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Does size really matter?

© Michael Cecilio

It almost seems as if the odds have been stacked against her. While the innate talent was evident from an incredibly early age, at 5’5 ¾”, the possibility for Justine Henin to make an impact at the top level of the women’s game –a game now controlled by the bigger girls – may have been in question. The tragedies which surrounded her childhood – the death of her mother to cancer and the murder of her best friend by a serial killer – may have been enough to press down a mentally weaker person. The difficulties she has had to go through, including the responsibility of taking care of her younger siblings and the estrangement of her father, may have been enough to waver the focus of a less determined individual.

Justine Henin is not your average person. In fact, she’s not your average tennis player. Much has been made of her stature and her build which pales in comparison to the other big names in the Top 10. In fact, Martina Hingis, a player often overlooked these days because of her slight build and her growing inability to hang with the power hitters, is more than an inch taller and 4 lbs heavier than Justine.

While there are apparent similarities in their respective games, there are also a number of differences. Both girls are perhaps the best finesse shotmakers in the game today, possessing an arsenal of drop shots, accurate drives and a great feel at the net. Perhaps because of their size, they have the advantage of being speedy by foot, being able to chase down balls that others could only dream of reaching and playing incredibly successful defensive games. The buck stops there, it seems. Many players who are slightly built and of smaller stature tend to base their games around a counterpunching, defensive games, relying on their foot speed and consistency to wear down their opponents. Again, Justine Henin is atypical of that breed of player.

Here is a slight player who not only possesses incredible touch and finesse, but who has the ability to smack the bejeezus out of the ball! Her backhand has been given the title as the most beautiful shot in the game today by John McEnroe. The legend of tennis knows what he is talking about. Justine possesses a killer one-handed drive with the ability to hit it anywhere on the court with topspin or slice, down the line, crosscourt or away from the body. The remarkable thing is not only that she hits it with a force reminiscent of the bigger girls but that she can execute the shot with just the one-hand. Perhaps it is the prettiest shot in tennis, and one of the most effective too, but her forehand is just as deadly and just as powerful, if not more.