Justine Henin is remembered as one of the fiercest competitors women’s tennis has ever seen—a former world No. 1 with seven Grand Slam titles, including four French Opens, two US Opens, and one Australian Open. Yet behind the elegant one-handed backhand and the iron will, Henin admits there was also isolation. “People said I was cold,” she recalled in a candid conversation on Tennis Insider Club, Caroline Garcia’s podcast. “But I completely assumed it. I couldn’t deal with the social life, being nice to everyone and giving my time to everyone. I was there to play tennis, to do the job.”

The Belgian champion explained that creating a bubble was her way of surviving the relentless demands of life on tour. “I was where I wanted to be—it was my dream,” she said. “But when I arrived, of course

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