Serena Williams was excellent throughout the 2010 Australian Open and didn’t want to go home without the trophy.
Defeating four former and future Grand Slam champions, Petra Kvitova, Sam Stosur, Victoria Azarenka, and Li Na, the American star qualified for her fifth career Australian Open final.
Standing between Williams and the title was Belgium’s Justine Henin, who had a slightly easier time of things on her way to the final.
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
It was Williams who made the brighter start in the final, taking the first set 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena.
However, she soon began to struggle, dropping the second 3-6, as Henin took control.
It looked like Williams was heading for a first-ever Australian Open final defeat, until one heckle changed the match in an instant.
Australian Open heckler shouted at Serena Williams ‘You’re not as good as they say’
During the first episode of the ‘Stockton Street’ podcast, Williams shared what happened during the 2010 Australian Open final.
“I always had a chip on my shoulder, since I was born, probably like some form of a Dorito! I always felt like I needed to prove something. When everyone was saying, There’s never been two champions [from the same family], I took it as a personal mission. I was like, I’m going to do this,” she said.
“I remember in Australia, I was playing in the final, and I had a bone bruise in both knees. I think I won the first set, think I was losing the second set, and quite frankly, I was done, I was spent, I didn’t have it in me.
“Then this guy in the crowd was like, ‘You see, you’re not as good as they say, I knew it.”
Williams proceeded to use that criticism as motivation, turning the match on its head.
“I looked at that guy, and thought, that’s what I needed, tell me no and I’ll show you that I can, I didn’t lose another game,” she said.
Photo credit should read TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP via Getty Images
“If he hadn’t said that, the person that he was rooting for [Henin] would have won.
“I never could find that guy. I wonder who he was. I wanted to thank him. Where are you?
“I almost needed negativity to be better. Don’t give me positivity, I need negative.”
Williams believes Henin would’ve won the title had the heckler not intervened, but did the Belgian ever get her hands on another Grand Slam?
Justine Henin’s Grand Slam record after the 2010 Australian Open final
Coming out of retirement to reach the final of the Australian Open was a remarkable achievement, although Henin still wanted more.
Looking to add to her tally of seven Grand Slams, she competed in three more major tournaments, but failed to make it past the fourth round.
2010 French Open 1R [WIN] vs Tsvetana Pironkova2010 French Open 2R [WIN] vs Klara Zakopalova2010 French Open 3R [WIN] vs Maria Sharapova2010 French Open 4R [LOSS] vs Sam Stosur2010 Wimbledon 1R [WIN] vs Anastasija Sevastova2010 Wimbledon 2R [WIN] vs Kristina Barrois2010 Wimbledon 3R [WIN] vs Nadia Petrova2010 Wimbledon 4R [LOSS] vs Kim Clijsters2011 Australian Open 1R [WIN] vs Sania Mirza2011 Australian Open 2R [WIN] vs Elena Baltacha2011 Australian Open 3R [LOSS] vs Svetlana Kuznetsova
Henin played her final Grand Slam match in the third round of the 2011 Australian Open, where she fell in straight sets to Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova.
She retired for a second time shortly after, having failed to recover from an elbow injury she sustained a year earlier.
The Belgian tennis legend did so as a seven-time Grand Slam champion, a tally that sees her tied for eighth in the all-time list.
RankNameGrand Slam titlesYears won1Serena Williams231999-20172Steffi Graf221987-1999T-3Chris Evert181974-1986T-3Martina Navratilova181978-19905Margaret Court111960-19736Monica Seles91990-19967Billie Jean King81969-1975T-8Evonne Goolagong Cawley71971-1980T-8Venus Williams72000-2008T-8Justine Henin72003-2007Most Grand Slam women’s singles titles (Open Era)
In a moment that can only be produced by this wonderful sport, one singular heckle from a fan in Melbourne may have cost Henin a chance to move level with American legend Billie Jean King on eight Grand Slams.
Williams wants to thank the heckler, but it would be interesting to hear what Henin thinks about the incident…