The biggest rivalries in women's tennis, part 7: Justine Henin vs Kim Clijsters
With Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters , two players from small Belgium made it to the top at the same time.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit:
Mar 30, 2020, 04:49 pm
While Kim Clijsters is still considered one of the most popular players among fans and colleagues, Justine Henin was never quite clear. And even if both tried to pretend to be good friends - the "Best friends" number was never really taken from them.
As well as? With Henin and Clijsters, Belgium suddenly had two top players in world tennis at almost the same time, they met 25 times, eight of them in a Grand Slam tournament. Henin was the more successful: Both played against each other for the first time at WTA level in 1998, Henin won in two sets at that time. At Grand Slam level, Clijsters won the first two matches in the preliminary rounds when things got really serious, but Henin triumphed: in the final in Paris in 2003 and in New York, in 2004 at the Australian Open. Clijsters had to wait a long time before she could celebrate her first major victory, in 2005 it was finally time at the US Open, in August 2003 she was already number 1 in the world, in October she was replaced by Henin. Henin was at the top for a total of 117 weeks, Clijsters "only" 20.
However, both Clijsters and Henin unite even more: both resigned early - and ventured to comebacks with different outcomes. Clijsters first said "Good-bye" in 2007, at just 23 years old. Henin followed in 2008 with 25 Lenzen, she had reached the peak of her career and no longer felt the same fire as before.
Clijsters 2020 with another comeback
Clijsters finally came back in summer 2009 - and with a bang: she won sensationally at the US Open, the pictures of daughter Jada, who enthusiastically inspected the Mama's Cup at the award ceremony, went around the world. Clijsters defended her title the following year, and in 2011 she also won in Melbourne, where, thanks to her early liaison with Lleyton Hewitt, she still had a large fan base ("Aussie Kim"). Afterwards she became number 1 in the world again. She resigned again in 2012 and started her second comeback in 2020.
Justine Henin is far from that. She also came back two for a short time, in 2010 (and reached the final in Melbourne directly), but ended her career again in early 2011 due to elbow problems. Seven Grand Slam titles are on her success list.
What is stuck? With Henin perhaps the most beautiful (and best) one-handed backhand in the history of women's tennis - with Clijsters especially the balancing act when she fished a ball out of the forehand again. And the idea that you can also be nice and successful. And popular: Clijsters won the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award eight times, more often than anyone else on the women's tour.
The facts
| Justine Henin | Kim Clijsters | |
| Born | June 1, 1982 | June 8, 1983 |
| Tournament victories | 43 (including 7 Grand Slams) | 41 (including 4 Grand Slams) |
| H2H | 12th | 13 |
The duels at Grand Slam tournaments
| year | competition | Winner | Result |
| 2001 | Roland Garros, semi-finals | Clijsters | 2: 6, 7: 5, 6: 3 |
| 2002 | Australian Open, quarter-finals | Clijsters | 6: 2, 6: 3 |
| 2003 | Roland Garros, final | Henin | 6: 0, 6: 4 |
| 2003 | US Open, final | Henin | 7: 5, 6: 1 |
| 2004 | Australian Open, final | Henin | 6: 3, 4: 6, 6: 3 |
| 2006 | Roland Garros, semi-finals | Henin | 6: 3; 6: 2 |
| 2006 | Wimbledon, semi-finals | Henin | 6: 4, 7: 6 (4) |
| 2010 | Wimbledon, round of 16 | Clijsters | 2: 6, 6: 2, 6: 3 |