Former Belgian tennis ace Justine Henin smiles during a press conference yesterday at Roland Garros. - ap

PARIS (AP):

JUSTINE HENIN is certain that she's done playing tennis.

"I don't think I will ever come back. I think that it's important just to move on," Henin said at Roland Garros yesterday, the day before the French Open starts.

Earlier this month, she became the first woman to retire while at No. 1 in the WTA rankings, opting not to try to win a fourth consecutive French Open championship.

The 25-year-old Belgian said she had not retired because of any health issues - she just did not feel the passion for playing tennis that carried her to seven Grand Slam singles titles.

"Now I don't need the competition to be happy. I don't need this adrenaline of being in front of thousands of people to really be happy," Henin said. "I just need to be myself. I'm a simple person. I can live very easily."

She said it had taken her months to decide to walk away from the sport she dominated for stretches of the past few years.

Henin won a total of four French Open titles, prompting French tennis federation president Christian Bimes to say yesterday: "Justine will be one of the great names of tennis forever here in Roland Garros."

She also won the Australian Open in 2004, and the US Open in 2003 and 2007. She was ranked number one for more than 100 weeks and won nearly US$20 million (€12.7 million) in career prize money.

stunned the tennis world

Henin had been struggling by her standards this season, but still stunned the tennis world with her announcement - particularly because it came right before the French Open.

"It's sad. It's a pity for tennis: The very top player quits tennis," Roger Federer said on Friday at Roland Garros. "She certainly has her own reasons. I hope she has good reasons, because it's an extreme decision.

"What I'm surprised about is her timing, because it was so sudden."

Henin's explanation? If she didn't feel up to giving her all, she didn't feel up to giving her all, no matter where.

Even at what she called her favourite event.

"If I feel I'm at the end of my way, there is no reason why I should play this tournament," she said.

"I don't need this anymore. I know what I did here in the past, and I don't need to live this again. I'm fine with my career. I'm really happy and proud of what I did, and I don't need to live these moments any more."