What is left for Henin, Sorenstam to achieve?
At least Annika’s sticking
around until the season is over
A couple monumental retirements were announced this week, and the ramifications are huge in their respective sports. They were both shocking in that both Justine Henin and Annika Sorenstam (shown at right), are competing at an incredible level.
It seems the grind to get to that level, and the desire to move on, has helped each of them make this decision, something that should humanize these two larger than life figures to just about everyone.
Sorenstam’s announcement Tuesday came as a shock. Yes, she’s 37, but in a non-contact, low-intensity sport like golf, athletes continue on past 37. Especially, one would assume, a player that has dominated so much she needs only to be called by one name. Like Tiger, Shaq or Kobe, say “Annika” and people, sports people anyway, know exactly who you mean. Finally recovered from injury, Sorenstam won the Michelob Ultra Open last week and put up an awesome score before this weekend. She’s got seven top 10 finishes in eight starts this year.
Clearly her skills haven’t diminished and, as with any pro athlete, I have to believe the desire to compete is still there.
Same for World No. 1 tennis player Justine Henin. She retired immediately on Wednesday, an abrupt end to a stellar career. She battled injuries but still racked up 496 wins (to 107 losses) and she’s only 25. And, again, she’s the freaking No. 1 player in the world right now.
Why are they leaving their respective sports now?
In talking to reporters during her announcement, Henin said she’s won everything she can win and has more money than she’ll be able to spend in multiple lifetimes. Sorenstam, in a similar situation in the competition department, said she wants to start a family.
Henin’s matter-of-factness about her career accomplishments is astounding to me. Those of us working 9-to-5s and driving 1996 Ford Tauruses can see that these athletes make more money than they’ll ever know what to do with, but to hear an athlete say it is refreshing.
The fact that Annika is going to quit cold turkey at the end of the season is also pretty amazing, but like Henin said, what is left for her to accomplish. Sorenstam’s won 72 tournaments, shot a 59 and made more than $20 million on tour. She’s also dominated on the grand slam end, just like Henin (shown at right).
Like any of us schlubs, Henin and Annika are ready for a new job, well not really a job because neither of them really have to work again, but a new start, a new challenge, something different.
The byproduct for us fans is something that hits both sides of the spectrum. I wanted to see Sorenstam vs. Lorena Ochoa for a few more Sundays. I also wanted to see Henin, the 5-5 1/2, 130-pound underdog continue to beat the game’s more physically gifted stars like Serena, Venus and Sharapova.
That’s been taken away, but in the same breath we get to see these absolute greats go out, not only before they became irrelevant in their respective sports, but before any of their skills diminished. We will always remember Henin and Sorenstam as dominant winners, not as athletes who held on too long.
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-ep is a three-time League of Clutch MVP, he believes his better is better than your better.
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