1. Personal growth.
2. Heightened health consciousness due to losing her mother at a young age.
3. Heightened urgency to enjoy the life while you can (again due to the reason given above).
4. No more necessity to prove herself in front of the once estranged family members or ex-husband after reconciling with her family and achieving a record success last season.
5. She wants to be free!

She is a brave woman.

Also check out my piece She is Already at the Top, So What’s Next? written as part of On the Baseline Tennis News’ 2008 Players to Watch Series.

What is your guess? Why Justine quit?

The two former Scotland Yard detectives who led the review of tennis have concluded in their report that there was no evidence to back Russian or Italian mafia links in tennis. Do you find this report convincing enough?

Needless to say that I am still stunned. I will miss Justine.

Good luck and happiness to you! Au revoir!

(in her own words)

“It’s a big day in my life.”

“This is the end of a child’s dream.” “It is a new beginning for me. I feel like I already lived three lives. I gave the sport all I could and took everything it could give me. I take this decision without the least bit of regrets. It is my life as a woman that starts now.”

“I know that it’s a shock and a surprise for a lot of people but it’s a decision I have been thinking about for some time.

“It’s the end of a great adventure, the end of something I had dreamed of since I was five.

“I have experienced everything I could have. I have lived completely for tennis. A new future is ahead and I won’t go back on this decision.”

“I also want to travel, to get away from the pressure, and to do many things I can never do.”

“The decision is final, I stop immediately with tennis.” “I stop without regret. I’ve given everything.”

Belgian media report that the world’s top ranked woman, 25-year-old Justine Henin  plans to make her retirement on Wednesday. It could mean she is retiring immediately, at the end of the season. or limiting her schedule.I hope she doesn’t have health related issues.

In the last two days, Dinara Safina has earned her new name — the Giant Killer. She took her second major victory in two days as she sent former world number one Serena Williams out of the German Open just a day after dispatching world no. 1 Justine Henin.

Tennis News reports that Venus Williams will appear on HBO’s very popular sports program called Real Sports with Bryan Gumbel. The program will air on May 12, 10 p.m. on HBO EAST.

Young, famous, rich, AND outspoken.

After months of endless buzz around her pregnancy, Russian tennis star Anastasia Myskina gave birth to a healthy baby boy early Tuesday, Russia’s tennis chief Shamil Tarpischev said. Interestingly, the baby named Zhenya shares the same birthday with Andre Agassi.

Myskina’s biggest accomplishment (aside from her son) was 2004 Roland Garros. She also holds 10 WTA tour titles and was ranked No 2 in the world in September 2004. Anastasia turns 27 on July 8th. Congratulations!