A clip of Serena Williams expressing her frustration towards Justine Henin during their 2007 US Open quarterfinal match has resurfaced, entertaining tennis fans.
In 2007, Williams and Henin played against each other in the quarterfinals of the French Open and Wimbledon Championships, with the Belgian victorious in both events. Their rivalry continued at the US Open, where Henin once again won in the quarterfinals with a dominant 7–6(3), 6–1 victory for her second title at the New York Major.
The clash took a dramatic turn when Henin, leading 2-0 in the second set, stunned the 23-time Grand Slam champion with a brilliant passing shot. As Serena Williams prepared to return the former world No. 1’s next serve, she was captured calling the Belgian a “bitch”, apparently expressing her frustration.
A fan posted a clip of the incident on social media and expressed surprise at its inclusion in the highlights of the match.
“Rewatching 2007 (QF) and I’m surprised they left it like that. That’s 2 games to Henin’s impressive second set. Such an incredible rivalry from an incredible era,” the fan posted.
One fan claimed that Serena Williams had expressed her displeasure in a similar manner on several occasions when facing Henin. The fan also suggested that it was possibly disappointing for the American player to dominate a player “half his size”.
The fan commented, “This isn’t the first time a camera has caught her calling Justing a “b*tch” during a match. It must have been very disappointing for Serena that despite all her strength, she’s half her size.” Lost to the person of.
Meanwhile, one fan expressed how much they miss the 23-time Grand Slam champion on tour, while another called for the “bad relationship” between the players to be revived during matches.
“I miss Serena,” one fan posted.
Another fan shouted, “Mao likes it, bring back the bad blood and keep the competition strong.”
Below are some more fan reactions:
A brief look at Serena Williams and Justine Henin’s rivalry at the Grand Slams
Serena Williams and Justine Henin formed one of the most competitive and bitter rivalries on the WTA Tour. While Williams leads 8–6 in their head-to-head record, Henin has a 4–3 winning record in their Grand Slam matches.
The American player won his first match in 2001 US Open in spectacular fashion by 7-5, 6-0. Her second appearance at a major came in the 2003 French Open semi-finals, where the Belgian defeated the former world No. 1 in a controversial match before winning her first Grand Slam title.
However, the American avenged his defeat in the 2003 Wimbledon semi-finals by winning 6–3, 6–2. Henin was later victorious in her three consecutive major quarterfinal appearances in 2007, winning at the French Open, Wimbledon Championships, and US Open.
Meanwhile, Serena Williams won her last Grand Slam match, winning 6–4, 3–6, 6–2 in the 2010 Australian Open final.