The abiding memory is that frail almost infantile figure unleashing the most text-book perfect single-fisted backhand scorching just in inch or two inside the angle of the court before celebrating the triumph of the shot with a squeak rather than shout of : “Allez!”

Consider the career of Justine Henin more closely and it was study of indomitable will. The little Belgian is not a strong person in the physical sense; she has waged a constant battle with her health and the far from durable make up of her body. Yet mentally she was as tough as anybody who has walked out onto the great show-courts of the world and perhaps her decision to prematurely end a career that has produced seven Grand Slam titles and seen her top the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour world rankings for 118 weeks and counting, is born from a desire to award herself a little more slack.

Life, rather than merely tennis, has been a battle for the player born just a couple of weeks short of 26 years ago in Liege. Aside from Henin’s own health issues, that centre on a desperately weak immune system that renders her susceptible to numerous illnesses and constant fatigue, a chronicle of sadness has been the backdrop to her catalogue of success. Her mother Françoise, who annually took a young Justine across the border and down to Paris in order to marvel at the magnificence of Steffi Graf playing the French Open, died when her daughter was just 12 years old.

Later she took the decision to ostracise herself from the rest of her family, refusing to have anything to do with her father José and a five year marriage to Pierre-Yves Hardenne ended in divorce. Through all this torment, tennis was her raison d’être and how magnificently she competed, particularly on the red Parisian clay of Roland Garros where she once famously informed her late mother: “One day I will play here and I will win."

True to her word, Henin has lifted the Coupe de Suzanne Lenglen four times in the last five years. In addition she won the Australian Open title in 2004 and has twice prevailed at the grand slam she finds the most demanding, New York’s US Open where she was champion in 2003 and again last September. Wimbledon’s crown ultimately proved unreachable although she twice went tantalisingly close, losing to Venus Williams in the 2001 final and Amelie Mauresmo with the trophy again up for grabs five years later.

Such a glaring gap in her record is now regrettable although historians would certainly argue that despite being a wonderful competitor and talented player, perhaps it is right that Henin cannot join the ranks of players such as Court, King, Evert, Navratilova, Graf and Serena

Williams who have won all four of the game’s majors. Better perhaps that she is bracketed with the likes of Monica Seles and Martina Hingis who never quite managed to complete the illustrious set but are still revered as female greats.

However at her peak Henin was a player with sublime talents. Her footwork and balance were in the class of a Federer or McEnroe, while her ability to get around the court, especially on that most precarious footing of clay, was magnificent. Like so many great players she possessed the ability to immediately go from being on the defensive and somehow conjure up a magical shot to not only switch the impetus but immediately win the point.

In addition the Henin game was brimful of variety and disguise but in an age where power in tennis became paramount, she was equal to not stand up to the barrage but propel shots equal in velocity to far more muscular opponents standing across the net.

In America, where sporting statistics are held so important, many were amazed that at the 2007 US Open she managed to maintain exactly the same average service speed as her semi-final opponent Venus Williams who just happens to stand a small matter of seven inches taller.

Exactly a year ago, during the build up to the French Open I was fortunate enough to be afforded an exclusive audience with Henin who declared it was time to start searching for things of value outside of tennis. Suddenly a new emotion called compassion seemed to be taking over. To her delight she had reconciled her differences with her family and was now back as part of the unit that includes two elder brothers David and Thomas and younger sister Sarah. In addition she was putting more energy into caring for others, most notably with her foundation Les Vingt Coeurs des Justine which provides enjoyment and holidays for children terminally ill with cancer.

At her peak Henin maintained she did not require too many friendships and winning on the court was paramount. She was the complete antithesis of long-time compatriot and rival Kim Clijsters who was friendly to all and sundry and one of Henin’s most starkly revealing statements remains: “When I hear players say they don’t know me, I feel proud.”

However that was always a tough stance to take for somebody so inherently fragile and such cold hearted dedication can only last so long. Certainly the timing of her retirement is slightly strange seeing as though her revered French Open is now only a matter of days away but her tennis has been sporadic this year.

Clearly her body’s durability has again become an issue. She has played a greatly reduced schedule in 2008, missed the Charleston event on American clay, lost early in Berlin and was then forced to offer her apologies for this week’s big female gathering in Rome.

Now is the time for Justine Henin truly begin to enjoy her life and today’s announcement seems indicative of the fact that to do that she needs to leave the tennis court behind.