Justine Henin's career in photos

Early in her career, Henin regularly reaches the late rounds of senior competitions and wins five ITF tournaments by the end of 1998

Still in her teens, Henin finishes runner-up to Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2001 - her first big impact at a Grand Slam event

Occasionally feisty, the proud Belgian gestures to an official as she sits out a rain delay during the 2002 US Open at Flushing Meadows

An ecstatic Henin celebrates her first Grand Slam title after beating compatriot Kim Clijsters 6-0 6-4 in the 2003 French Open final

Now Henin-Hardenne, she swiftly claims her second Grand Slam crown by beating world number one Clijsters to take the 2003 US Open

And now for the Australian Open: Henin starts 2004 with a bang and sees her ranking rise rapidly as she again defeats Clijsters in the final

Problems with her immune system leave Henin with barely enough strength to brush her teeth. She crashes out of the 2004 French Open in the second round to little-known Italian Tathiana Garbin

Henin returns to health and is soon back to her best, clinching Olympic gold in the women's singles at the 2004 Games in Athens

And she is soon on the Grand Slam trail again, crushing home favourite Mary Pierce 6-1 6-1 to clinch the 2005 French Open title

No stranger to setbacks, Henin becomes the first woman to retire from a Grand Slam final in the Open era when she is forced to pull out against Amelie Mauresmo in Australia in 2006 with a stomach upset

But the titles keep on coming and Henin confirms her clay dominance by defeating Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova to take the 2006 French Open title - her third of four successes at Roland Garros

Wimbledon turns out to be the only Grand Slam Henin fails to win. In 2006, she wins the first set of the final against Amelie Mauresmo but eventually loses her best chance of success at the All England Club

Henin's seventh and last Grand Slam victory comes at the 2007 US Open, where she overpowers Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final

Clearly established as world number one, Henin wins the Laureus World Sportswomen of the Year in St Petersburg in February 2008

Faltering Henin stares into the abyss after being thrashed by Serena Williams in Miami on April Fools Day - one of four defeats in the past four months. Six weeks later she decides to retire from the sport

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