Justine Henin: 'A first major win changes everything and it changes nothing' - Legends' Voice

We pick up from the first part of this story, which left Henin after her semi-final victory over Serena Williams. In this second part, she looks back at the final victory over her compatriot Kim Clijsters after an almost one-sided match (6-0 6-4) and at what this first major coronation changed (or not) for her. Roland-Garros 2003 is first and foremost the story of a little girl's dream and the fulfilled ambition of a never-satisfied competitor.

— — - Ad Can I put this victory behind me in two days? How do I get back on track? That's always a question. There was a lot of excitement after the semi-final against Serena, but for me it wasn't that difficult to deal with because I’ve always had my feet on the ground. At that moment, Carlos [Rodriguez, her coach] also paid a lot of attention to keeping a calm environment.

Maybe it was subconscious, of course, but I think the confidence of the win and my fightback against Serena [Justine came back from 4-2 down in the third set] played a role. I also think I was on a mission.  Roland-GarrosJustine Henin: 'Serena could make you feel so small' — Legends' VoiceYESTERDAY AT 08:16 I felt guided by something that took over and didn't paralyse me at all, on the contrary it set me in motion. I could feel it, in relation to my history, in relation to the little girl I had been, to the moment shared with my mother [on Court Philippe-Chatrier court in 1992].

It had been one of the missions of my life since I was very young, and even more so when I was 12, when she died [in 1995]. I was coming to the end of a mission and I had to give the last push. That's what inspired me.

That's what guided me. Really, beyond the victory over Serena, I couldn't miss that moment. And I thought it was going