Wimbledon dream prompts Henin return

A burning desire to win Wimbledon is one of the major reasons why Justine Henin has decided to return to the professional ranks next year.

The former world number one quit the sport in May 2008 but announced her return on Tuesday, just over a week after fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters capped her retirement U-turn with a second US Open title.

Henin believed Clijsters' decision played a small part in her own choice to return to the sport but claims winning Wimbledon is her driving factor.

The 27-year-old has reached the final twice but lost to Venus Williams in 2001 and Amelie Mauresmo five years later.

And she admits that seeing Roger Federer finally end his French Open hoodoo has driven her to attempt to break her Wimbledon one and add that to her seven grand slam titles.

"Maybe subconsciously Kim's return influenced me," Henin told RTL-TVI. "I have a lot of admiration and respect for what she has done.

"You have to admire how she managed to come back so quickly at this level and it's certainly an inspiration.

"But it wasn't the determinant factor.

"Roger Federer's victory at Roland Garros spoke to me much more because it made me think of a lot of things in relation to Wimbledon.

"I felt a lack and maybe for the first time I really felt that Wimbledon was missing from my list of trophies."

Henin added: "Winning Wimbledon is a dream. It's more than an aim, it's really a dream.

"I'm giving myself the means to look to achieve great things but will that be enough to win Wimbledon?

"At the moment I don't have the answer to that. I know I'm going to work for it though."

Henin shocked the world of tennis when she "definitively" quit the sport at the age of just 25 and surprised them again with Tuesday's decision.

However, she insists she needed the break and has no regrets.

"I know it was surprising for someone so young to put a stop to their sporting career but you have to know that I was tired and didn't have any strength left," said Henin.

"Above all I had a deep need to feel myself again, to prove to myself that I was capable of existing other than through the world of tennis.

"I wanted to have a more normal life, a calmer one."