How does this undersized woman hang with the top athletes in the world? Here are three big reasons.
1. Goes after her serve
Henin is proof that you don’t need to be Ivo Karlovic sized, or even Venus Williams sized, to hit a powerful and effective serve that can give you an advantage in a point. Watch how Henin gears everything in her motion toward getting up as high as possible to hit the ball. Most players go downward before they go up, but Henin lifts herself right from the ball toss. As she reaches to strike the ball, her whole body strains upward for extension.
Like other smaller players such as Lleyton Hewitt and Michael Chang, Henin’s relentless focus on extension and power—on making her serve a weapon no matter what her height—means she commits her share of misfires and double faults. Her coach, Carlos Rodriguez, likes to talk about her being a “finely-tuned engine,” and nowhere is this more true than on her serve. But it’s a tradeoff Henin’s willing to make. If she can maximize her power, depth, and placement by fully extending, think what you can do.
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2. Has a versatile backhand
*If you’re a young player who’s had success with a two-handed backhand, it’s not necessary that you try to switch to a one-hander. But there are benefits, and Henin’s famous backhand provides a good example of them. Her best shot is her topspin version, where she uses her signature full-flying follow-through. That kind of swing is not always practical, though, especially when you’re rushed. Fortunately for Henin, the one-hander is also a natural slice stroke, and her underspin backhand is as good as anyone’s. She uses it for defense and also to give her opponents a different look. Players with Western-grip forehands often have trouble getting underneath a biting slice. By contrast, with a two-hander, you have to adjust your normal shot for defense, and you give your opponent the same look on almost every shot.
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3. Gives everything she has
*Henin has been accused of various things over the years, but nobody has said she doesn’t leave it all on the court. In fact, if she has a mental weakness, it’s caring too much. At times, she has burned herself out by the end of a major (last year she played in four Slam finals and lost three of them). Again, her intensity is a reaction to her size; she feels she needs to be twice as tough as everyone else to succeed. And she’s probably right. Henin takes her business seriously, and that’s why, even after she loses a Slam final (which is often a devastating experience for a player), she’s right back in the next one.