83C0B367-6048-4F2B-8195-8339330973AC

By Richard Pagliaro
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve

(August 18, 2010) Justine Henin launched an electrifying comeback to tennis in reaching the Australian Open final in January and now plans to pull the plug on her 2010 campaign eying another comeback in 2011. The former World No. 1, who has been sidelined since suffering a right elbow injury at Wimbledon, announced today she will likely skip the rest of the season and aims to return in 2011.

"I took several medical examinations in the last few days. It is going in the right direction,I" Henin wrote in a post on her official web site. "t is still a slow recovery so I need to be patient again until the end of 2010. For my preparation for the competition in 2011, I cannot take any risks so I hope to go back to practice in October. I'll work hard to get ready for this new season."

Henin's statement means she likely won't return to tournament tennis in Beijing in October as she initially planned.

Last month, Carlos Rodriguez, Henin's long-time coach and father figure, told the China Daily Henin's next tournament would be the $4.5 million China Open in Beijing starting on October 2nd.

"She will definitely be here if she recovers," Rodriguez said. "I hope Beijing is her next tournament."

The 28-year-old Belgian injured her right elbow when she took a tumble to the court during the third game of her 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 loss to Kim Clijsters in the all-Belgian blockbuster in Wimbledon's fourth round. Henin withdrew from the US Open earlier this month and was expected to be sidelined for at least six weeks due to a partial ligament fracture of the right elbow.

Now, she's prepared to shut it down until next season.

Since her comeback in January, the Australian Open runner-up has worked to strengthen her serve, use her net game to punctuate points and play a more attacking brand of all-court tennis. Rodriguez believes Henin will be a better player when she returns from her injury.

"I think once she gets through that (the injury) she will be able to play better tennis than before," Rodriguez told the China Daily.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion can master a major next year, according to her coach.

"I think she can do it again (win a Grand Slam) but she needs a little bit more time," Rodriguez said. "Next year she will be ready to win a Grand Slam."

In May, Henin won six of the last seven games to post a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 triumph over Samantha Stosur in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final.

It was Henin's first tournament title since she concluded a 19-month sabbatical from tournament tennis. Playing the fifth tournament of her comeback, Henin captured her second Stuttgart title and became the wild card to take the title.

The four-time French Open champion credited Roger Federer for rekindling her competitive fire.

"When I saw Roger Federer winning the French Open (in 2009), I had a lot of respect. That brought back the fire that wasn't there any more," Henin said. "It's been a lot of work to get back and it's not over."