2002 will be a crucial year for Henin (14/12/2001)

GRONSART - While most tennisplayers are still recovering from a heavy season, Justine Henin is already preparing for next season. "I want to continue my way up to the top," she says. "2001 was a very successful year for me, but 2002 has to be even better."

Henin has never lacked in ambition. The little tennis player from Rochefort has always believed she would make it as a top player. This year she realised her dream. Number seven in the world, the breakthrough was there. But what now comes, will even be tougher: confirm her position at the top.

I realise 2002 will be crucial," she said yesterday in Geronsart, close to Namur. "The serious work still has to begin.When next season starts, I want to be ready conditionally and my tennis needs to be of a high quality. That's the reason why I took such a short break.

That is ten days, to be exactly. Justine Henin spend her holidays with Pierre-Yves at the Seychelles Islands.

"On invitation by my sponsor Rolex, on the occasion of the Raid Turquoise, a sea adventure. To make things clear, I didn't participate, I was there only as a spectator. Just hanging around for ten days. At first I was actually feeling guilty about this. All the time I had this feeling I had forgotten something. But after a while I got used to not having my tennis racquet with me. Sleeping late, walking, enjoying the wonderful underwater nature. The holiday was over in no time. To be honest I really needed it . I was tired physically, but especially mentally. And I was irritable, I couldn't take a lot."

"But now, my batteries are charged-up again and I'm ready to start my preparation. I've started training since Thursday. My first big tournament will be the Australian Open. I'm playing two preparation tournaments, at Gold Coast and at Sydney. Last year I played Gold Coast and Canberra, but Sydney has a stronger field, so it will be a better preparation for the Australian Open. Then I will be playing indoor in Paris and in Antwerp."

Henin realises she has to improve on her serve. Her first serve has been a disaster. "Together with my coach Carlos Rodriguez I'm working on it," she says. Less power, but more precision and rhythm. It's not easy change your service motion, but we're succeeding in making it more efficient. Winning Grand Slams in not my first priority now. Of course I will go as far as I can, but I prefer playing the whole season on a high level, than having one or two peaks a year. I need to gather points so I can improve my ranking: that will be my main goal."

Last week she and Kim Clijsters wont the National Trophy for Sports Merit. Henin didn't know the award, but was happy anyway. "I heard it's a trophy with quite a tradition and I know you can only win it once in your career. The fact that Kim and I won it together feels great. It show that the members of the jury judged we both performed equally well."

"Kim and I are different persons, we work apart, but we also have a lot in common."

"The Fed Cup in Madrid brought us closer together, but we are not inseparable friends. We both have our own career and that's the way it should be."

from De Standaard