been one of the missions of my life since I was very young, and even more so when I was 12, when she died [in 1995].

I was coming to the end of a mission and I had to give the last push. That's what inspired me. That's what guided me. Really, beyond the victory over Serena, I couldn't miss that moment. And I thought it was going to play on Kim [Clijsters, her opponent in the final] because she knew that it's very, very important for me. 

I went to bed very early the night before the final because I knew I was going to wake up very early and in fact, it must have been 4.30am or 5am when I opened my eyes. Then I knew I wouldn't sleep again. I was with Pierre-Yves [Hardenne, her ex-husband] at the time and I said to him 'today must be my day'. I couldn't miss that moment. And I did something with it. Of course there was pressure, there were nerves, because it's a Grand Slam final and it was only the second one for me. But it was like I just had to live something that was already written. 

Was it good news for me to face Kim [her compatriot, who was seeded No. 2] in the final, not to have the attention of the whole Belgium around me? It's a good question because I never really asked myself that question. It was always extremely difficult to play against each other. Besides, it wasn't a great final. I did what I had to do, but Kim had a lot of trouble getting into the match. 

Honestly, the best match we played against each other was when I resumed my career in 2010, in the Brisbane's final. It was one of the only times when I came off the court with a loss and hugged Carlos. [Justine lost in three sets, 7-6 in the third after having served for the match and had multiple match points] I told him 'I gave it my all. I could have won but ultimately she did’. But I did not have a shade of a regret. That hadn't happened to me very often, especially not against Kim. It was a really nice moment.

But coming back to that final in 2003, whatever happened, I think I would have dealt with the pressure because I never really struggled with it. Let's say facing Kim was the factor that made the situation more complicated for me. Actually, we both had to manage that aspect. In the run-up to the match, playing against her was my issue. 

Kim and I know each other so well. The first time we met, she was eight years old and I was nine. We travelled a lot together after that. She is so different from me, almost the opposite and at the same so connected to me through our stories. You have to know that Kim was quite close to me when I experienced the death of my mother. Then her mum became seriously ill three or four years later. It was also a very difficult time when we met at a tournament at the time. I had just learned of her mother's illness and I, who had experienced this tragedy, wanted so much for her not to go through that. There was something very special between us at that point. 

So, even if, of course, she wanted to win this final, there's no doubt that sometimes elements like that can also play a part. I think that this could have been a factor, even if we are aware that she didn't give me the final. Kim also had to deal with that moment and it wasn't easy. She had already lost a final in Paris, so her stakes were even different from mine. 

A win like that is not only about yourself. When I win, the only thing I want to do is celebrate with my clan. My godmother was there, I'm very close to her, she's my dad's sister, and she's someone who took care of my mum a lot and who took care of us too when we went through all this. So at that moment, I just wanted to share those emotions. 

Of course, there is my coach, too, with his own quest. A coach, who has sacrificed so much, who invests so much in me. He also has things to prove to himself. It's also a victory for him. I've always understood that and found it extremely positive because it also makes you less alone on the court. It's merging ambitions, quite simply. There were his ambitions, there were mine. It's a human adventure, of course, but we were brought together at first by this quest, to go towards very strong ambitions. There is the work together, the doubts overcome together, there are many of them.  

I am always moved to see players win when they are great firsts. It’s a liberation. We saw it again with Andrey Rublev in Monte Carlo. You always try to imagine what's the story behind. Sometimes what you have to go through is huge. It becomes something extremely collective. Even if it's true that you are alone on the court. It's all down to the player, but there's everything he's put in place beforehand, everything he's worked on, everything his entourage, his team has brought him. Even if there was something special about the quest for the little girl, I never considered my victories from an individual point of view. For me, it was very important to feel Carlos' pride at that moment. It's not a small thing. He was the one who, when I was 15, said to me, 'I believe in you, I'm going to help you achieve it'. And then finally, seven years later, here we are.

I have often been asked what this victory has changed, in my life and also in the way I see my career. Well, my mission continued. I think I had even greater hunger for winning that day. I always liked winning when I was a kid. There is a very funny video. I'm five, six years old, playing tennis in the south of France, on holiday and my dad is filming. I miss a ball and I say, 'What's the score?' He says: 'Who cares, Justine, play'. And I say: 'Well, I care!’ I've always had this competitive spirit. Today I've calmed down a bit, although it's true that even when I play cards with my children, I never let them win. They have to learn this feeling! I’m joking… let’s say I am only half-joking!

After I won Roland-Garros, I came back in Brussels. There was a big party for me and they said: 'you are going to be welcomed in the Grand-Place and people are going to come and celebrate you'. When I got there, there were like 10 000 people. It was a shock because I was so young. I was not aware of the effect my achievements would have on people. Why would people gather like that to celebrate this moment?' So yes, I was a bit shocked, I was convinced there would hardly be anyone there. 

Then afterwards, life resumed. There was the fame, the constant media attention. I had to learn to deal with that. 

But in the end, life went on. I had to start focusing on Wimbledon, then the US Open. The love for competition simply took over. That was what it was, tennis was my life. I liked going from tournament to tournament just because I simply loved playing, being on the court and living this adventure with my small crew. But didn't like life on the tour. I was not into it. The tour, the big circus around it, l did not enjoy that part. What I was interested in was playing, being on the court. 

So to sum up this first big title, I would say that it changes everything and it changes nothing. I think that when you have your feet on the ground, it necessarily helps you go through these kinds of moments too. I loved and still love to go back to my little town of Rochefort, where I grew up. Where people call me 'Juju'.  It's the only place where I accept to be called like that, because that's where I come from. And it was very important for me to stay connected to that. 

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