Tennis News: Justine Henin leaves tennis return question open

Tennis News: Justine Henin leaves tennis return question open

Justine Henin was asked againif she would return to the WTA Tennis Tour and her answer is no longer the definitive “no”. Instead she said “Come back and ask me later.”

Henins, who is an UNICEF goodwill ambassador, tried to keep the press conference focused on tetanus vaccinations for mothers and babies in developing nations.

“We are here to discuss child mortality in the world, a subject matter which is important enough to center on this today,” she said.

After retiring in May 2008, Henin said the sport had left her with so many physical pains that a return was unthinkable but recently she began training again for a small exhibition tournament in southern Charleroi, one she has played in regularly during the December winter break.

Henin also pulled out of a theater commitment, fueling rumors that she needed time for tennis practice.

Justine was asked about Clijsters’ surge and the surprise run of Yanina Wickmayer, landing two Belgians in the semifinals of the U.S. Open.

“It is magnificent, that is evident,” Henin said. “But understand that I am here in my role as ambassador.”

Henin has traveled recently to Congo, Cambodia and Denmark to learn more about child vaccinations and how it affects survival for hundreds of thousands of poor mothers and babies around the world. Her face will become the face of the UNICEF tetanus campaign this fall.

“I have been able to discover so many things in my life after tennis,” she said. “You live in a bubble and in leaving it, you ask plenty of questions on plenty of issues.”

Source and Photo AP