When she celebrated her win, she turned to the players' box and dedicated her win to elder brothers David and Thomas as well as younger sister, Sarah.
PARIS: Justine Henin has six Grand Slam titles, 15,000,000 dollars and is the undisputed queen of Roland Garros.
But now she also has what she once thought would be impossible, a happy family.
When the 25-year-old celebrated her 6-1, 6-2 win over Serbia's Ana Ivanovic, which sealed her fourth French Open title, she turned to the players' box and dedicated her win to elder brothers David and Thomas as well as younger sister, Sarah.
It was a scene unimaginable 12 months ago when she had defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final.
Henin was still married to Pierre-Yves Hardenne and in the middle of a bitter cold war with her family.
She had been estranged from them and father Jose since the age of 17, the latest miserable chapter in a series of family tragedies which had seen sister Florence killed in a car accident and the death from cancer of her mother, Francoise when Henin was just 12.
But Henin is now divorced from Pierre-Yves, back with her siblings and talking to her father again, a relationship rekindled three months ago.
"I want to keep it private how that happened. But my brothers and sister were here today and my father watched me on TV," said the champion.
"We talk to each other every day. Not everything is easy but it's great."
Henin admitted it was an emotional aftermath to the final when she took the microphone and paid tribute to her family in front of 20,000 people on Court Philippe Chatrier and millions watching worldwide.
"That was my heart talking. What's past is past. I just want to move forward and enjoy every moment of my life with them back in it now," Henin said.
"I was so glad to give them this victory because everyone has suffered a lot from this situation and finally we are united in this joy."
Henin also gave generous praise to her Argentinian coach of 11 years Carlos Rodriguez.
She said the 43-year-old had been instrumental not only in her win here but also in the thawing of relations with her family.
"When I told Carlos that I was in touch with my family again he wanted me to win a Grand Slam and offer it to them," she said.
"He helped me so much. It's 11 years and that's pretty unique. Not many people can do it. We have got closer and closer in the last few months."
It was Rodriguez who insisted that she take a batch of tactical notes onto court with her yesterday tucked away in a series of brown envelopes which she eagerly ripped open in the changeovers.
She also opened one after victory was sealed but she wasn't giving away the details.
"That one I'm going to keep for me. It's just Carlos and me."
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