Will Henin's Career Forever be Tainted by That Blatant Unsportman-like Play Against Serena?

Question

She held up her hand to stop play, Serena saw it and held up on her serve (in motion) which hit the net. The Umpire didn't notice the upheld hand, Serena objected, but Henin took the point anyway. All on video tape. Henin cheated pure and simple.

In my opinion, one of the most overtly sleaziest plays I've ever seen. I'll never respect Henin.

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Answer 1

can u post a proper link to it

Answer 2

I think that and her performance versus Amelie in the championship game a few years ago are most memorable to me.

Although, I do remember when she broke through at Wimbledon years ago.

I think people will forget the bad and remember the good as with all champions.  Remember, Martina Hingas was accused of being not so nice to people and no one remembers that now.

Answer 3

forever be tainted....NO. because i do feel her other wins,which were quality,far outweigh a couple of bad moves. i mean the way she won the us open that year wasn&#039;t suspicious nor was her other RG wins. we keep focusing on this one match and the mauresmo match at australia,but we do lest to forget all of the other wins. and i am not defending those moments because i detested them as much as the next,but i do realise also she has actually won fighting to the end.

and hey,serena isn&#039;t exactly the most genuine of players in the world either. the way she&#039;s often pulled out of tourney&#039;s before matches if she&#039;s not exactly in top form....that shows poor sportsmanship. not to mention her ungracious behaviour in defeat,often reflecting all of the blame onto herself,rather than giving some credit to her opponents.

*good point about hingis,getitnow.

Answer 4

Dude, it wasn&#039;t really unsportsman like. Nadal does the same gesture rather frequently when he means, ok I&#039;m ready, thanks for waiting. Serena blamed that entire match on that one point. How lame is that. Everyone gets bad calls. Its b.s.

Answer 5

In my mind, yes.  I always loved her game, her backhand, and her finesse, but after that 2003 French Open semifinal against Serena, I stopped being a fan.  I totally lost respect for Henin, and then of course the 2006 Australian Open final when she retired against Mauresmo with a stomach ache, just made me hate her more.

Answer 6

Yes. Like it or not whenever there&#039;s a question of unsportsmanlike behaviour this will always be an example.

It&#039;s been over 5 years since the incident. She was consistent for much of those years and had one year of extremely dominant play (last year). Rather than build on this she follows it up by quitting.

I think once the shock and mourning of her unexpected retirement goes away the critics will start hitting hard.

For those people who think this is simply about her hand guesture, I would suggest watching the video. Look at Henin&#039;s reaction when the umpire asked her...now that&#039;s the problem. Anyone who&#039;s ever felt cheated in  a tennis match knows how difficult it is to regain your focus. In an extremely mental match like the one they were playing, it&#039;s almost impossible.

Answer 7

That, her suspicious illnesses and her completely unsportsmanlike withdrawal against Mauresmo at the Aussie Open in 2006. I for one will not miss her.

Answer 8

Serena had her share of unsportsmanlike conduct. In one of the previous tournaments last year, she belittled her opponent in the post match interview and gave nasty remarks after she lost. She thinks she is supreme and unbeatable. She would also be tainted for that

Answer 9

Henin is a white *****

Answer 10

I always liked Henin&#039;s style of play, but after what she did to Serena in that match at the French Open, she lost my respect, because she did it to be ugly and mean. Serena was in the middle of serving and Justine threw her hand up to stop play making Serena hit the net. There was no excuse for Justine to do that so that makes her unsportsmanlike and an all around b**ch. I respect her game, but as a person I will never respect or like her. People might accuse Serena of being the same way, because she&#039;s pulled out some matches , so what, Sharapova likes to go the bathroom on people&#039;s serves and say she&#039;s injured after she gets beat. Serena is not the type of person to risk her health, she&#039;d rather go home and heal and come back better next time, nothing wrong with thinking about your health. I applaud Justine&#039;s hard work and accomplishments, but I will never like her as a person.