Athletes don't retire, they just hibernate for a while

The news of Justine Henin’s possible comeback shouldn’t catch anyone by surprise. Athletes that prematurely retire quickly realize nothing they do in the next phase of their lives can replace the void left behind, it’s that simple. Thus they do the only thing they know, which is to come back in an attempt to recapture what they had tried and probably subconsciously hoped they could leave behind.

Elite athletes are almost programmed from a young age to achieve. Every minute of their day in some way is connected to them squeezing every ounce of potential out of their bodies, and once they decide that the work outweighs the rewards, they run toward normalcy. However it usually doesn’t take long for them to realize that what made them great in the first place was enjoying the effort and sacrifice aligned with high achievement. Factor in the adrenaline of competing, and the void of that no longer being a part of your life, then all roads point right back to the field or court that gives you the best chance to recapture the “fix” you have grown addicted to.

The sad reality is very little in the regular day life can compare to what goes on between the lines of elite competition and whatever normalcy is sacrificed is quickly deemed a worthy sacrifice once that normalcy becomes commonplace. Athletes have the cruelty of life’s greatest resource after their careers end, time. For most that is a luxury, but when you are struggling to find meaning in your life, as most do, it is torturous. It is the aberration, not the norm, for athletes to find peace in life after their playing careers, and those that do have most often been able to put their learned skill set and passion into another endeavor.

Look at two of the biggest symbols of not being able to let go. Brett Favre has tarnished his legacy with these emotionally charged retirement events that eventually segue into comical comebacks. Michael Jordan, perhaps the best basketball player in history, is so lost he spent most of his Hall of Fame induction speech mocking his former adversaries and dropping hints about a possible return at 50. It seems like some sort of undiagnosed disease afflicts certain athletes, “comebackitis” Even the most successful 2nd career athletes, i.e. Magic Johnson or Oscar De La Hoya, would most likely trade everything in just to be able to restart the cycle of competing.

I don’t know Justine Henin too well and it is fundamentally unfair to draw conclusions when you don’t have all the information, but hearing that she might come back, especially after her compatriot, Kim Clijsters just returned so triumphantly, is hardly surprising. It would be unique if she actually walked away from the game and never looked back.

US Open wrap up

Well it was certainly an amazing US OPEN, both between and outside the lines. Congrats to Juan Martin Del Potro and Kim Clijsters, well deserving champions. I admit when I am wrong, and while I always believed Del Potro would be a force in the game and a Grand Slam champion, I thought Andy Murray would beat him to the Grand Slam podium. Del Potro plays with a maturity that far surpasses his 20 years of age and his forehand is an absolute hammer. He started off nervously in the final which is understandable, but Federer showed he is actually human by giving him an opening when serving to go up two sets to love, and to Del Potro's credit he took it. It is great for the game to have another star in the mix, and Juan's humble nature is something that represents the sport of tennis very well.

There were 3 prevailing stories in the women's side of the event, two good and one not so much! Firstly, Kim Clijsters was simply amazing. She came back from being retired for two years, and in her third event back, won the US OPEN, seems like a movie script! Kim has always been a very amiable woman, a favorite of players and fans alike. The way she handled everything shines brightly on the sport - a championship tennis career with a young family in tow is a challenging balance to achieve.

Melanie Oudin was the breakout star of the US OPEN. She captivated the public with her tenacious attitude, bubbly spirit, and exceptional play. She has been burning up the talk show circuit with appearances on "The Tonight Show" and "The Ellen Degeneres Show" since the event ended.

Unfortunately, the US OPEN wasn't without controversy. Serena Williams' much publicized outburst was very disappointing and unfortunate. Since I have lived through the intensity of elite competition, I can firmly attest to the fact that one's character is NOT and should NOT be determined based on one incident under extreme competitive duress. I am by no means rationalizing or enabling Serena's behavior, she clearly was out of line and has acknowledged as such since. However, instead of maligning someone who has given back a tremendous amount to her sport, I prefer to examine her full body of work as opposed to this one incident. "To err is human, to forgive is divine."

~ Justin

A Few Thoughts on the US Open

The US OPEN has been amazingly hectic, and I wanted to discuss some of the highlights so far.

Melanie Oudin has been the breakout star of the event, capturing the public's imagination with her spirited play. I had the pleasure of interviewing her during WImbledon and loved her personality and energy. She has a huge future in front of her, and besides the obvious on court skills that she has demonstrated through her 5 matches, her ability to process the pressure of tennis's biggest stage has been beyond impressive.

Caroline Wozniaki dismissed Melanie and she deserves a lot of credit for playing an excellent match in challenging circumstances. Caroline, who is sporting the new Stella McCartney line of Adidas sportswear, is an excellent player, sweet and friendly as can be. Caroline is a future champion and is great for the sport. Caroline will be playing Yanina Wickmayer is the semifinals and while I haven't seen much of her matches, what I have seen is an ability to generate a tremendous amount of pace no matter where in the court or what the score.

I can't say enough about Kim Clijsters and how she has handled everything upon her return to the WTA Tour. Kim has always been one of the most amiable elite athletes and it is great having her back in the mix. I'm not even going to go into Serena because she is such a stud, and it is tough to come up with enough superlatives to describe how amazing of an athlete she is. Should be a great women's semifinals.

I also want to congratulate Travis Parrott and Carly Gullickson for winning the 2009 USOPEN Mixed Doubles Championships. They played awesome tennis, and I am very happy for them."

More to come soon....Justin