Nothing like a little GOAT talk amongst Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers. This week Justine Henin and Simona Halep joined up with Mats Wilander and Boris Becker (that’s 22 Grand Slam singles titles if you are scoring at home) to chat about—what else?—tennis on the Tennis Legends Podcast for Eurosport.
Henin and Halep talked about what it was like to face the great Serena Williams in pivotal Grand Slam matches and how they tried to avoid being intimidated by the sports’ most dominant player.
Both players admit that Williams sent tremors through them, especially earlier in their careers. Henin managed a brilliant 6-8 lifetime record against the younger Williams sister, including 4-3 at the majors, while Halep owns a 2-9 lifetime record.
“I was intimidated by her all the time,” said Halep.
Henin recounds a sister solidarity that made the experience even more nerve-wracking for the Belgian.
“You had to play Serena and Venus was coming with Serena to the entrance of the court" she said. "So it wasn’t one, it was two that you had to play.”
The full Tennis Legends Podcast drops today May 14 on Eurosport.