Henin-Hardenne sets sights on Wimbledon

Justine Henin-Hardenne may have won three major titles in eight months, but the newly-crowned Australian Open champion knows she will have to improve her game on grass to complete a career Grand Slam at Wimbledon.

The 21-year-old yesterday beat Kim Clijsters for the third time in successive finals to add the Australian title to those she won on the clay of Roland Garros and hard courts at Flushing Meadow.

But to become the eighth woman to complete a career Grand Slam, Henin-Hardenne will need to break the Williams sisters’ autonomy at the All England Club.

“It’s going to be another goal for sure – maybe this year or in the years after. I still have to improve my game on grass, especially against the strong players like Venus and Serena,” she said.

“I always lost against them over there because they’re so powerful and I still have to raise my level a little bit more.

“It’s not going to be a priority right now because every tournament that comes I want to do my best and try to play my best tennis.

“But Wimbledon, in the future, is going to be another goal for me.”

Henin-Hardenne has already worked hard on her physique and dominated the women’s circuit since Wimbledon last year when both Williams sisters began their injury sabbaticals.

Venus has only just returned to action after an abdominal strain; Serena has withdrawn from 12 consecutive tournaments and not hit a ball in anger in six months.

While Martina Navratilova has claimed Henin-Hardenne’s position as world number one could only be truly verified when the Williams sisters returned, the Belgian looks forward to the day.

“The only thing I know is that I’m working hard. I did work hard in the summer in Florida. I have no other choice. I have to be fit. I have to be 100%,” she said.

“Being stronger physically helps me be stronger in head. I am not afraid of anyone. Others can be fit also. It can be quick and powerful. I understand that and I accept that.

“So when Venus and Serena are going to come strong on the tour I think it’s going to be another kind of motivation; it’s going to be very hard.

“But I believe I’m at the top of the game right now because I worked very hard. It gives me a lot of motivation to keep going this way. There are no other keys for success – you have to work the best as you can.”

For Clijsters, who had fiancee Lleyton Hewitt and golfer Greg Norman supporting her yesterday, the victory marked a fourth Grand Slam final defeat and the third consecutively to Henin-Hardenne.

She will want to land one soon, given her thoughts are already turning to life as a wife and mother.

“I don’t really plan to have a very long career, because one day I wouldn’t mind having a family as well,” she said.

In the last two weeks, Clijsters and Hewitt were both seen acting lovingly towards Connor – the toddler child of their friend Andrew Mcleod, an Aussie Rules footballer, and his wife Rachel.

Clijsters, who will not be adopting Hewitt’s surname when they are married, is not sure how long she has left.

“It’s hard to put a number on it. Also it depends how I’m feeling, the way my body’s coping with the tough schedule,” she said.

“As long as I enjoy it, I’ll keep going.”