Emotional Henin dedicates triumph to family
Talking and laughing with friends and relatives in a lounge just off centre court, Henin slowly rocked her brother’s baby, then gently kissed her head.
As much as a sixth Grand Slam title meant to the top-ranked Belgian, this scene was worth far more.
For Henin, life off the court has long presented far more problems than life on it. So after overwhelming No. 7 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 6-1, 6-2 Saturday for a third consecutive French Open championship, Henin was thrilled to be able to sip champagne alongside family members with whom she only recently re-established contact.
“It’s been a huge step in my life in the last few months. And I was glad I could give them this victory, because everyone suffered a lot,” said Henin, who went about seven years without speaking to her father or three siblings.
“Today, finally, we are united in this joy, and we can share this moment.”
Henin is the first person since Monica Seles in 1990-92 to win three French Opens in a row yet despite all of her experience, Henin began slowly Saturday, double-faulting to get broken in the first game, then falling behind 40-love in the second.
The 19-year-old Ivanovic was the one in her first Grand Slam final, but it was Henin who appeared nervous at the outset, perhaps burdened by wanting to win so badly with her younger sister and two older brothers in the stands. They travelled from Belgium to root for her at the 1999 French Open, before their falling-out — then didn’t attend another match of hers until last week.
“I am looking at her and see that this year she is laughing, smiling, and taking pleasure in what she does,” said her oldest brother, David. “I used to see her on TV and she did not always look too happy.”
After one flubbed forehand in the first game, Henin glared at the ball, as though it were to blame for the miscue. In the second game, though, it was Ivanovic who began to get tense.
“It just hit me, I guess,” Ivanovic said. If I could control my emotions better, it would be a much different match.”
Maybe. But Henin was superb and never let up. Even when Ivanovic made yet another miscue to make it 6-1, 4-1, Henin let out an “Allez!” (“Let’s go!”) as the ball sailed out, as if things were tight and the point were vital.
“It was important for me to show that I wanted to win every point,” Henin said. “And not let her come back.”
Four points later, the match was over. Henin ended it with a forehand volley, then flung her racket behind her and leaned on the net, closing her eyes and exhaling.
Soon, she was making eye contact with her siblings and Rodriguez. During the on-court trophy ceremony, Henin spoke about her father, who watched on TV, and made reference to her late mother, who brought a 10-year-old Justine to Roland Garros to watch a tennis match in person for the first time.
“That was my heart that was talking,” Henin said later. “What happened in the past is the past, and I just want to move forward, and look forward, and enjoy every moment of my life with them back in it now.
“Emotionally, I had to deal with so many things in the last few months, good things, bad things. “But I just tried to stay very focused, get my motivation, and just try to be happy on the court, and I felt great today.”
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