And there goes....

Justine Henin retires from tennis while she's at the top of the rankings by a considerable margin. How I'll miss those booming one-handed down the line backhands when I watch tennis from now on... oh wait!! With Justine departing, is women's tennis worth watching at all?? I don't mean to belittle other players. But Justine Henin brought a certain freshness to the game, that few other tennis players of today can boast of. 9 years ago, when Steffi walked away from tennis, and it seemed that the Williams sisters would run away with all the Slams, a diminutive Justine stood up and showed the world that tennis is not all about power packed serves or groundshots marked by ear-splitting grunts. As Billie Jean King rightly said, "Pound for pound, she was the best player of her generation". It can't be more true.

This wispy little Belgian has always played the game on her own terms. Standing at just 5' 6" tall, few thought she'd go on to capture 7 Grand Slams within 4 years. But Justine begged to differ. What she lacked in size, she made up with variety and skill! Amongst the current breed of muscular power-hitting glamorous tennis stars (with due respect to them), Henin stood apart- those deft shots at the net, surprise volleys, drop shots, scorching cross court forehands...ah!!! Women's tennis is never gonna be the same anymore. Her amazing court coverage, precise backhands and efficient forehands were a mystery to her opponents more often than not.

Looking at her results, one might reckon that Justine has done nothing extra ordinary as compared to other greats like Steffi Graf or Martina Navratolova. But a peek at her personal life and you'll find it difficult to believe that a person who's gone through so much tragedy in her life could actually achieve so much!!! Losing her mother when she was only 12, and an estranged family ever since - these only fuelled her drive for more success. Each French Open crown was a tribute to her mother. It was her promise to her mother after watching the 1992 French Open final between her icon Steffi Graf and Monica Seles that she'd win Roland Garros one day. And win she did. An amazing 4 times in 5 years! The promise that she kept true!

Though clay was her forte, it was in the hallowed lawns of Wimbledon that little Justine reached her first Grand Slam final. Though she lost to Venus then, she'd made her statement to the tennis world. Justine style of tennis had arrived! And it was here to stay. A couple of years later she made her major break through by winning the 2003 French Open. Later she went on to win the US Open the same year and a maiden Australian Open in 2004. After a 7 month lay off in 2004-'05 she came back again to her favourite clay and won it again. After that, there's been no stopping Justine at Roland Garros. She also won it in '06 and '07 as well. In 2007, she also won the US Open without dropping a set and produced a near-perfect season - 10 titles, a 69-4 win-loss record and over $5 million in earnings in a calendar year. She also became the only woman to have beaten both the Williams sisters in a Slam and go on and win it! All these, after starting the year having divorced her husband Pierre-Yves Hardenne!! Later in the year, she also re-united with her previously estranged family.

Friends, wasn't she an incredible athlete?

Statistics are not important here, I admit. For. it's the sheer marvel of Justine's game that brought me back to tennis. Signature Justine style tennis! After Steffi's era only Roger and Justine have provided me with beautiful, breath-taking, awe-inspiring tennis. She's the first player that has retired while at the top of the rankings. Earlier it was Steffi who retired while she was No.3 in the world...

And now that Justine has bid farewell to tennis, she only reinforces the statement I made before - that she has always played the game on her own terms. And many will remember her as one who always followed her own calling....

It's her life, and she's the best person to decide what's best for her....And there she goes, leaving behind an eternity of tennis that could be hers... to explore her life... into peaceful oblivion...

Thank you Justine.... for all the wonderful times you've given us...

And....good luck!