Early Retirement Raises Questions

Henin's abrupt departure can't help but spark drug debate
By Mitch Pritchard,  Newser Staff
Posted May 18, 2008 11:50 AM CDT
Early Retirement Raises Questions
In this June 8, 1997 file photo, Justine Henin, of Belgium, holds the winner's trophy after defeating Cara Black of Zimbabwe in the women's junior final of the French Open tennis tournament in Paris.   (AP Photo)

When a 25-year-old tennis star quits at the top of her sport, at least one columnist thinks it's tough not to wonder if drugs were somehow involved. That's Rick Morrissey's reaction to Justine Henin's abrupt retirement this week. Henin has no link to drugs, but in the current sports world of Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, anything out of the ordinary raises eyebrows, Morrisey writes.

The 7-time grand slam winner has a spotless career and the No. 1 player in the world said she stopped playing because she lost the passion for the game. Martina Hingis quit tennis last year amidst accusations of  a positive cocaine test at Wimbledon that she denied. The International Tennis Federation suspended her for two years anyhow. (More tennis stories.)

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