Olympics will be like a fifth Grand Slam, feels Justine

Brussels: Justine Henin-Hardenne may have dominated the season, but on Friday the women’s world No. 1 said her best was yet to come.

Fresh from an intensive three-week training session in Florida, Henin-Hardenne said she had reached a mental and physical maturity which will make her an even tougher opponent next year.

“I feel stronger. I am ahead of where I was in the past,” the 21-year-old said. “I rested and I worked hard. Now I am ready for the attack,” she said. Henin-Hardenne’s first tournament of the season will be in Sydney. From there, she will move on to the Australian Open in Melbourne.

This year-end, Henin-Hardenne has received multiple awards and honours as sports personality or sports woman of the year by different organisations in her homeland for triumphs in the French and US Upens, but it has not dulled her appetite for more.

“The will to win is still there,” she said in a newspaper interview. “The emotions in Roland Garros and the US Open were such that I want to go through that again. And in tennis, there are no secrets. Only hard work.”

On top of her busy schedule, Henin-Hardenne will also compete in the Athens Olympics next year. She is already the central attraction in the advertising campaign of the Belgian Olympic team.

“It is like a fifth Grand Slam for me,” Henin-Hardenne said. “I am certainly going for a medal in Athens.”

Henin-Hardenne’s attitude is in sharp contrast with that of Kim Clijsters, her compatriot and toughest challenger in the world rankings. Clijsters will not take part in the Games because of a clothing sponsorship dispute.

Apart from Clijsters, Serena Williams could well be Henin-Hardenne’s toughest challenger next year.

Serena, 21, has won five of the last seven Grand Slam tournaments, beating older sister Venus in the final each time.

She held the No. 1 ranking for a year until being sidelined because of knee surgery on August 1. Serena pulled out of every tournament the rest of the year and finished 2003 at No. 3.

She expects to return to action by the Australian Open.

Venus, who has dropped out of the top-10, has also been out injured and plans a return in the new year.

“I don’t know how well the other players are in form now,” Henin-Hardenne said. “My goal is to make progress myself.”