Justine Henin, who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame this past weekend week, says her career was helped by the presence of fellow Belgian and rival Kim Clijsters.
The pair came up together in the junior ranks, and they both became No. 1 players and Grand Slam champions. They played in three Grand Slam finals, with Henin winning all three encounters.
Henin acknowledged that Clijsters pushed her to improve her game.
"I always say that I would never have been that player, because it was challenging," she said. "I think because of Kim, and with Kim, I could complete a lot of things. When she was doing good, I was thinking, ‘She's doing it, maybe I can do it by myself.’ It was the same for her."
They were the most successful players from Belgium, putting the country at the forefront of the game.
"Small country, almost the same age,” Henin said. “We were traveling a lot when we were young together, playing for Belgium. We started being rivals on the tour. [There was] more competition, but respect was there. That's for sure."
She added that they were good friends in their younger years, though they sometimes clashed on tour.
Henin suggested that their combined achievements made their individual victories even bigger.
“Being No. 1, No. 2 at the same time for such a small country was real,” she said. “It was good. That made the story different. That makes the story more beautiful."
Henin won seven Grand Slam titles during her illustrious career.